Heart of Darkness is a controversial masterpiece. Conrad's novella shocked and offended some late Victorians by its brutally accurate depiction of European colonialism. Some 21st-century readers are also offended, not by the evils of imperialism, but by the story's challenges to political correctness in the modern academic world. Using the popular (fifth!) Norton Critical Edition, we will explore the ideology of imperialism and Conrad's own river journey to the middle of Africa. Then we will trace evolving interpretations from varied decades and cultures. And we won't forget Coppola's movie revision, Apocalypse Now. Politics comes and goes. Great art stays on. Once you read Heart of Darkness, you will never forget it.