Too Harsh?

I find Achebe's critique of Conrad's Heart of Darkness both needed and, at points, unwarranted. The portrayal of Africans in Conrad's novel, published in 1899, is jarring. Conrad gives them no language, save grunts. He portrays them as savages, and uses the Congo River as the antithesis of the Thames in England, a symbol of civilized society. He uses Africa as an almost time-traveling device, going back to an uncivilized society where not even language has been developed yet. Is it racist? In the 21st century: most definitely. But at the same time, Kurtz's last words speak volumes to Conrad's novel. "The horror, the horror" is Kurtz's dying sentence. The civilized Europeans are no different than the "uncivilized" Africans. Achebe attacks Conrad because of "his" fear of relation to Africans. He downplays the advancements of the Fang people of the Congo. Yes, Conrad does not say, "Racism is bad." And yes, we should use Heart of Darkness to show the blatant racism that was present at the turn of the 19th century. But one cannot mark this book as a simply deplorable book. The view of Africans, and other non-European people, is an interesting study. Of course Europeans (or in the case of Apocalypse Now, Americans) will view themselves as "superior" to any culture they view not of their own and downplay the accomplishments of another civilization to strengthen their own. And most people in Conrad's time would probably not use the term "racist" to describe themselves, just like people who watched and participated in minstrel shows did not consider themselves racist. Looking back most people will understand the blatant and unrelenting racism present in minstrel shows, but it is important to critique the sins of the past to strengthen us in the present. The taking away of language and portrayal of native peoples as savages, seen also in Apocalypse Now, allows the native lands to more easily invade and kill natives because there is such a separation between cultures. These traits have been used before and far after colonialism, including in the present era. We can never truly know how Conrad felt towards colonialism and native Africans. To use Heart of Darkness to pinpoint Conrad's own views is foolish. In modern society we can understand and learn from the racism present in Marlow's encounter with Africans.