Comparing the Presentation of Cultures in Literary Texts — Quiz
Question 1 • 26-27 ERWC A/B 9800E 9801E
Read the excerpt from "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness ” by Chinua Achebe. The point of my observations should be quite clear by now, namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked. Students of Heart of Darkness will often tell you that Conrad is concerned not so much with Africa as with the deterioration of one European mind caused by solitude and sickness. They will point out to you that Conrad is, if anything, less charitable to the Europeans in the story than he is to the natives, that the point of the story is to ridicule Europe's civilizing mission in Africa. A Conrad student informed me in Scotland that Africa is merely a setting for the disintegration of the mind of Mr. Kurtz. What is Achebe’s purpose in this passage?
Answer
A
to suggest that the racist attitudes in Conrad’s work are ignored because of literary critics’ bias
B
to argue that, although Conrad is racist, he should be admired for treating Europeans less favorably
C
to advocate for modern historians to reevaluate Europe’s “civilizing” mission in Africa
D
to point out and condemn literary critics who have long misinterpreted Conrad’s work as racist
Explanation
Achebe argues that Conrad’s racism is often overlooked because white racism against Africa has become so normalized that people fail to notice it. He contrasts this with common defenses of the novel, such as claiming that it mainly explores Kurtz’s mental deterioration or criticizes Europe’s civilizing mission. Therefore, the passage suggests that critics’ bias leads them to ignore the racist attitudes in Conrad’s work; it does not defend Conrad or accuse critics of wrongly identifying racism.
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