Topic of Article: Comparative analysis of Representation of Africa in

Achebe`s Things fall apart and Joseph Conrad`s Heart of

Darkness.
1. Introduction:
History is impactful and has the power to change the world patterns. The revolutions
and the invasions in the course of history have changed and impacted on our present life style,
culture, and politics and even on literature, the approach of writers, their subject presentation
and even the choice of the subject, all are being affected. Colonialism was one of the historical
events which has a great impact on the present day world. It is long ago that the colonial
power is gone back but the colonies are, in one way or another, clapped in the colonial irons.
Joseph Conrad is one of the greatest 19 th century novelist, whose work “Heart of
Darkness” has been praised as well as criticized. The novel is a story of a river steamer Marlow,
on his voyage to the heart of Africa; Congo. The way Africa has been presented has been put
to question by one of African writers Chinua Achebe. The researcher would examine what kind
of racist elements Achebe is up to in “Heart of Darkness”, and on what grounds Conrad has
been called a “thoroughgoing racist”. A qualitative method is adapted to dissect “heart of
Darkness” in comparison with Achebe`s “Things Fall apart” and Achebe`s essay on “Heart of
Darkness”.
Achebe was interested in the indigenous languages and cultures of Africa, he saw
beauty and harmony in the African people and their culture, but was disappointed as other
writers have misrepresented Africa with reference to the mega narratives of cultural
supremacy. Achebe considered the presentation of Africa in literature of the time as an insult
to African people. He started writing as to present the true colors of Africa, its culture,
language and life style. In an interview to Lorene Cary at the free Library of Philadelphia he
said, that when talking about his story is in a sense talking about the story of African, the story
in which African are presented as humans, he said “Things Fall Apart” is a story of African
culture, language and African essence. He furthermore confronts the occident way of African
presentation. He argues that the occident writers have deprived Africa of its culture and
language and for him this is to deprive Africa out of it worth. Achebe argues that Conrad has
presented African society with discrimination. He has presented Africa not in is true colors but
as an animalist society, a society of cannibals, uncivilized, cultureless, language less people.

1.1. Research Objectives

The aim of the researcher is to explore;

 To analyze the representation of Africa by Achebe in Things Fall Apart.

 To analyze the representation of Africa by Conrad in Heart of Darkness.
 To explore differences in the representation of Africa by Conrad and Achebe in the
mentioned novels.
1.2. Significance of the Research
The study is significant in portraying a clear picture of racism and how it has been dealt
differently by eastern and western writers. Moreover, how writers can adopt different
approaches depending on their social and ethnic backgrounds and also on the basis of their
closeness and association with a specific society.

2. Literature Review
Achebe and Conrad have been researched and cross checked in their approaches
toward the representation of colonies. As for instance Achebe in his essay “Image of Africa”
argues that Conrad has described Africa as “the other world”, and his discrimination is
camouflaged in his work because of the fact that racism against Africa is considered normal.
Whereas, different perspectives are also there like that of Leavis and Allon White, who
support Conrad presentation of Africa. They lend weight to the argument that thought Africa
has been used for European story and from African point of view, the white arrogance
egotism is there in the story, though they further argue that Conrad is much susceptive of
racism (John Batchelor, 1992). Achebe argues, additionally, that even to present Africa as a
testing ground for a white mind, it still be counted as racism, it exudes Africa as inhumane
responsible for corrupting a European mind. Furthermore, Achebe asserts that there is even
discrimination done in the presentation of rivers; river Thames and river Congo. Thames,
being considered as peaceful and resting in tranquility while Congo has been presented the
very opposite of Thames, “going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginning
of the world”. Achebe has further quoted one of the critics F.R Leavis; who asserts that
Conrad`s language intricacies are not mere stylistics felicities but carry some under arm
motives, for that he tags Conrad`s as “purveyor of comforting myths (Achebe, 2016, p. 2). For
instance; “wanderers on prehistoric earth”, “traveling in the night of first ages”, “earth
seemed unearthly”, “they howled and leaped and spun and made horrid faces” these are
some phrases which shows the discrimination in stylistic felicity.
After Achebe`s criticism on Conrad, many other defenses come out, either to oppose
Achebe or go with him. Such as Cedric Watt argues that both Achebe and Conrad are equally
right, Achebe`s only concern is the aversion Conrad has shown to Africa and his culture, but
he further explains that Conrad has shown the true picture of Africa, the exact colonized face
of Africa has been depicted in the novel. Furthermore, emphasizing on the common language
used back then, Conrad narrates the same.
In Conrad and Imperialism (1983), Benita Parry comments on the sordid objectives of
imperialism and the gruesome situation of colonizes, when King Leopold started colonization.
He argues that Conrad six months in Congo were not mere experience of a voyage to Africa or
mere a tale in his diary, but a detailed account on the atrocities and persecution of colonizers.
The atrocities started appearing in British press in 1888, up to that period the population of
Congo was reduced by almost one half, thousands of person were forced to labor, to extract
ivory, they were executed, tortured and brutally uprooted. He further argues as Conrad`s
conscious is clear about the atrocities of colonialism. He presented Africa in its real,
incumbent shape, his description is more of the divulgence of imperialism rather than
description of Africa (Brantlinger,P 1985). The Inheritors, co-authored by Conrad, is dealing
with the same subject of the Africa bring raped by King Leopold of Belgium, in which a
journalist tries to expose the horrors of Greenland, a substitute of Congo, so Heart of
Darkness, is not the only work if Conrad in which he depicts the gloom of colonization.
Colonization not only brought atrocities to the continents, but it also corrupted the local
culture, as Brantlinger (1985) argues that cutting off of hands was not African culture, it was a
punishment in Belgium army, so whatever has been presented in Heart of Darkness, is not
what Conrad solely experienced in Congo, but he himself was irked with the miserable
convictions of Belgium employees. As a result, most of the atrocities practiced, were not
indigenous but the product of exploitation. Having said that, Africa and other colonies at that
time, not only faced the predicaments of colonization, but also got their indigenous lifestyle
corrupted, which has a long lasting effect on the social, political and economic status of the
colonies.
Jonah Ruskin, (1967), has hold a neutral ground while interpreting Conrad`s
presentation. He argues that Heart of Darkness is more of a transformation of personal
experiences into social and historical significance. Furthermore, he claims that Conrad has
placed himself at the frontier of civilization and barbarism, industrialization and pastoralism,
Raskin, J. (1967). For him the depiction of Africa is more of the experiences of Conrad in
Belgium Congo as a mere difference between Africa and the modern world, which he has put
in a chronicle.
A writer`s approach also depends upon his approach to the content regarding his
subject matter; Before Conrad`s heart of darkness, much literature and historicized works
were already about. The historical confrontation of Arabs and Belgium forces, in 1891-94, it
was called “war of extermination” by Mortel. The war came to its end with the surrender of
Rumaliza in 1894. This and many other literatures were the sources of Conrad as he talked
about Cannibalism. According to Hinde, in the war between Arabs and Congolese forces, they
practiced Cannibalism, for Muslims, it is a belief that their bodies will go to heaven if their
bodies are intact rather than copped up or eaten, so Cannibalism was used as a weapon
against Muslims. Hinde account of war is atrocious and he considered both the parties as
“human wolves”, both has their lethal ways of conducting war strategies. Now Conrad might
have read Hinde and which might bring history into his perception and the presentation of
Africa.

Both the writers have been approved and rejected by different critics and researchers.
Both hold their own narratives in their respective times, background and lens to view the
 reality. Achebe`s only grudge is Conrad`s misrepresentation of Africa by depriving Africa from
its language, culture and the discrimination done in the presentation of black people by
depiction them as savages, uncivilized, barbaric and cannibals. While on the other hand
Conrad has been supported on the grounds of true presentation of imperialism and
colonization. Such as the ways in which Africa has been exploited and robbed, its people
being forced to labor, its resources being plundered, human rights being violated, and the
exercise of imperialist powers etc. All these are the contents of Heart of darkness, which is
further believed biased might be because of the contents Conrad was up to before writing
Heart of Darkness. Discrimination and racism in heart of darkness are multi-faceted and has
covered from different perspectives either supported or rejected on certain logical points, the
problem is not who is racist and who presents impartially. However, background of a writers
matters the most like during and after colonization, the image of colonies were
institutionalized by the Europeans, for their greater goods as to avoid riots in their contraries,
different theories of domination and subordination like superman concept and white man
burden theory were being used as a bulwark to exonerate their selves from being tagged
totalitarians, authoritarians etc.

3. Theoretical frame work

The researcher tried to explore the representation of Africa in the Heart of darkness
and Things fall apart under the lens of different theories , like Marxism and Orientalism.
Marxism was used to show how economy affects every step of the elites, and how their
motives are driven by their economic goals, to analyze the text of Conrad`s Heart of Darkness
and Achebe`s Things Fall Apart and scrutinize economic objectives of colonialism in the prior
mentioned novels. Another theory being utilized was Orientalism, dealing with how occident
(colonizers) views eastern societies; meek, uncivilized, backward, corrupt, and how a ghastly
eastern picture has been portrayed and institutionalized by Europeans. The text of both
novels was to be analyzed, under orientalism as to contemplate orient motives of
misrepresentation and masquerading dominant motives.

4. Methodology
The study was qualitative and explanatory in nature, its aimed to draw a comparative
analysis of Achebe`s Things fall apart and Conrad`s Heart of Darkness, and analyze the
differences between how both the writers presented Africa differently. Achebe represented
the African-centered perspective and has given importance to the indigenous culture and
language. Whereas, Conrad dealt with the opposite side of Africa; Barbaric, backward and
uncivilized.

5. Data Analysis
 Colonizers not only did colonize and plunder but they were a system of image building,
their presentation of any nation or ethnic group became world views. They had have the
privilege of institutions, like media, print and electronic, educational institute, historians etc all
these were the tools of representation. World perceived their presentation as true pictures.
They colonized, plundered and built their desired outlook of colonies in the people minds and
went on promoting white supremacy as their right to civilize the colored bodies of the world.
But soon after all the colonies got their independence from Europe, their narratives got
challenged, writers started writing against the unfairly build prejudices regarding colonies.
African writers like Chinua Achebe, Nigugi and writers from east like Edward Said, Gayatri
Spivak etc challenged the very grand narratives and tried to present the colonies in their true
colors.
The data for this article is qualitatively obtained from the two novels; Achebe`s Things
Fall Apart, and Conrad`s heart of darkness; Some research articles are taken in account to
bring out clear and lucid understanding of colonization, racism, economic drives behind
colonization and opposing and predisposed ways of representation of Africa, in Things Fall
Apart and Heart of Darkness.

5.1. Achebe and Conrad`s Presentation of Africa

Achebe`s novel, Things fall apart, is true, reaction to European presentation, African
centered presentation of pre-colonial and during-colonial Africa. Achebe presents the
indigenous culture, norms, dogmas, and ways of life of African people Raskin, J. (1967). As
Achebe`s purpose is to revive the true African culture and make Africans aware about the
purity of their culture; their love for nature, myths, language, music, art, poetry and customs
etc, and also depicts how a foreign intervention can divide, ruin and plunder Africa to
destruction, chaos and anarchy.
Think of Africa, even in this post-colonial world, and we will hardly get a positive
image of Africa. It is not because they are barbaric or cannibals, it is because their image
[often negative] has been portrayed and institutionalized by the colonizers (Fanon, 1961).
Achebe, in his novel “Things Fall apart” has turned the European cannon of literature upside
down, and presented Africa from African perspective as to resurrect the lost identity of Africa
(Puhr, K. (1987). The novel depicts Igbo culture of Umuofia, Okonkwo, the hero of the novel,
is a self-made, powerful and influential figure of Igbo clan. He is a true depiction of an
archetypal African male; though being son of a drunker and an inept a lazy Unoka, he turned
himself into an influential person of the society.
Furthermore, Achebe challenges the white supremacy, as they have obliged
themselves to civilize the rest of the groups as they are the only civilized, in Things fall apart
by the presentation of indigenous African Culture; its different institution which runs the
society, the decision making authorities, their different way of living like calling their
ancestors, acquiring titles in order to be a valuable person in the society, inter-tribal wars,
yams as symbol of wealth, number of wives one can marry, control of a man over his
domestic and social life style (as Okonkwo being at the helm of domestic decisions) etc, all
these shows richness of African culture. Achebe believes that as the culture is different from
European culture, they flagged it as backward, uncivilized and barbaric. Africa, he narrates,
has its own unique culture, language and history, which is either miss represented or not even
not presented at all by many European writers. Achebe`s perspective behind the
presentation of Africa in its pure and true colors, is a commonplace multi-cultural awareness,
that neither culture is superior or inferior they are mere different (Puhr ,1987). In one of his
interviews to Raoul Granqvist in 1988, he says the Igbo society is a self-governing and
organized society and the reason for that is that they want a controlled society, everyone
speaks in the meeting held in the market place and everyone has its part in decision making
(Rhoads, 1993). Such instances illustrate on how African culture is organized in its own ways,
the culture is neither good nor bad but simply different.
Old cultures started falling apart in Things fall apart, with the intervention of
Christianity and European colonizers. African`s nescience can be seen as they call bicycle an
“Iron Horse”, an unknown, foreign culture interprets their day to day life with mere preaching
of Christianity and engulf Umuofia in no time by establishing proper rules and regulations, in a
sense, they started ruling the people, who were once only preached. European, while arriving
in Mbanta, had a complacent mindset regarding cultural transitions, as they themselves
believe, cultures get civilized through a transition from tribal system to monarchy and then to
modern democratic system. It is why they expect a king in Mbanta whom they should
approach first. Though they find no king or any governing system as theirs (Mbanta has its
own system, as we discussed) they set their own governing system, Queen as Ruler,
exercising her power through district commissioner (Rhoads, D. (1993). With such
intervention, as their common strategy, they divide the Igbos and rule them. Rhoads (1993)
has drawn a compare and contrast between Christianity and Igbo culture. He argues that
there are many things which shows the puissance of Igbo culture. For instance, it is a disgrace
to kill a clan member, as Okonkwo was out casted by killing a fellow clan man, while European
cultures allow to fight brothers over religion, Igbo culture nullify holy war. The very concept is
clearly highlighted in Things fall apart, Europeans, after establishing their governing system,
start punishing people, incarcerate them (like Okonkwo and other eight elders of the clan
were clapped in irons) torture them and try to mold them according to their objectives. The
Oracle of Igbos forbid them of any revolt or killing, though the colonizers kill the whole
Abame tribe as a punishment for killing one white man. Igbo culture or Umuofians have
shown very little resistance as compare to the European atrocities.
When it comes to true and impartial presentation, Achebe has presented both the
positive and negatives of Igbo culture. For instance, Okonkwo`s harsh behavior with his wives
and the violation of code of peace (week of peace, no fight in the week) by beating his wife.
His uncontrollable anger and aversion to some of Igbos traditions as well. Furthermore,
woman status in Igbo culture has also been highlighted clearly, women are beaten as well as
respected, a reader can find both the aspects of women; dominant and being dominated. Like
when Uchendu asks about why a man comes to his motherland in his gloomy stage of life,
when everyone is silent, he answers, “Mother is Supreme”, mother is protection, “When there
is bitterness he finds refuge in motherland (p.124). but on the other hand woman is
considered weak, as Okonkwo`s father has been called by the name “Agbala” mean weak as
women. As to run the social system they have mythological explanation for the violation of
any code of the society, as Achebe explains through Obierika, that Okonkwo`s killing of
Ikemefuna is a crime against the goddesses of earth, and beating a wife in the peace week is
the humiliation of goddesses of peace. So one can say that Achebe has presented both the
good and bad sides of Igbo culture, which rectifies the unbiased, impartial and authentic
representation of African cultures.
In any culture language plays a vital role, music, dance, art, architecture are pivotal
ingredients of a culture. Igbo culture has its own rich language, dance, art, architecture and
music. Things fall apart very lucidly present all the elements, stories of war and valor are
passed orally through generation which become folklore for Igbos, proverbs are repeatedly
used in their language shows the richness of wisdom in the language. For example, a proverb
said by an elder man, “if a boy washes his hand he could eat a king”, encourages youth and
others to be industrious and hardworking to achieve his goals. By portraying Igbo culture like
this, Achebe gives Africa its dignity back and exclude white men, that even African can bring
changes if it is required to their system (Rhoads, D. (1993). And it is not so that there is no
discrepancy in African culture, Nwoye, son of Okonkwo, an eccentric who rebels the dogmas,
the woman joins the Christian faith as her twins are thrown away by her own culture while
Christianity secures their fate, outcasts of Igbos also joints Christianity, so Achebe has
presented both the positives and negatives and how a foreign culture can intervene start
from attacking on the weak and misfit entities of a society.
In short, Achebe presents Africa not as dominant or suppressed nation, but a different
nation which holds its own values, beliefs, nomenclature, propositions, myths, religion, social
structure, code of morality, a complete different outlook from what Conrad [it is to be
discussed in detail later in the article] and other European writers have presented and
institutionalized the ghastly picture of colonies for their own economic and political purposes.
On the other hand, Conrad`s presentation of Africa is completely opposite. The
narrator of “Heart of darkness” is Marlow, a white man, presents Africa from white man`s
perspective, presents the primitive, “ugly”, barbaric and cannibalism [colonizer`s version of
Africa] of Africa. The setting of the novel is Congo of 19 th century when colonization was at its
pinnacle in Africa. As prior it has been mentioned that there are different views of critics and
researchers on the presentation of Africa in Heart of darkness, some supports it for impartial
depiction on colonial sanctimony and exploiting imperialism, while some condemns the novel
for being racist and presenting the bad, inhumane, primitive and altered picture of Africa.
Conrad presents the Eurocentric picture of Africa. Africa, like the rest of colonies, was a
 source of extracting primary resources and a mean of Industrial boost for Britain. They
extracted valuable resources, plundered the natives, kept them impoverished, made them
labor, which is vividly described in the novel Heart of Darkness. If one is to analyze the text
from presentation of colonial role, one can argue that Conrad has depicted Africa impartially,
but the debate is not mere this simple, this argument has been stretched further by Achebe in
his essay “Image of Africa”, to sthe cultural, and social presentation of Africa. The language,
culture, norms, dogmas, beliefs, the local day to day life etc are categorically neglected,
Achebe, C. (1978).
The reign of King Leopold, as presented in the Things Fall apart, was so spine-chilling
that they even effaced whole villages or the males of the society, Hochschild (1988) called it
“gendercide”. Such Atrocities are rarely depicted in Heart of Darkness, as the novel mainly
concerns about the presentation of African people and implicit presentation of colonial rule.
Another aspect of racism in Heart of darkness would be the presentation of Kurtz, he is not
explicitly characterized as cruel and evil character who rules the African people ruthlessly, by
comparing him with, Reverend James Smith, a fundamental, strict interpreter of Christianity
and holds grudges to Igbos culture as the culture of “evils”. Achebe has clearly depicted
Smith`s atrocities and the way he has stirred chaos in the indigenous culture which ultimately
has made people burn his Church down. The way he treats egwugwu, ancestral spirits of the
clan, the humiliation of Okonkwo, which makes him kill a messenger and commit a sin of
suicide which was heinous to him in all the other crimes.

