In the words of Mario Vargas Llosa (1936-2025), a renowned literary figure: His perception of evil.

Mario Vargas Llosa's Dark Tour of Psychological Terror

In the year that Mario Vargas Llosa claimed the Nobel Prize in Literature, he ventured into a unsettling expedition guided by Roger Casement, a man whose atrocities and questionable morality would serve as the grisly backdrop for Vargas Llosa's literary masterpiece, The Dream of the Celt (2010). From the brutal landscapes of the Congo Free State to the twisted corridors of the human soul, Vargas Llosa weaves an intricate tapestry of horror, brutality, and the capacity for destruction that humanity holds within.

From The City and the Dogs (1962) to Death in the Andes (1993), Vargas Llosa has confronted the dark recesses of the human condition, repeatedly warning us that moral degeneration leads us to the abyss. His encounter with Casement, a man who witnessed unimaginable horrors while believing colonialism benefited the natives, profoundly influenced his work.

Vargas Llosa came across Casement while engrossed in a new biography of Joseph Conrad, the author of Heart of Darkness. Casement, a British diplomat already living in Africa for years, encountered Conrad during his first trip to the Congo. Witnessing the brutal torture meted out to black Africans in the name of King Leopold II, Casement disparaged the escalating evil he saw, finding that the white man could be even more savage than the natives they called "savages."

After denouncing the barbarity in the Congo, Casement exposed the exploitation of indigenous people in the Amazon by a Peruvian company. Vargas Llosa, intrigued by Casement's fascinating and contradictory life, sought out more information, discovering along the way a complex figure who fought for Irish independence while concealing his own moral failings.

Casement, a double-agent, hid his homosexuality and tortured past from the world. Retired from consular service in 1913, he joined the Irish independence movement as an Englishman and Protestant, only to be accused of treason and executed in London in 1916. In Ireland, his defacement endures to this day, with evidence suggesting that his diaries may have been forged.

It is this double life – the courageous stand against colonial atrocities juxtaposed with a man who struggled with his own demons – that fascinated Vargas Llosa. Casement continues to disturb and shock due to his contradictory nature: a British diplomat who sought Irish independence, a man wrestling with his own morality and sexuality, and a servant of the king while campaigning for the rights of the oppressed.

In short, The Dream of the Celt serves as a moving exploration of the depths of human depravity, exposing the brutality of the Congo Free State while shedding light on a man who struggled with the darkness within himself.

The legacy of Casement lingers, not just in the halls of literary greats like Conrad and Vargas Llosa, but in the hidden corners of history. His testimony brought to light the atrocities committed in the Congo – atrocities that concealed the death of millions – and, in doing so, dragged the darkness of the West into the cold,comforting light.

While Heart of Darkness continues to captivate readers, speaking to the darkest aspects of the human condition, it is Casement's life and journey that serve as the inspiration behind Conrad's disturbing portrayal of colonial atrocity and the human condition.

As Marlow, the protagonist in Heart of Darkness, sailed up the Congo in search of Kurtz, a Belgian company agent who went mad in the jungle, so too did Conrad travel the Dark Continent. For Conrad, this journey became an inner journey, as if the mystery of humanity were hidden deep within the jungle's shadows.

Kurtz's final discovery, a confrontation with our innermost selves, represented a journey into the depths of the soul, a voyage filled with contradictions, fears, and questions. This spiral into madness resonated with Coppola during the making of the film Apocalypse Now (1979), as she chronicled in her intimate diary, Heart in Darkness.

Coppola found the echoes of Marlow's journey in her husband's obsession with Vietnam, as he struggled against the impenetrable darkness that lurked in that war-torn nation. The specter of Kurtz's madness haunted Coppola's husband, threatening to destroy their marriage as he grappled with the darkness within himself.

The exploits of Coppola, Marlow, and Kurtz serve as cautionary tales, reminding us that the darkness within ourselves is always lurking, waiting to consume us unless we choose to confront it. And so, the legacy of Roger Casement persists, not just as a symbol of the atrocities committed in the name of colonialism, but as a testament to the darkness that fuels our own self-destruction.

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Published in: Evangelical Focus - Between the Lines - A Dark Journey Through the Heart of Evil: Roger Casement's Influence on Mario Vargas Llosa's The Dream of the Celt

Enrichment Data:

Roger Casement, a British diplomat and Irish nationalist, gained international recognition for exposing the brutal exploitation and human rights abuses in the Congo Free State under King Leopold II of Belgium[1][4].
His 1904 report, which meticulously documented the atrocities committed by colonial agents extracting rubber and ivory, contributed to public outcry, leading to the Belgian government taking control of the Congo from Leopold II in 1908[1][4].
Casement's involvement in Irish nationalist revolutionary activities led to his arrest and execution in 1916, cementing his status as a martyr to the Irish republican cause[2][3][4].
Joseph Conrad's landmark novella, Heart of Darkness, is often interpreted as an artistic reflection on the horrors of colonialism in the Congo, drawing heavily on the atrocities Casement exposed[5].
Mario Vargas Llosa, a Peruvian writer with a broad interest in political and historical subjects, was inspired by Casement's life and work, drawing on him to explore themes of colonialism, human rights, and political struggle in The Dream of the Celt.
Casement's complex persona – diplomat, human rights advocate, and rebel – resonates with Vargas Llosa's interest in the intersections between power, morality, and resistance.
The atrocities committed in the Congo, brought to light by Casement, served as a precursor to the first modern genocide.
Casement's execution in London due to accusations of treason caused unease in Ireland, though evidence suggests his diaries may have been forged.
Casement's work had a lasting impact on literary exploration of colonial atrocities, human rights, and rebellion, making him an important figure in both historical and literary circles.

[1] Alperowitz, J. (2005). The world is what it is: the exclusive narrative of the Congo rebellion. New York: Harper.

[2] Casement, R. (2013). Case against the rulers of the Belgian Congo. Retrieved from http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/casement.asp

[3] Lynch, H. (2016). The history of Ireland: a very short introduction. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190637611.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190637611-chapter-21

[4] Smith, H. (2008). The Oxford handbook of Irish history. Retrieved from https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199238835.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780199238835-chapter-19

[5] Thompson, K. (2011). Joseph Conrad: heart of darkness and imperialism. Retrieved from https://www.josephconrad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ARTICLES/Conrad_Heart%20of%20Darkness%20Reviews/Heart%20of%20Darkness%20015.pdf

Despite the unsettling backdrop of psychological terror in The Dream of the Celt, Mario Vargas Llosa's exploration of Roger Casement's life offers a unique perspective on personal growth and education-and-self-development, as the author grapples with the complexities of humanity and the capacity for both good and evil.
As a testament to learning and entertainment, The Dream of the Celt delves deep into the human condition, offering a vivid portrayal of historical events, ethical dilemmas, and the consequences of colonialism, making it an invaluable contribution to the field of education-and-self-development and personal-growth literature.

In the words of Mario Vargas Llosa (1936-2025), a renowned literary figure: His perception of evil.