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CarylPhillips'sessay"WasJosephConradReallyaRacist"waswritteninresponse
tothecriticismsofConradandhisnovelHeartofDarknessbytherenownedauthorChinua
Achebe.Thoughhailedasagreatliterarywork,worthyofhighpraise,Achebehas
repeatedlychargeditseffecttobeaperpetuationofracismagainstAfricans.Thoughboth
PhillipsandAchebehavesatdowntodiscusstheirfeelingsofbothConradandHeartof
Darkness,theirviewsstilldifferonwhetherornotAchebe'sclaimsringtrue.
ThereisonefrontonwhichbothPhillipsandAchebeagree;HeartofDarknessdoes
indeedcontainracistideas.However,wheretheyandmanyreadersstandatoddsisin
decidingwhetherornottheracismtheressolelyforeffectoraprojectionofConrad'sown
thoughtsandfeelingsintohiswork.AsthenovelportraysEuropeancolonialisminAfrica,
accurateportrayalwillinvolveracistthemes,butthereareargumentsonbothsidesasto
whetherConradwasfulfillingadutyofhistoricaccuracyorpursuinghisownagenda.
InAchebe'seyes,Conradtakesspecialcareinthedegradationanddehumanization
oftheCongolesepeople.Hearguesthatthisisapparenteveninhisdescriptionofthe
landscape,"Thestorybeginsonthe"good"RiverThameswhich,inthepast,"hasbeenone
ofthedarkplacesoftheearth".Thestorysoontakesustothe"bad"RiverCongo,presently
oneofthose"darkplaces".Itisabodyofwateruponwhichthesteamertoils"alongslowly
ontheedgeofablackandincomprehensiblefrenzy"."(Phillips,2).Throughoutthenovel
thenativeAfricansareoftenreferredtoas
monsters,savages
andspecimenostripthemof
theirhumanity,aqualitytheywerenotthoughttopossess,asthenormofthetimes.Asan
Africanhimself,AchebeisnotnaivetothefactthatracismisapartoftheEuropeanhistory
inAfrica,nordoesheopposetheopenquestioningofthethinkingofthetimes,his
frustrationcomesatthefactthatthroughoutthenovelConradchoosestodeny"Africaand
Africanstheirfullandcomplexhumanity."(Phillips,3).
InPhillipscontrasttoAchebe;snotionsshedrawsuponmanyofthelongstanding
argumentsoftheobjectors.Toherthebook'sprimarypurposeisnottosubliminally
enforcetheidealsofracismbutrathertoofferaquestioningofhumanmorality.Thebook
aimstofindtheextenttowhichahumancanremovethemselvesfromallthingshumane
andabandontheirmorals;"Conradusescolonization,andthetradingintercoursethat
flourishedinitswake,toexploretheseuniversalquestionsaboutman'scapacityforevil...
Europeancolonizationhasnotrendered
HeartofDarknessanylessrelevant...colonization
wassimplyonefacet"(Phillips,3).AccordingtoPhillips,theracisminthebook,servesonly
toemphasizetheinternalconflictthatconfrontedthecharactersinthisbookintheir
journey.
ThoughPhillipssympathizeswithAchebe'sfrustrationwithConradandhisnovelit
seemssheisunabletotrulyconnectwithhisstandpointasshedoesnothavethepersonal
experiencestodrawherclosertohisconclusion.Rathershehasincorporatedsomeof
Achebe'sthoughtsintoherdissectionofthemeaningoftheworkasawhole.However,as
anAfricanmanhimself,Achebe'sfeelingshavestoodstrongashisemotionstowardsthe
authorandthesituationofhispeoplehavemadehisactionsunjustifiable.