1) In the critique they say that the book “Heart Of Darkness” is an “Image of Africa” the reason for this is because it only portrays one side of the story and not the whole story. In the critique they say it as “ the other world” because this story is only telling the side of Europe, westerners, and Africans.
Achebe talks about the book as “the most vulgar fashion prejudices and insults from which a section of mankind has suffered untold agonies and atrocities in the past and continues to do so in many ways and many places today. I am talking about a story in which the very humanity of black people is called in question.”
2) Achebe thinks Conrad as a writer has good talents, but says and I quote “a thoroughgoing racist” because Conrad thinks that the white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked. Achebe also says in the critique that Conrad is concerned not so much with Africa as with the deterioration of one European mind caused by solitude and sickness.
3) Achebe states the following about Conrad: “It is not the differentness that worries Conrad but the lurking hind of kinship, of common ancestry.” Achebe thinks that Conrad is not worried that Africa is so different than Europe, but that they may be too similar. Achebe is implying in this, that Conrad does not want his homeland to be similar to Africa and its culture.
4) When Conrad uses the concept of good verses evil, or light and darkness Achebe thought and believed he was using it wrongly in his literature. He thought of using them to attack Africa.
5) It is implied by Conrad that Africa is not a peaceful place. However, in Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart, he tells how the tribes went to war and had a justice system. Conrad, on the other hand institutes that the Africans were killers and cannibals.
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