--Chinua Achebe
In this quote Chinua Achebe is making his case against Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He is saying that the novel shows Africa and its people as animals and the complete opposite of the white man in Europe. However this is truly not the case, the Europeans end up becoming the animals not the African people. From the very beginning of the novel one can see that the story of Marlow is going to be a dark and interesting one. While traveling the Thames River at the start of the novel, Marlow states, “And this also has been one of the dark places of the earth” (Conrad 48). This seems as if Conrad is trying to make the reader insinuate that the rest of the story is only going to get darker. Obviously this assumption is correct due to the fact that Marlow ends up traveling deep into the heart of the Congo to find Kurtz and discover the “horror” that lies deep within the heart of darkness. Heart of Darkness portrays a lot of symbolism such as the idea that light is greater then dark. Throughout the entire story the reader sees the comparison that the white man is better then the native people, but in actuality the white people are worse than the native people. It is actually very different to what people think. The Europeans that are trying to “civilize” the African people are really more uncivilized. The way that the natives are treated and forced to work is inhumane. Civilization is the heart of darkness, meaning that white people going into Africa forcing the black people to work as slaves to find ivory is the actual evil and darkness that is symbolized in Conrad’s story. In other words, the horror that Kurtz sees while with the natives is how the Europeans enslave and abuse the African people. The reader can see many different examples of calling the native people savages or brutes, such as in the book that Marlow finds where it says, “Exterminate all the brutes” (111). This is an instance where we can see how the Africans are labeled as brutes, but it is actually the so-called civilized people that are actually the savages. It is pointed out to readers by the critic Chinua Achebe that, “Conrad is concerned not so much with Africa as with the deterioration of one European mind caused by solitude and sickness” (4). What Achebe is saying is that Conrad uses the country of Africa as one of the reasons that Kurtz is no longer like all other Europeans. The critic Cedric Watts says, “However talented Conrad may be, his tale preaches racial intolerance; it is on the side of enslavement rather than deliverance; and it is therefore to be condemned” (197). What he is trying to say is that Joseph Conrad is showing the people as slaves and animals, but they really are not the animals at all. In conclusion, the story of Marlow is one that contains a large amount of symbolism. The horror that is discussed is really the treatment of the native people. It is not the native people like most people would think. The white men are meant to portray light or goodness where as the natives are black and are supposed to be dark or evil. This stereotype is completely false in this novel. The script is flipped and the Europeans trying to imperialize the Congo are the corrupted and evil ones. One needs to think what really is horror and what truly is evil. It might not be what one usually thinks.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness." Massachusetts Review. 18 (1977): 251-261. Print
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print.
Watts, Cedric. " 'A Bloody Racist ': About Achebe 's View of Conrad." The Yearbook of English Studies. `3 (1983): 196-209. JSTOR. Wed 7 April 2008.
Cited: Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness." Massachusetts Review. 18 (1977): 251-261. Print Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003. Print. Watts, Cedric. " 'A Bloody Racist ': About Achebe 's View of Conrad." The Yearbook of English Studies. `3 (1983): 196-209. JSTOR. Wed 7 April 2008.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the main character, Marlow travels through the Congo, witnessing scenes of torture, cruelty and near-slavery. The incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The book is regarded as an attack on imperialism and criticizes the immoral treatments of the European colonizers in Africa in the 19th century. However, the dehumanization of the Africans, and use of Africa as a backdrop setting for Marlow’s thought process, rather than an important focus has to do with hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism.…
- 1795 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Joseph Conrad 's Heart of Darkness is both a dramatic tale of an arduous trek into the Belgian Congo at the turn of the twentieth century and a symbolic journey into the deepest recesses of human nature. On a literal level, through Marlow 's narration, Conrad provides a searing indictment of European colonial exploitation inflicted upon African natives. By employing several allegoric symbols this account depicts the futility of the European presence in Africa.…
- 1032 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The iniquity of the hearts of men precipitates the moral and social depravity of the entire population. In Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, Marlow finds that barbarism and savagery are universal among nations, and that the common man is able to be influenced by the slightest of impulses. The distinctive evil that roams Europe soon pervades newly discovered Africa and allows the darkness to fill the land. The European colonizers brought not only civilization and enlightenment to the land of the Congo, but also savagery and utter corruption. Throughout his journey, Marlow learns of the darkness of human kind, their hearts, and their minds through…
