In “Heart of Darkness”, Joseph Conrad presents Africa from the stereotypical viewpoint of European sailors, who often portrayed the indigenous people as savages. In contrast, China Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” offers a non-stereotypical portrayal by depicting the natives as members of a traditional society rather than as primitives or savages.
The verifiable presentation of European prejudice can be observed in “Heart of Darkness”. The protagonist of the novel, Marrow, a sailor who journeys through Africa, depicts the natives he encounters as savages. Marrow associates these individuals with specific animalistic qualities or a desire to be in the wild jungle. In one instance, Marrow’s gaze falls upon a pit in the ground, specifically created for the natives to rest in eternal peace, or in simpler terms, to die.
The author Marrow describes the natives present in a certain location. According to Marrow, these natives were seen in various positions, such as crouching, lying, sitting, and leaning against trees. They appeared to be in great pain, despair, and abandonment, and were no longer earthly beings but mere black shadows due to their disease and starvation. One of these creatures, on all fours, crawled towards the river to drink. This portrayal reveals the natives as mere shadows and shapes devoid of any individuality or humanity.
These individuals, once men, have been completely stripped of their human characteristics, leaving them indistinguishable from one another in their impending death. The lack of personal descriptions makes it difficult for the reader to differentiate between each man, blurring the line between them as individuals. This gives the impression that they are mere geometric shapes or symbols rather than unique beings. Marrow suggests that these depictions stem from a stereotypical notion.
The saying goes that all Africans are indistinguishable from one another, regardless of the amount of effort exerted. Similarly, an African man was observed crawling towards the river to alleviate his thirst. The manner in which he crawled was extremely humiliating. To exacerbate the situation, he crawled on his hands and knees, resembling an animal and further demeaning himself. The man is depicted as being on all fours simply to quench his thirst, while in contrast, Europeans are never described in such a derogatory manner.
On the other hand, Europeans would drink from a tap or boil water from a well for a refreshing drink. The natives are compared to wild animals, as Marrow states, “as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat walking on his hind legs” (Conrad 36). This comparison suggests that the African people, who are referred to as savages, can potentially be civilized. It is implied that they have the capacity to be tamed, as Marrow mentions, “He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank” (Conrad 37). This portrayal dehumanizes the African man.
He is currently an animal, potentially a dog, undergoing training for some sort of trick. From Marrow’s perspective, he remains an animal and, despite this, the man is pretending to be civilized. Marrow doesn’t stop there, however. He continues to degrade this European man by comparing him to the native people on the land. Overall, this is a stereotypical portrayal. Additionally, Marrow further devalues the African natives by describing them as “prehistoric” and “simple”. He states, “The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us – who could tell?… They glided past like phantoms, both fascinated and secretly horrified, as any sane men would be in the face of an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse” (Conrad 35). In Marrow’s mind, the natives are so primitive that they are denied the ability to have a language. Marrow sits there and wonders “who could tell?” instead of making an effort to understand what the natives were saying. What can be inferred from this quote is that the natives were likely jumping up and down like a group of kindergarten students during recess or something similar.
It is uncertain why Marrow did not attempt to understand the native Africans. It is possible that he considered them savages or believed their intellectual capacity was lesser than that of Europeans. Another possibility is that he thought they had nothing meaningful to say. Similarly, Joseph Conrad may have been influenced by European stereotypes of Africans, which could explain his decision not to include a specific language.
This passage suggests that removing a language implies that the native Africans have nothing meaningful or significant to contribute to the plot of the novel. In “Heart of Darkness,” the portrayal of native Africans is reminiscent of underdeveloped regions, akin to a third-world country, which further emphasizes their lack of control over language. However, there are instances where the language used supports the portrayal of the native Africans as savages, and it is during these moments that readers might hear an African speak. Joseph Conrad employs a specific technique in his writing.
In his work “Things Fall Apart,” author China Achebe challenges the stereotypical portrayal of Africans by Joseph Conrad and other Europeans. Achebe presents the Gobo tribe as a complex and traditional society, countering the commonly held stereotypes. The protagonist, Awoken, neither fully agrees nor disagrees with the European beliefs depicted in the novel.
In the novel, Awoken is described as a man of action and a man of Near (Achebe 8). Despite his violent tendencies, he is highly respected in the Comfit village. Awoken’s fear of anything feminine stems from his own inability to be feminine. His life is consumed by fear – fear of failure, weakness, and resembling his father Unhook. Even as a child, he had a passion for hating everything his father loved.
The quote “One of those things was gentleness and another was idleness” (Achebe 10) suggests that Awoken lacked something that involved activity, yet still resisted idleness. This likely explains why he always sought out action. However, when gentleness and idleness are combined, Awoken cannot cope with the consequences. Instead, violence seems to bring out the best in him. This reinforces the European stereotype of being savage-like.
The novel “Things Fall Apart” highlights the contrasting characteristics of Muffle and Awoken. In particular, Awoken shows a lack of respect for his wives. Being a Gobo man, he handles his wives and children roughly and without restraint. This behavior is common among Gobo men, who often physically abuse their wives and children at certain times. Notably, Awoken mistreated his wife during Mafia’s Week of Peace.
The act of beating one’s wives and children in order to gain their respect may be deemed acceptable by some. However, when someone challenges the traditional customs of observing a week of peace within the clan, serious issues can arise. According to Achebe, Awoken was not the type of man to stop beating someone, even if a goddess was involved. It was considered highly improper to engage in such behavior during the sacred week. Awoken’s belief that he had complete authority and could act as he pleased caused conflict between him and his wife, Muffle, who represents the feminine force.
Despite the awareness of his violent tendencies, Awoken was unable to refrain from acting on them for more than a week. This brief period of self-control, or lack thereof, aligns with the European belief that Africans are uncivilized. Eventually, Awoken chooses to end his own life by hanging himself. When the District Commissioner encounters Awoken’s lifeless body, he considers the potential intrigue that the story of this man, who both killed a messenger and committed suicide, holds for his planned book.
The title chosen for the book, “The Pacification of the Primitive Tribes of the Lower Niger” by Achebe (117), indicates that the District Commissioner holds biased views towards the native Africans. This aligns with the portrayal of Africans as “primitive” in “Heart of Darkness”, highlighting the extensive use of European stereotypes in two distinct works. Ultimately, “Heart of Darkness” presents the Europeans’ general perception that all Africans are uniform in their primitiveness, savagery, and inhumanity.
Contrary to the stereotype, “Things Fall Apart” portrays a traditional society where the members are not inhumane. However, the protagonist, Awoken, fails to effectively represent a civilized individual within this traditional society.
