Racism In Heart Of Darkness Essays - Chinua Achebe,

Racism in Heart of Darkness Racism in Heart of Darkness Chinua Achebe, a well-known writer, once gave a lecture at the University of Massachusetts about Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, entitled "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Throughout his essay, Achebe notes how Conrad used Africa as a background only, and how he "set Africa up as a foil to Europe,"(Achebe, p.251) while he also "projects the image of Africa as 'the other world,' the antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization."(Achebe, p.252) By his own interpretations of the text, Achebe shows that Conrad eliminates"the African as a human factor," thereby "reducing Africa to the role of props."(Achebe, p.257) In supporting these accusations against Conrad, Achebe cites specific examples from the text, while also, pointing out that there is a lack of certain characteristics among the characters. Achebe then compares the descriptions of the Intended and the native woman. Explaining that the savage "fulfills a structural requirement of the story: a savage counterpart to the refined European woman," and also that the biggest "difference is the one implied in the author's bestowal of human expression to the one and the withholding of it from the other."(Achebe, p.255) This lack of human expression and human characteristics is what Achebe says contributes to the overflowing amount of racism within Conrad's novella. Human expression, is one of few things that make us different from animals, along with such things as communication and reason. This of course, being that without human expression, the native woman is considered more of a "savage...wild-eyed and magnificent," (Achebe quoting Conrad, p. 255), possibly even "bestial." In an attempt to refute Achebe's proposed difference between the two women, C.P. Sarvan said that Conrad perceived the native woman as a "gorgeous, proud, superb, magnificent, terrific, [and] fierce" person whose "human feelings [were] not denied."(Sarvan, p. 284) In comparing the two views, one must step back and consider that both views are only interpretations on what Conrad may have intended. Since no one can ever really know what his actual meanings were for these two women being so similar (in their movements), and yet so different (in their character), only individual explanation can be brought up. This in particular, is what brings me to question both Achebe and Sarvan's points. By reorganizing Conrad's descriptive words, Sarvan was able to propose that Conrad did not intend for the mistress to be perceived as the "savage counterpart."(Achebe, p. 255) Yet, at the same time, both Sarvan and Achebe each write about what they think to be the right thing. It seems to me that Achebe was looking for racism in this short novel, and that Sarvan was so taken back by Achebe's accusations, that he himself, went and looked for ways to defend Conrad. However, this particular shortcoming of the native woman, is not the only one that Achebe finds. As stated earlier, communication is very important in our society and to "civilization" (as known by the Europeans of the time). While reading Heart of Darkness, I noticed a significant difference in the levels of communication that were allotted between the Europeans and the Africans. This drastic difference in speech was at the core of Achebe's argument that Conrad deprived the Africans of human qualities. Achebe pointed out that "in place of speech they made 'a violent babble of uncouth sounds,'" also saying that "it is clearly not of Conrad's purpose to confer language on the 'rudimentary souls' of Africa." (Achebe, p. 255) Here lies the problem that I have with Achebe's article. Assuming that the lack of speech (in Conrad's eyes) is a racist factor--which is a valid assumption--Achebe still did not support his comment that "Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist."(Achebe, p. 257) Without outside knowledge (beyond the book), Achebe had no basis to charge Conrad with this rather harsh comment. By completely agreeing with either writer, I would be denying myself the right to find my own opinion regarding racism in Heart of Darkness. So, I stand now and say that depending on one's interpretation of Joseph Conrad's writing, there will be plenty of racism found (if looked for). What I do believe is that during the time that this novella was written, Conrad lived in a society where African people were not considered equal, to man, they were even considered sub-human. Not to excuse Conrad, but racism was everywhere and what came from it was people who wrote about it naturally and who did not think of a "politically correct" way to put things. If this novella had been written today, it might have

