Classic Literature in a Modern Era

I must admit that after struggling through Heart of Darkness, it was satisfying to see someone completely tear it apart. Achebe’s essay exposes even the slightest moments when Conrad showed racial bias and discrimination. However, he isn’t just pointing out the novella’s downfalls, but the historical context for Conrad’s thinking, and how parts of it cannot be dismissed by the usual “but that was back then.” I think Achebe is correct in pointing out how the racist elements in Heart of Darkness can not be looked over and he proves the importance of providing correct information as the general public’s common knowledge.

Achebe finds multiple sections throughout the story where Conrad has portrayed Africans as less than people. Even the man he respects he likens to a dog in pants instead of acknowledging his humanity. By pointing this out, Achebe brings up an important discussion of if this blatant racism is excusable in classic literature. Most of the time, people tend to allow racism in works that were written in the past. Heart of Darkness is even considered to be a more progressive novella for its time because Marlow begins to accept that their are similarities between the Africans and the Europeans. However, this acceptance is not expressed in Conrad’s writing style, as expressed by Achebe.

Part of people allowing racism in literature is a lack of understanding how incorrect some of it can be. Many people are unaware of the diversity and development present in Africa, and are likely to group it into a wilderness in the way Conrad has. Even at the time Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness, Achebe points out that Europeans new of the cultures present in Africa and the multiple technological and artistic developments they had already made. Much of Africa had developed kingdoms and villages throughout the continent. However, Conrad continues to push this image of wildness and lack of civilization. Achebe also notes in the beginning of his essay how students taught today are still unaware of the full history of Africa and have been taught only from the side of imperialism.

Achebe makes many important statements about both the state of Conrad’s novella and how people can be ignorant of flaws within it. Heart of Darkness is still a good work in its analysis and criticism of imperialism, but it also holds flaws that continue to lead people to have false ideas on the history of an entire continent! The work itself expresses racism throughout. Because of this discriminatory image, people believe in its fictional description of life in Africa. I think Heart of Darkness should be read with some abrasion towards the racist aspects and is to be thought of critically, but still spread if not to gain a deeper insight on how those who study imperialism sometimes still forget the perspective of those who were colonized.