Heart of Darkness in Relation to Chinua Achebe's Contributions: Analyzing Colonialism and Its Legacy
Heart of Darkness in Relation to Chinua Achebe's Contributions: Analyzing Colonialism and Its Legacy
Heart of Darkness (1899), written by Joseph Conrad, has been widely regarded as a cornerstone of Western literature, praised for its vivid depiction of European colonialism in Africa. The novella follows Charles Marlow’s journey into the Congo Free State, where he encounters the mysterious and morally ambiguous figure of Kurtz, a European ivory trader whose descent into madness symbolizes the devastating effects of colonial exploitation. However, the novella has also been critiqued for its portrayal of Africa and its people. One of the most significant critiques comes from Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, whose seminal work Things Fall Apart (1958) directly challenges the stereotypes and colonial narratives presented in Heart of Darkness.
Achebe's critique of Heart of Darkness focuses on Conrad’s depiction of Africans and his overall treatment of colonialism, particularly the ways in which the novel reinforces colonial ideology by silencing African voices and reducing African culture to a mere backdrop for European characters' stories. This review will explore the connection between Heart of Darkness and Achebe’s contributions to postcolonial literature, particularly his response to the novel’s portrayal of Africa and its people. We will examine how Achebe’s critique redefines colonial narratives and gives voice to the silenced perspectives of the colonized.
1. Achebe’s Critique of Conrad’s Representation of Africa and Africans
In his famous 1975 essay titled “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,” Chinua Achebe takes issue with Conrad’s portrayal of Africa as a dark, mysterious, and uncivilized place. Achebe argues that Conrad’s Africa is not a place with its own history, culture, or complexity but a mere setting for the moral and psychological drama of the European characters. The African characters in Heart of Darkness are largely invisible, and those that do appear are often portrayed in dehumanizing ways—either as savages or as passive, faceless figures who serve as the background to European experience. Achebe criticizes Conrad for using Africa as a symbolic landscape for European fears and anxieties rather than engaging with the realities of African life.
For viewers or readers interested in postcolonial literature, Achebe’s critique emphasizes the way colonial narratives in Western literature often dehumanize African people by ignoring their voices, histories, and identities. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, in this sense, becomes an example of how Western authors have historically constructed Africa as a space of moral and cultural darkness, without giving it the agency or complexity that it deserves.
2. The Silencing of African Voices in Heart of Darkness
One of Achebe’s most significant criticisms of Heart of Darkness is the way in which African characters are systematically silenced throughout the narrative. Marlow, the novella’s protagonist, recounts his journey to the Congo to the audience in London, but the African characters he encounters are not given the opportunity to tell their own stories. Instead, they are portrayed through the lens of European perspectives and biases, which reinforces the colonial ideology of the time. The most glaring example is Kurtz’s African mistress, who is described as an exotic, mysterious figure, but she remains nameless and voiceless throughout the text.
Achebe points out that by giving voice to European characters while denying African characters the same privilege, Conrad perpetuates the marginalization and dehumanization of Africans. This imbalance, according to Achebe, reflects the colonial mentality that treats Africans as objects to be observed and controlled rather than as subjects with their own agency and humanity.
In contrast, Things Fall Apart challenges this dynamic by centering the story on Okonkwo, a complex and fully realized African character whose actions, motivations, and struggles are presented in great detail. Achebe gives voice to African culture, history, and society, providing a counter-narrative to the colonial depictions found in works like Heart of Darkness.
For readers or viewers interested in works that amplify the voices of the colonized and those seeking a more nuanced portrayal of African societies, Achebe’s contributions through Things Fall Apart and his critique of Conrad’s work represent a powerful re-imagining of colonial narratives.