rn1+stereotypes

The term "noble savage" was created majorly in the 18th century, when there was much colonization of unknown territories and people. It was used for human beings un-tainted with the effects of civilization- basically, it is saying [|"...that without the bounds of civilization, humans are essentially good"] (Wikipedia: Noble Savage). It could be said that the term actually has a positive connotation, because it is saying that, if the so called civilized world had not come and tainted humanity, mankind is a better race for it. It also implies that those native races humanity HAS touched are less noble or respectable than the "untamed" man. This realted to the stereottype of the "dark continent" because this region in the sub-saharan area was an unexplored region up to and in the 19th century, and was considered a wild, savage land. It got its name from mapmakers, who when drawing the map of the known world then, would leave the entire region black.

The phrase noble savage first appeared in the seventeenth century in Dryden's heroic play, The Conquest of Granada (1672). It was used as a term to describe how a human naturally has feeling of being moral and has principles and it is not something that is learned from religion or anything else. The phrase also implies that the "average" or natural form of a persons life is, "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short." "The Dark Continent" referred to unexplored land to the Europeans in the 19th century, which at that point was mainly Africa. It was for called the "dark continent" because it was literally darker then most of the rest of the world and it was very mysterious and unknown.

The phrase the Dark Savage first came about in the 19th century when the Europeans explored and they did not know much about Africa. It seemed very dark and mysterious. Everyone had a certain Obscurity to them and it just seemed to be secretive and private. Also, map makers drew Africa dark because it was such a Mystery.