- 765 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
After setting foot on the land and beginning his journey to the Inner Station, Marlow observes a group of slaves, from which a particular one stands out in his decimated clothing and deprived appearance. Marlow, in vain, offers the slave a biscuit immediately before they die of hunger right before his eyes (28). This simple encounter echoes the irrefutable damages caused by imperialism and the idea that no matter what anyone does to try and reverse the effects, including Europeans themselves, the damage that has been done has been set in stone for centuries to come. As noted in Edward Said’s essay critiquing Heart of Darkness, “Conrad… could clearly see… imperialism was pure dominance, [but] he could not conclude that imperialism had to end so that natives could lead lives free of European domination” (Said par. 18). This quote unequivocally supports the notion that Europe became a necessary crutch for Africa, and provides evidence for the transformation of darkness to convey the idea of the long-lasting effects of…
- 994 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is regarded as one of the most superlative novels of English literature written in the twentieth century. However, the ideas and notions presented by Conrad in this story has generated quite a bit of controversy among academic scholars and literature experts who believe the novel creates a sense of racial animosity towards the African continent and its people. With further analyzation it can be inferred that this novel does indeed show signs of racial enmity and presents a rather deplorable situation in which one must evaluate if Conrad himself is a racist. Some would argue that his novel was…
- 997 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Instead, it paints a controversial historical account of the culture in African tribes and societies, defying the Western imperialist views that have dominated the minds of many. Through Umuofian tribe, Achebe shows his readers that African culture is more than imbellic, and unthorough; instead, it's complex, unique, and rational. He also dispels the stereotypes that African countries and tribes are savages with no sense of government, by showing the functionality and stability of the Umuofian government. Lastly, he disregards the blame that has been put on Africans for their dysfunctionality by people like Joseph Conrad and the District Commissioner, and puts accurate blame on the colonizers. In Achebe’s critical article about Conrad’s Heart of Darkness he states: “The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster in the world” (An Image of Africa 4). His argument is that these Western imperialist accounts of Africa have remained the imperious story of Africa through many years. His argument is valid; these accounts have shaped and sculpted not only the peripheral and outsiders minds, but also the minds of many Africans today. In one of his later expositions; The Novelist as Teacher, Achebe states, "I would be quite satisfied if my novels…
- 1471 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
In the book Heart of Darkness there are several aspects to imperialism. As Marlow travels from the Outer Station to the Central Station and finally up the river to the Inner Station, he encounters scenes of torture, cruelty, and near-slavery. At the very least, the incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The impetus behind Marlow's adventures, too, has to do with the hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism. The men who work for the Company describe what they do as "trade," and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of "civilization." Kurtz, on the other hand, is open about the fact that he does not trade but rather takes ivory by force, and he describes his own treatment of the natives with the words "suppression" and "extermination": he does not hide the fact that he rules through violence and intimidation. His perverse honesty leads to his downfall, as his success threatens to expose the evil practices behind European activity in Africa. However, for Marlow as much as for Kurtz or for the Company, Africans in this book are mostly objects: Marlow refers to his helmsman as a piece of machinery, and Kurtz's African mistress is at best a piece of statuary. It can be argued that Heart of Darkness participates in an oppression of nonwhites that is much more sinister and much harder to remedy than the open abuses of Kurtz or the Company's men."Everything belonged…
- 681 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In Heart of Darkness what initially stuck out to me was the extent in which Joseph Conrad describes the un-human like qualities of Africans. At one point in the excerpt Conrad calls africans a “prehistoric man”, and at another point describes the way in which the Africans live as a “madhouse”. It seemed to me as if he was not looking at a people rather Conrad was looking onto Africans as if they were caged animals simply there as a resource for Conrad and his men. The overall condescending nature of the excerpt frankly made the passages difficult for me to read. Mainly it called into question for me how a person can look at another human being as somehow innately inferior to himself.…
