In his novel Heart of
Darkness Conrad creates the illusion that Africa is an uncivilized jungle
and its inhabitants nothing more than savages. So it is not a surprise that
Chinua Achebe was not happy with Conrad’s portrayal of the African culture and
its people. In Apocalypse Now the Vietnamese are barely considered human. They are
shot, Napalmed, raped, burn, and blown up. The same beastly treatment that the
Africans received from the Belgians, the Vietnamese got from Americans. When I
read An Image of Africa by Chinua Achebe
I couldn’t help relate with him because I know what it’s like for your culture
to be portrayed as tribal and prehistoric. No one expects everyone to know
everything about everything but ignorance does not excuse for disrespect. I forget
the amount of times someone has asked me “Do you have electricity in the
Dominican Republic?” or “I thought you guys lived in tree houses”. It feels like a mockery of a person’s
reality.
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