Ashley Mbualungu

Professor Timmons

English 105

September 28, 2010       

Chinua Achebe’s revised article, written years after Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness in 1977, depicts the African culture and history. It helps to reinforce the ignorance of it as well. Achebe criticizes Conrad for not portraying the continent in its true form. To Conrad the Africans in the novella were not described as human beings but merely objects. Conrad was clearly a racist and there are many reasons of why we see it. “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked” (343). Achebe seeks to get across to the readers that Conrad uses Europe as a foil to reinforce all of its goodness. “Heart of Darkness projects the image of Africa as ‘the other world’, the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man’s vaunted intelligence and refinement are finally mocked triumphant bestiality” (338). Achebe disapproves of the stereotypes and racism Conrad uses throughout the novella and it is noticed that he leaves the more positive moments out.  He perceives the literature in a rather negative way and attacks Conrad.

J. Hillis Miller’s article seeks to find answers as to why anyone should read Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He views the novella as an apocalyptic text and critiques against Conrad’s novella. He is seemingly sure that one should not simply just skim through the words of the novella, but should take the time to understand each and every word and define the book for one’s own self.

There are several strong points presented in Chinua Achebe’s essay on Heart of Darkness. He does not fail to mention how Joseph Conrad views the average westerner and their racism and stereotypical views toward African culture. His criticism is so strong that it makes us question if it is fair that he is comparing Conrad’s racist thoughts to contemporary morality and it is anachronistic. The setting of the Congo basin and the poor descriptions of the savages seem to catch Achebe’s attention and it is strength in his essay.

“A certain enormous buck nigger encountered in Haiti fixed my conception of blind, furious, unreasoning rage, as manifested in the human animal to the end of my days. Of the nigger I used to dream for years afterwards” (344)

                A major weakness I find present in J. Hillis Miller’s essay, Should We Read “Heart of Darkness”?, is his inability to state some of the answers in his questions found in the beginning of the essay. Miller had the notion that the text was somewhat parabolic because it fails to tell of actual experience.

               

Works Cited

Armstrong, Paul B., Ed. Heart of Darkness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2006.

Achebe, Chinua. “An Image of Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.” Armstrong 336-349.

Miller, J. Hillis. “Should We Read Heart of Darkness? Armstrong 463-74.