Works Cited

    Achebe, Chinua. “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness”.

                   Armstrong 463-74.

 Armstrong, Paul B, ed. Heart of Darkness.

                      New York: W.W. Norton, 2005

An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness by Chinua Achebe

In An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, by Chinua Achebe, Conrad is characterized as a “thoroughgoing racist”(343). In the last fifty years Conrad’s novella, The Heart of Darkness, has been dissected and evaluated multiple times, “his obvious racism has, however, not been addressed. And it is high time it was!”(Achebe 344). Although Achebe’s anachronistic view on Conrad’s novella is unfair and hinders the judgment of future readers he opens a new door to the audience in acknowledging the fact that racism is a problem.

Achebe, who is of African decent, reads The Heart of Darkness and interprets it differently than someone of another culture would, mainly because he takes offense to the language used by Conrad. One of Achebe’s strengths is when he discusses the fact that a persons interpretation and view on a book ultimately depends upon the culture in which they were raised: “It took different forms in the minds of different people but almost always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white people and black people.”(342-43). This proves that although two people may be reading the same passage they could still get different interpretations depending on where they come from.

A weakness in An Image of Africa is how Achebe is so emotional in defending Africa in the present time when The Heart of Darkness was written over fifty years ago. During which time “white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked”(343). Achebe knows and acknowledges that fact that it was not Conrad's “ fault that he lived his life at a time when the reputation of the black man was at a particularly low level”(344). Yet, Achebe still feels the need to call him a bloody racist even though in his time it was “normal” to act towards Africans in such a manner.

Achebe’s main point in his passage is the fact that Conrad is a “thoroughgoing racist”(343), however; the interesting point that he makes is when he says “And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race can be called a great work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot”(344). Despite the fact that this novel was written in the past and it was in a sense “normal” to be racist Achebe continues to believe that it is a book of ignorance and insulting to the African race.

Works Cited

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 5th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of Darkness. Ed. Paul B. Armstrong. New York, W.W. Norton: 

          2005.

Amanda De Jesus

Professor Timmons

English 105

September 24, 2010

“You Will No Doubt Meet Mr. Kurtz”: Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

In Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, the audience is taken on a journey through Congo, Africa where the main characters are forced to reevaluate their morals and personal judgments. Marlow, one of the main characters, is hired as a seaman to explore the Congo River. However, on his journey he learns about the chief of the Inner Station, Mr. Kurtz, who is well known by both the Europeans and the natives. Mr. Kurtz only companion tells Marlow that “You can’t judge Mr. Kurtz as you would an ordinary man”(56). When a person is put in a difficult situation like in this novel they are subject to change in their personality. We see evidence of this in the character Mr. Kurtz who is a good person but do to his circumstances the worst has been brought out in him. So, Marlow is forced to make his own judgements of Mr. Kurtz based not only on his actions in the Congo but also on his inner thoughts. This leaves Marlow wondering who is Mr. Kurtz? And sets out an adventurous journey to find him. Although there is a type of admiration towards Mr. Kurtz from the natives, most of the Europeans view him as a fascinating abomination.

Europeans who enter Africa see the natives as savages who can not be civilized. Mr. Kurtz however, took the chance and befriended them. The Russian man, Mr. Kurtz only companion said that “He was not afraid of the natives; they would not stir till Mr. Kurtz gave the word. His ascendancy was extraordinary. The camps of these people surrounded the place and the chiefs came everyday to see him. They would crawl...” (58). The natives looked toward Mr. Kurtz for a kind of leadership. He was the only one who took the time to accept them. In return they looked after him and protected him when needed.

In Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, Marlow becomes fascinated with Mr. Kurtz and begins to respect him more than the company. The main reason being because Mr. Kurtz does not use euphemism and tells the truth how it really is. One example was when Marlow was reading his journal: “It was very simple and at the end of that moving appeal to every altruistic sentiment it blazed at you luminous and terrifying like a flash of lightning in a serene sky: ‘Exterminate all the brutes!’”(50). While the company believed that the natives could be “civilized” Mr. Kurtz bluntly conveys that it is impossible and that they should just kill them all. Although Marlow did not agree with killing the natives he had high regards for Mr. Kurtz for telling the real truth. In the end Marlow says that the reason he admired Mr. Kurtz was because “he had stepped over the edge, while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot...that is why I have remained loyal to Kurtz to the last, and even beyond...”(70). Marlow admired Mr. Kurtz because he was not afraid to be honest with himself and everyone else. Even at the cost of his job and sanity.

Mr. Kurtz began to trust Marlow and confided in him the very things that he had never expressed to anyone. Before Mr. Kurtz passes Marlow sits with him:

        Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before and hope never to see again. Oh, I wasn’t touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror- of an intense and hope less despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision- he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath:

‘The horror! The horror!’ (69)
Before passing Mr. Kurtz had his life in the Congo flash before his eyes. He realized too late all the bad decisions he and the company had made. A main one being the way they had treated the natives. He describes it as “‘The horror!’” (69) because of the way they had just barged in on the native’s land and dehumanized them just to gain power for themselves. Mr. Kurtz, even in his last breath continued to try to do right by the natives by acknowledging the fact that what they did was horrible. 

