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Hayley Skaggs

Mrs. Berry

Great Books

March 16, 2012

Heart of Darkness

Achebe claims that Conrad is a “thoroughgoing racist” (Achebe). He believes that the “simple

truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work” due to the fact that white supremacy has become such a

normal way of thinking (Achebe). Achebe’s accusations are misguided. Heart of Darkness is a story about

imperialism and what imperialism entails – it is not about Conrad’s views toward dark-skinned people

but about the ideals of imperialism and Europeans in the 1800s.

One of the biggest issues Achebe has with Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, “is the

dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster

in the world” (Achebe). Conrad speaks through Marlow and his adventure into the Congo in order to

bring Imperialism and its ideals to life. Imperialism is fostered by the idea that Caucasians are above all

other people – the natives in the Congo are seen as inferior to imperialists. During Marlows first

encounter with the natives he sees a boy “[lapping] out of his hand” and “[letting] his wooly head fall on

his breastbone” (Conrad 16). The dehumanization of the natives through zoomorphism allows the

reader to understand that these humans were treated like creatures, thus forced to act like creatures.

Conrad’s point is not that the natives acted like animals, but they were forced to live like such when the

Europeans took over. Achebe ignores the fact that Conrad also used zoomorphism to describe Kurtz

“[crawling] as much as the veriest savage of them all” (Conrad 75). The animal-like qualities Conrad gives

to the characters is not to dehumanize or insult them, but to prove the effects Imperialism has on all

people mentally and physically.

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Achebe seems to also be concerned with the fact that “Conrad had a problem with niggers”

(Achebe). It must be remembered that this novel is set in the 1800s. In the 1800s it was the norm to call

African people niggers; the term had become a part of everyday language. Conrad describes the “strings

of dusty niggers” carrying the ivory back and forth until they are physically incapable of doing so (Conrad

20). At one point Marlow hears a “beaten nigger [groaning] somewhere” in the first camp (Conrad 30).

Conrad refers to the Congo natives as “niggers” throughout the story. Achebe claims that “his inordinate

love of the word itself should be of interest to psychoanalysts” (Achebe). It seems as if Achebe has yet to

recognize the time period in which the novel is set. In Europe during the 1800s it’s what black people

were called – it’s as simple as that. Conrad uses the word to refer to the natives in a way that would be

relative to the placement of a white man during this time period, and he by no means uses the word

disrespectfully.

According to Achebe, Heart of Darkness “parades the most vulgar fashion prejudices and insults

from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities in the past” (Achebe).

Conrad is calling this very problem to attention – he is describing the dehumanization to show his

readers what lies behind Imperialism. Marlow sees the natives as, “nothing earthly now, nothing but

black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom” (Conrad 19). The

natives did not bring this upon themselves or others – Imperialistic values brought this dreadful fate to

the natives. Never did Conrad allude to the natives as pathetic due to their own choices or ill due to

their own desires. Conrad tells of a time when Marlow came upon a young native and “offer(ed) him one

of [the] good Swede’s ship’s biscuits [Marlow] had in [his] pocket” (Conrad 19). Conrad does not

promote the mistreatment of the natives but sympathizes with them. No person putting harm on others

would offer them food. Marlow offered the biscuit because something inside of him knew it was the

right thing to do – something inside of him knew what lie before his eyes was wrong. Looking back on

the journey to find Kurtz, Marlow wonders “why in the name of all the growing devils of hunger [the

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cannibals] didn’t go for [them]” (Conrad 51). This truly amazed Marlow. The fact that Marlow was able

to admit that he was surprised and appreciative is a sign of respect. Conrad didn’t describe the choice as

stupid or foolish – he said “amazed” to prove that the savage-like creatures he learned about in Europe

are not what he has come upon along the Congo River. Conrad found it necessary to call attention to the

fact that imperialists dehumanize people for their own betterment.

Achebe says that Heart of Darkness “celebrates this dehumanization” and “depersonalizes a

portion of the human race” (Achebe). His claims are foolish and ignorant. Achebe sees only what lies on

the page and fails to see Conrad’s true message – Imperialism is based on greed, manipulation, and

expansion by whatever means necessary. Conrad called attention to the inhumane treatment of the

natives by European “leaders” to prove that imperialism has been so wrongly romanticized.