- 693 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In Neil Bissoondath’s “I’m Not Racist But…” the narrator intends to bring awareness to his readers on the connection between stereotyping and racism and condemns such acts against one another, while in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness, the protagonist informs his audience on the consequences of African colonization. Bissoondath’s work is oriented to educate the reader in the different types of racial acts leading to hatred, abuse or enforcement of power toward any given group of people. He condemns their use whether ignorantly or intentionally. Conrad’s work however, informs the reader of how the goals of the European settlers in Africa, such as ….., led them to exploit the Africans and their raw materials for the purpose of earning profits.…
- 830 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, the geographical surrounding shape the psychological and moral traits in Kurtz, one of the characters of the novel. Especially because it shows the savagery, and lawless environment of the uncivilized lands, which allows Kurtz to almost forget all the European ways, and it also illuminates the work as a whole by bringing the question of what would happen to us if we were to be taken from a civilized world to an uncivilized world.…
- 260 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Throughout Heart of Darkness, the reader receives Joseph Conrad’s portrayal of Africa and its people under a remarkably demeaning light. When the author was born in 1857, racial tensions were at a heightened point in history and Conrad used the novel as a vehicle to advance his innately racist views. During the late nineteenth century, Imperialism struck Africa, leaving harmful effects on many of the native people and marking a dark moment in human history. The colonization of Africa, which had significant economic incentives behind it, ultimately led to intensely strained relationships between white Europeans and black natives, especially in Central Africa. Charles Marlow, the protagonist, is regularly confronted with the racism that stained…
- 1756 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
Hawkins argues that Conrad implements the evolutionary trope in Heart of Darkness, but also exposes the downfall of Europeans by showing their desire for merciless control and inhumane actions to control the African colonies. An evolutionary trope is a developmental logic that white civilization is more advanced than African civilizations (Lecture 2/16/17). Kurtz himself is a representation of Europe because he is a civilized man who becomes barbaric and savage after living in Africa. In addition, Hawkins noted that in Heart of Darkness, racism explicitly occurred as “Conrad likely didn’t show more of the Africans because he wanted to focus on the Europeans” (370). Much like Kurtz himself, Conrad and Marlow conceal a lot in their use of sophisticated words and diction. In addition, their high-strung eloquence is very underrated; people will do anything that the voice asks them to do, including the African people. Ultimately, by denying the humanity of Africa, Europeans are destroying their own humanity, and therefore, Europe is destroying…
- 1593 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Heart of Darkness is a captivating adventure tale of a journey into the Belgian Congo designed to give us a thrill. The main character, Marlow, is intrigued by the mystery of Africa as represented on the map and travels up the Congo to seek the unknowns in Africa. We’re told Marlow’s journey into the jungles of Africa, getting a glimpse of the provoked attacks on other Europeans for ivory. Joseph Conrad creates a symbolic journey into Africa, digging deep into the darkness of human conscience.…
- 510 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In the novel Heart of Darkness, the Europeans paternalistic views on AFrica were shaped by the ideas of power. Europeans have accumulated more land and power than any other continent in the world creating this superiority because of ownership moral character derives from this because of this superiority Europeans felt the power to own other beings because the ownership they already had.This create a gateway for immoral actions based on ownership, Africans were dehumanized because of their lack of ownership builds self worth and pride.…
- 314 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Heart of Darkness seems to blur the line between the so-called “advanced” society of Europe and the “primitive” society of Africa. The native people of Africa are referred to as savages. The white people in the novel showed they had uncivilized characteristics like the natives. Since the white people felt superior, however, they treated the natives like slaves and objects. Europe seems to be more civilized in the eyes of the world because the people are more advanced in technology and knowledge, while Africa seems to be more uncivilized because the people are cannibals and not as advanced in technology, if at all. I believe these distinctions are valid, but I do not agree with the white society feeling superior to the natives. I also believe that the culture I live in is advanced and civilized because there have been so many advancements in science, technology, and weaponry, and we follow the guidelines of “all…
- 1062 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays