Africa, an Image of Ignorance in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad versus a Culture Worth Being Valued in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Abstract

This extended essay is a study of the image of Africa and Africans between an author who pictured it as a land of ignorance in his novella Heart of Darkness and another one who attempted to give it its cultural worthiness with his work Things Fall Apart. In the novella, Conrad depicts Africans as savages and uncivilized and describes Africa as dark and somber. As a response Achebe redeems the misleading conceptions of Europeans novels by presenting to the reader his people’s history with both strengths and imperfections by describing for example, Igbo festivals, worship of their gods, their rich culture and other social practices by using the English language. The purpose of this study is to investigate the causes behind the misrepresentation of Africa and Africans by the West and reinforces the African cultural values so as Africa regains its deserved image. In order to achieve this, it was important to explore African history before, during and after colonialism. It was also important to consulting the contradictory views conducted by both writers. This study was an attempt to deepen the analysis of Things Fall Apart to find out the signs of defending Africa. These latter were consolidated by others world views contradicting Conrad’s. Hence, this investigation lead to the conclusion that differences can be found everywhere and this is the reality that must be consumed by Europeans in order to change their thoughts about Africa and Africans.