Admiring Mr. Kurtz can be compared to being an abomination in the fact that he became greedy and selfish. Gaining power for the company began to take him over and he lost sight of his well being. Mr. Kurtz became hungry for ivory, the main part of tusks on an elephant, which are very valuable. He became extremely greedy and did whatever means to get what he desired most. The Russian man, Mr. Kurtz friend, says that "‘He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then clear out of the country because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well please’”(56). Mr. Kurtz was going to shoot his only friend in order to gain ivory for himself. He became corrupted, selfish, and insane. He no longer cared who he hurt just as long he received what he desired.

As a threat to those who dared to oppose Mr. Kurtz he had their heads cut off and posted on a stake in front of his house:

In fact the manager said afterwards that Mr. Kurtz methods had ruined the district. I have no opinion on that point, but I want you clearly to understand that there was nothing exactly profitable in these heads being there. They only showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts...(Russian man57) 

Mr. Kurtz had lost his “backbone”(18) so to speak. In other words he became savage in his thoughts as well as in his actions. He no longer cared about helping the company but more so about gaining power for himself.

Marlow, despite all of omens that he should not be, was fascinated and grew to respect Mr. Kurtz in the end. After meeting Mr. Kurtz fiance he tells her that “‘Intimacy grows quickly out there,’ I said. ‘I knew him as well as it is possible for one man to know another’(74). Although it was only a few days that they known each other, Marlow had felt like it was much longer. Mr. Kurtz had confided in him and allowed Marlow to gain a better understanding of him then most people did. Its almost like moving into college and having to live with a complete stranger for the first time, you begin to get to know them in ways that no one else will. Whether its how they like to eat cereal, or if they snore or not, or in Marlow’s case whether or not they have lost their “backbone”(18).

Citation Page

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 5th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart Of Darkness. Ed. Paul B. Armstrong. W.W. Norton: New York,
      2005.

The Heart of Darkness Blog 1

     In the novella, The Heart Of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, the audience is taken on a journey through Congo, Africa where the main characters are forced to reevaluate their morals and personal judgments. Marlow, one of the main characters, is hired as a seaman to explore the Congo River. However, on his journey he learns about the chief of the Inner Station, Mr. Kurtz, who is highly respected and admired by both the natives and Europeans. Thus, leaving Marlow extremely curious and on a adventurous journey to find him. He first learned about him through a sick employee on a company work site who describes him as being "'a very remarkable man'"(19) and nothing further. This leaves Marlow with numerous questions. An important one being who is Mr. Kurtz?
    Marlow becomes interested in Mr. Kurtz because of his mysterious impact on people. To the Europeans he is characterized as being a prodigy, someone sent to them by a higher class in order to help improve the outcome of their hard work. At the central Station Marlow is told by a brick maker that Mr. Kurtz "'is an emissary of pity, and science, and progress, and devil knows what else. We want…for the guidance of the cause entrusted to us by Europe, so to speak, higher intelligence, wide sympathies, a singleness of purpose'"( 25).Mr. Kurtz is the one person who listened and understood the employees. They trust him because he was hired by Europeans with the purpose to make the company prosper by gaining power. Marlow is also interested in meeting Mr. Kurtz because some of the employees compare Marlow to him. The brick maker of the Central station believes and tells Marlow that "'the same people who sent him specially also recommended you'"(25). Since Marlow was also hired by the Europeans the workers believe that he too will help the company grow.
    Upon first entering the jungle, Mr. Kurtz was a typical sane educated Englishman. However, gaining power for the company began to take him over and he lost sight of his well being. Mr. Kurtz became hungry for ivory, the main part of tusks on an elephant, which is very valuable. Mr. Kurtz became extremely greedy and did whatever means to get what he desired most. Marlow meets one of Mr. Kurtz friends who says that "'He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then clear out of the county because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well pleased'"(Russian man 56).Mr. Kurtz was going to shoot one of his good friends in order to gain ivory for himself. He became corrupted, selfish, and insane. He no longer had the company's best interest in mind rather than he was only looking out for himself.
    In the end Marlow meets Mr. Kurtz, who is very ill now. He began to trust Marlow and confided in him. Before passing, Mr. Kurtz says to Marlow "'The horror! The horror!'"(69) which leaves Marlow with the knowledge of knowing that Mr. Kurtz knew what waited for him in life after death. Mr. Kurtz knew that he did some terrible things while being in Congo and somewhat regretted them.
    Marlow grew to respect and admire Mr. Kurtz in the end despite of what was said about him. After his passing Marlow reminisces about Mr. Kurtz and says that "he had stepped over the edge, while I had been permitted to draw back my hesitating foot…that is why i have remained loyal to Kurtz to the last, and even beyond…"(70). Even in the short time of Marlow knowing Mr. Kurtz he too knew that he was indeed "'a very remarkable man'" (19).