6. Conclusion
Edward Said (1978) talks about the representation of colonies and the
institutionalization of Eurocentric image of colonies by European writers , he argues that
European writers go on with an established white supremacist ideology in their writings.
Africa, as a colony, has been differently presented by African and European writers, both the
approaches of presentation have been criticized and favored on different the grounds. After
the brief comparison of both the novels Things fall apart and Heart of darkness, it is vivid, as
Rhoads, D. (1993) puts it that Conrad`s presentation is more of Eurocentric, though he has
presented the malfeasance of colonial powers, the capitalist avarice of the dominion Europe,
the imposed colonial structures and code of conducts, but he has failed to truly present the
indigene perspectives of African culture. Achebe on the other hand has placate the colonial
presentation in his essay; The Image of Africa, and his novel; Things fall apart and has
criticized the partial presentation of Africa and the negligence of African language and
culture. To scrutinize “Things fall apart” under the lens of post-colonialism, Achebe has
challenged the grand narratives of universal European validity, he challenged the
institutionalized image of Africa and has divulged the feigning interest of civilizing the
uncivilized and has valued the difference in culture, not as a manifestation of dominion but a
recognition of diversity.
7. References
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Rhoads, D. (1993). Culture in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. African Studies
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BRANTLINGER, P. (1985). "Heart of Darkness": "Anti-Imperialism, Racism, or
Impressionism?" Criticism, 27(4), 363-385. Retrieved from
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Christian, M. (2002). An African-Centered Perspective on White Supremacy. Journal of Black
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Ward, T. (2005). STATE CRIME IN THE HEART OF DARKNESS. The British Journal of
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