Chinua Achebe’s critical essay of Heart of Darkness is one of the first to directly accuse Conrad of being racist. Achebe makes statements such as, “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing [bloody] racist” and, “The question is whether or not a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a work of art” (Achebe 343-344). It is quite clear that Achebe believes Conrad was a racist. While this essay does make many good points, it also has its weaknesses, one of which is particularly bothersome.
Overall, the essay makes a fine argument. It points out key passages in the novella and dissects them to unearth Conrad’s racist undertones. For example, he quotes the two bits of the novel in which the Africans speak. Achebe begins by saying that “these instances might be mistaken for unexpected acts of generosity from Conrad”, but then goes on to say, “In reality they constitute as some of his best assaults” (Achebe 341). In the first sentence, Achebe brings up a possible counter-argument, but immediately defaces it. He continues on with just how the natives speaking truly was a racist insult. Mentioning counter-arguments only to destroy them is an effective way to make a case and sway people in the direction one wants.
Now, it may seem as if nothing is wrong with Achebe’s essay, but that is not entirely accurate. At the beginning of the essay, the author mentions two separate real-life stories in which he supposedly encounters racism. The second of which is of a high school student who sent Achebe a letter after reading Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart. The student expresses his excitement about learning the customs and superstitions of an African tribe (Achebe 357). Achebe, after telling this brief tale, says, “The young fellow from Yonkers . . . is obviously unaware that the life of his own tribesmen in Yonkers, New York, is full of odd customs and superstitions and, like everybody else in his culture, imagines that he needs a trip to Africa to encounter those things” (Achebe 357). There are some serious accusations in that statement that do not seem to have much ground. The student was simply happy to learn of another culture, and Achebe condemns him for that, which is hardly fair. Yes, the town of Yonkers does indeed have its own customs and superstitions, but they are entirely different from those in a town in Africa. Perhaps Achebe is harboring some grudge against students, or perhaps Achebe himself is racist. He assumes that all the people in Yonkers share the same views as the student, that they are all racist. It is certainly not acceptable to claim that all white people are racist. Maybe Achebe should have analyzed himself before he judged Conrad.
Achebe is a great literary debater, however he is not perfect. It is good that someone decided to write on Conrad’s potential racism, but it might have been more affective coming from someone with a little less bias. Surely many people have ignored Achebe’s essay because of this. While that may not be reasonable, it is a cold fact. When arguing a position, sometimes it is better to not put as much obvious emotion in it as Achebe did.
Works Cited
Achebe, Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Paul B. Armstrong. 336-49.
Armstrong, Paul B, ed. Heart of Darkness. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2005.
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