Chinua Achebe An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

+ Achebe’s article first addresses his observation that many “westerners”, contemporary and those of the past two centuries, have a conscious or subconscious, “desire – one might indeed say the need— in Western psychology to set Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar, in comparison with which Europe’s own state of spiritual grace will be manifest.” He goes on to state that he believes Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is the most notable and respectable book of modern day containing these themes. Achebe concedes the eloquence with which Conrad, with his great writing ability develops these themes, but Achebe, an African History teacher at the University of Massachusetts, takes special grievances with Heart of Darkness because of its prominent role in all literature educations.


+ Achebe first points out the role of the English language in the novel. There are very few places in the novel in which the Africans speak any English at all, and of these places Achebe believes they are instances in which Conrad simply could not keep the characters from speaking English without losing a part of the story. When Conrad does bestow the civilities of the English language on the Africans, it is often in very unfavorable lights such as the crudely spoken desires of the carnivores and the chilling announcement of Kurtz’s death.

+ Achebe acknowledges that Conrad’s inhuman, and beast-like descriptions of the Africans could be a literary device, used by Conrad, through the voice of Marlow, to further authenticate the setting of the fictional story, but he gives a compelling counter argument to this common defense. Achebe asserts that Conrad, with his gifted writing ability, does not provide enough space between the racist idea in the novel and the reality of the racism that existed in the region at the time. His reasons stated, Achebe goes so far as to reject Heart of Darkness as a classic, and analogize Conrad to a doctor who poisons his patients.

Faulkner's Tad Bit of Closure

The ending of The Sound and the Fury was in many ways parallel to the final scenes of countless modern day horror movies which end with the pure chacter surviving while countless others are left dead or dying. The reader is left saddened and depressed at the horrible state that things are in, while at the same time emotionally preoccupied with the rush of relief and joy caused by the escape of an innocent Quentin. I was deeply saddened by dreary demise of the Compson family and the horrors that Benjy will face with the inevitable death of Dilsey. As the novel comes to an end the Compson family has deteriorated into a family consumed by its dismal past, as the Compson estate stands testament to what was once a proud southern family. On the other hand, my mind was allowed some reprieve with the escape of Quentin and the appropriate turn of events for Jason. The power reversal between Jason and Quentin (Quentin’s taking of the money under Jason’s bad) is perhaps the most significant form of closure that Faulkner allows the reader. The reality of Jason left penniless to dwell his remaining years in the dying Compson home is the most clear cut instance of a character getting what they deserve in story. This final twist by Faulkner allows the reader a final hint of closure before abruptly ending the story effectively out useful characters.