In the Heart of Darkness novel, when Marlow visits Brussels for his appointment, the city is described as a “whited sepulcher.” This is a biblical phrase that refers to a hypocrite or someone who acts nicer to hide their malignancy. This is where the company was in the novel. The company could also be described as a whited sepulcher due to the company wanting to civilize and bring life to the land but instead clearing and exporting all the necessities from the people of the land.

Located in Southeastern Africa, KwaZulu was a Bantustan in South Africa; a providence for black Africans. After abolishing racial segregation in 1998, the KwaZulu province merged with the nearby Natal province, becoming KwaZulu-Natal. Bordering the Indian Ocean, the province also borders three other African countries, Mozambique, Eswatini, and Lesotho. During the 1800s the most northern part of the region was established as the Zulu Kingdom; the kingdom remained independent until 1879 (“KwaZulu-Natal”).