Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart shows the apparent ways that Joseph Conrad and Chinua Achebe differ in ways of presenting Africa in the colonization era. Conrad and Achebe books shows the difference between an Afrocentric and Eurocentric viewpoint. Joseph Conrad’s depictions of the Africans as savages an in a very racist undertone causes Chinua Achebe to write Things Fall Apart through the viewpoint of the natives of different tribes to show Africans, not as uncivilized savages, but as members of a very hierarchy society that is not too much different from the Europeans.
One way Conrad’s views about Europeans to make the look as if they were higher beings to the African tribes was in his description of Marlow. He describes him as, “Marlow …show more content…
Conrad and other Europeans considered the Africans as inferior people to explain why colonization was needed and to explain away the inhuman ways of enforcing it. Another example appeared with the death of the helmsman when they were going to get Mr. Kurtz. Marlow seemed to appreciate the helmsman almost like a friend, but when his blood got into Marlow 's shoes after he was killed he was so disgusted that he had to get someone else to steer the ship, and threw the shoes and socks overboard. He stated a few times calling the natives “beings”, but never human …show more content…
Things Fall Apart tells the story of Okonkwo, and the life struggles he has to undergo. Their customs are not bizarre, but no different but just the same as some Western customs do. Africans are represented as individuals with their own language, and customs not just grunts and strange behaviors. The land is described as different towns (tribes), farms, and markets; not just a big bunch of natives that act animal-like. Life was normal for them, this was their norm, but once the Europeans arrive, that is when Okonkwo and his village lives are disrupted. Killings became more rampant, things to emotionally break a man down where done, whippings for not agree with the new church. The African’s did not initially dismiss the European religion just because of its difference like what was done to them, the locals noticed its influence on their followers even though they did not understand how any of it worked they went along with it, but the Europeans looked at the native’s culture and religion as delusions rather than just an alternate religion. In Things Fall Apart, the religious practices of Okonkwo 's tribe are very important to him and his tribe, there are different ranks and gods who oversee everything. When the colonist religion is introduced the natives see it as crazy and their god
One way Conrad’s views about Europeans to make the look as if they were higher beings to the African tribes was in his description of Marlow. He describes him as, “Marlow …show more content…
Conrad and other Europeans considered the Africans as inferior people to explain why colonization was needed and to explain away the inhuman ways of enforcing it. Another example appeared with the death of the helmsman when they were going to get Mr. Kurtz. Marlow seemed to appreciate the helmsman almost like a friend, but when his blood got into Marlow 's shoes after he was killed he was so disgusted that he had to get someone else to steer the ship, and threw the shoes and socks overboard. He stated a few times calling the natives “beings”, but never human …show more content…
Things Fall Apart tells the story of Okonkwo, and the life struggles he has to undergo. Their customs are not bizarre, but no different but just the same as some Western customs do. Africans are represented as individuals with their own language, and customs not just grunts and strange behaviors. The land is described as different towns (tribes), farms, and markets; not just a big bunch of natives that act animal-like. Life was normal for them, this was their norm, but once the Europeans arrive, that is when Okonkwo and his village lives are disrupted. Killings became more rampant, things to emotionally break a man down where done, whippings for not agree with the new church. The African’s did not initially dismiss the European religion just because of its difference like what was done to them, the locals noticed its influence on their followers even though they did not understand how any of it worked they went along with it, but the Europeans looked at the native’s culture and religion as delusions rather than just an alternate religion. In Things Fall Apart, the religious practices of Okonkwo 's tribe are very important to him and his tribe, there are different ranks and gods who oversee everything. When the colonist religion is introduced the natives see it as crazy and their god