The Definition and Usage of Circumlocution

The Definition and Usage of Circumlocution Circumlocution is the use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language to avoid getting to the point. Though circumlocution is usually regarded as a stylistic vice in contemporary prose, it can be used for comic effect, as in the passage below by S. J. Perelman. Examples and Observations Monty Pythons Man Who Says Things in a Roundabout WayInterviewer: Good evening. Well, we have in the studio tonight a man who says things in a very roundabout way. Isnt that so, Mr. Pudifoot?Mr. Pudifoot: Yes.Interviewer: Have you always said things in a very roundabout way?Mr. Pudifoot: Yes.Interviewer: Well, I cant help noticing that, for someone who claims to say things in a very roundabout way, your last two answers have had very little of the discursive quality about them.Mr. Pudifoot: Oh, well, Im not very talkative today. Its a form of defensive response to intense interrogative stimuli. I used to get it badly when I was a boy- well, when I say very badly, in fact, do you remember when there was that fashion for, you know, little poodles with small coats.Interviewer: Ah, now youre beginning to talk in a roundabout way.Mr. Pudifoot: Oh, Im sorry.Interviewer: No, no, no, no. Please do carry on because that is in fact why we wanted you on the show.Mr. Pudifoot: I thought it was b ecause you were interested in me as a human being. (gets up and leaves)(Terry Jones and Graham Chapman, Royal Episode 13: The Toad Elevating Moment. Monty Pythons Flying Circus, Dec. 22, 1970) Fed-Speak: The Circumlocutory Federal Reserve Chairman- [Federal Reserve Chairman Alan] Greenspan went on to suggest raising the retirement age, though he slipped it in using his customary circumlocution: Another possible adjustment relates to the age at which Social Security and Medicare benefits will be provided. Under current law, and even with the so-called normal retirement age for Social Security slated to move up to 67 over the next two decades, the ratio of the number of years that the typical worker will spend in retirement to the number of years he or she works will rise in the long term. In other words people are just living too long.(Dan Ackman, The Passion Of The Fed Chairman. Forbes, Feb. 26, 2004)- As Fed chairman, every time I expressed a view, I added or subtracted 10 basis points from the credit market. That was not helpful. But I nonetheless had to testify before Congress. On questions that were too market-sensitive to answer, no comment was indeed an answer. And s o you construct what we used to call Fed-speak. I would hypothetically think of a little plate in front of my eyes, which was the Washington Post, the following morning’s headline, and I would catch myself in the middle of a sentence. Then, instead of just stopping, I would continue on resolving the sentence in some obscure way which made it incomprehensible. But nobody was quite sure I wasn’t saying something profound when I wasn’t. And that became the so-called Fed-speak which I became an expert on over the years. It’s a self-protection mechanism when you’re in an environment where people are shooting questions at you, and you’ve got to be very careful about the nuances of what you’re going to say and what you don’t say.(Alan Greenspan, quoted by Devin Leonard and Peter Coy. Bloomberg Businessweek, August 13-26, 2012) The Circumlocution OfficeNo public business of any kind could possibly be done at any time without the acquiescence of the Circumlocution Office. Whatever was required to be done, the Circumlocution Office was beforehand with all the public departments in the art of perceiving- HOW NOT TO DO IT.(Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, 1856)Perelmans ProseIn two shakes of a lambs tail- the official signal for aircraft to land in Palm Springs- the plane had landed and a flourish of trumpets greeted its three passengers, two of whom were familiar to any bystander. They were the renowned vedette Elizabeth Taylor and her producer husband, Mike Todd. The third, who bore more than a passing resemblance to the Apollo Belvedere but could not be said, in all justice, to rank with him in intellect, was the present writer. His chief distinction- if one may borrow G.K. Chestertons facility with paradox for a moment- was that he possessed no distinction whatsoever. What startling conjunction of the planet s, what mysterious and inexplicable forces of the I Ching had mingled the destiny of this utter cipher with that of these eminent face cards?(S. J. Perelman, The Hindsight Saga. The Last Laugh, 1981) Iranian CircumlocutionsMr. Ahmadinejads habit of answering every question about Iranian policy with a question about American policy was clearly wearing on some of the members, but at the end they acknowledged that he was about as skillful an interlocutor as they had ever encountered. He is a master of counterpunch, deception, circumlocution, Mr. Scowcroft said, shaking his head. Mr. Blackwill emerged from the conversation wondering how the United States would ever be able to negotiate with this Iranian government.(David Sanger, Irans Leader Relishes 2nd Chance to Make Waves. The New York Times, Sep. 21, 2006)Circumlocution as a First StepWe often take circumlocution as evasion, it neednt be. It might be a first step, a first form, triangulation: talk around something long enough and you can divine its center. Circumlocution. Perigraphs. I am going somewhere.(Kevin McFadden, Hardscrabble. University of Georgia Press, 2008)