CONTRASTING IMAGES OF AFRICA IN CONRAD'S HEART OF DARKNESS AND ACHEBE'S THINGS FALL APART

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Chapter One

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER TO THE THESIS

1.0 Introduction The study critically analyses how Africa is depicted in both Western and African discourses in

literature of the empire and the postcolonial African novel. The research focuses mainly on

contrasting images of Africa as depicted from the literature of the empire, Western discourses

and African discourses. Central to the research is how Africa counters or subverts the projected

image of Africa in Eurocentric structures. It shall also look on the politics of representation,

stereotyping and the causes of misrepresentation of the African continent in particular. Apart

from underlining the politics of representation, causes of stereotyping, it shall also put center of

attention on the deconstruction of the negatified image of Africa and shall give a true authentic

account of the continent.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY The great historical tragedy of Africa from time immemorial to date is the negative image which

imperialists have presented to justify their colonial conquests. Africa is represented in a more

negative manner by Western discourses. To the West Africa is harmful and dangerous to itself.

Africa is said to be not only harmful to itself but it jeopardizes every soul that enters into it. The

West in a bid to justify their colonial structures they present an Africa which is retrogressive,

primitive, which is full of vices never a virtue so as to dominate the African physical space,

reforming the natives’ minds and managing their ancient organizations as stipulated by Mudimbe

(1988).

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Ama Biney (2001:15) opines that, “Misinformation about Africa has become a growth industry

in the West”. It should be noted that there has been, for a long time now, a systematic trend of

misrepresenting Africa in the West, and the powerful Western media and literature has been

responsible for this. The Western public has been exposed to these patterns of

misrepresentations, which in turn have been solidified into stereotypes or generalizations about

what Africa is all about. Michira (2002) asserts that “the popular images of Africa in the West

include the “dark continent” characterized by primeval irrationality, tribal anarchy, civil war,

political instability, flagrant corruption, incompetent leadership and managerial ineptitude,

hunger, famine and starvation as well as rampant diseases, especially” AIDS. Africa is seen as a

homogenous body encompassing uncultured and heathen populations who are customarily,

mentally, politically and pragmatically backward or inferior, who are incapable of governing

themselves, or at least embracing democratic principles of governance. Michira (2002) further

posits that African continent is depicted as the “dependent Africa”, “crisis driven Africa and

“hopeless” or “pitiable Africa”. Without exception, the images have been negative and then

sensationalize the “dark” side of Africa. Ever since the slavery and colonial times, such images

of Africa have persisted in the West and they still permeate the perspectives taken by the

powerful Western literature, media in personated by white writers, journalists, politicians and

even academics. So much so that within the past decade, we have seen parts of the Western

media agitating for the recolonization of Africa, arguing that “…the reason which will consent

the restoration of colonialisation are in place”

Hence it is of chief importance to note that in the course of time Africa has been robbed in every

possible way. History itself was stolen and deprived of the Africans. It should be taken into

cognizance that recently historians are an ongoing process to put collectively an authentic

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account of the aged continent where human beings first walked. Western discourses have gone to

extremes in succeeding to prove to the whole world that Africans had not originated or built any

civilizations before encounter with the west. Due to the negatified image that has been projected

on the continent lately there is a common feel that Africa means the most backward continent,

the land of the of the uncivilized people, the dark land. The darkness of the “dark continent” has

been twisted into an almost metaphysical idea in more than one aspect. Sociology, customs, race,

faith and literature of Europe have fated Africa to a situation of inferiority in the total logic.

Concerning the debate about the human grading of Africans, a similar image prevailed for a long

time. Africans are called ‘noble savages’ ‘depraved cannibals’, ‘children of nature’ and so on.

Linnaean classification of humans posits that the white, red, yellow and the black in the earliest

18th century, the man of color black is still viewed to be inferior to other races. Currently, there

are no dynamic changes in terms of how the Occident partakes in the image projection of the

Third World, Africa. The Blackman is placed on an inferior position and the Whiteman is

elevated in the hierarchy of Great chain of Humanity. Darwinism evolution theory posits that the

Blackman was retrogressive or primitive so to speak, because they were an inferior race. Ancient

civilizations which were found, the western philosophy stipulated that they could not be of

African origin. A diversity of origins theory united to convince the whole world the African

myth and stereotypes. The wielding of power ‘desire for hegemonic function’ has been a

governing tendency in much of the West’s thinking actions and civilization over the past

centuries.

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Thus, the imperialist ideology marginalizes Africa and the Africans through using negative

discourses in a bid to justify their colonial structures and conquests within the African interior.

Africa in the Eurocentric constructs is the tail in so far as matters of civilization are concerned

thus in Said’s terms Africa becomes the “orient” and the West as the so called head becomes the

“occident”. A representational image of Africa in Eurocentric discourses serves to justify

colonialism as Africa is said to be the “dark” continent their by supporting the notions of

superiority for the West and inferiority on the part of Africa.

It is indeed crucial to put on platform the fact that Africa like any other continent has its own

merits and demerits but however the represented image of the continent lately has been

jeopardized in Eurocentric discourses. This study attempts to adopt a more holistic approach to

the representation of Africa’s image.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The image of Africa that has been representated in Western discourses from time immemorial to

date has been in jeopardy, biased, narrow and limited. The research therefore complements the

growing body of literature by providing a more holistic literary analysis into the representation of

Africa in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart.

1.3 QUESTIONS GUIDING MY RESEARCH

The following are the questions guiding my research and shall be anticipated as the research

unfolds.

i. What are the factors contributing to such a representation of Africa in the Western

discourses?

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ii. How Africa counters Eurocentric constructs on the continent?

iii. What is the real image of the continent?

iv. How African discourses in literature are conforming to Eurocentric conventions or

subverting them?

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study is of paramount importance as it will show artists have composed the images of the

continent. The vitality of the study shall also be observed as it will investigate whether or not

African discourses conform to or interrogate parameters and conventions of the West in its

presentation of Africa and African identities.

The study also seeks to help literary critics and scholars on a deeper analysis on the aspects of

representation and it serves to help show how in future they will reflect the African reality,

identity as well as providing relevant advice on, for example, how to address the projected

image of Africa by the Center.

1.5 AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The study seeks to:

• Critically analyze the factors following the West’s supposed constructs of the African

continent.

• Explore if western languages and concepts are adequate to the representation of Africa

and Africans.

• To depict how Africa defines itself and to show the degree of civilization and economic

development of the continent before contact before contact with the Whiteman.

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• To interrogate how unconsciously African discourses follow the West’s conventions on

its presentation of Africa.

• Explore the significance of why Africa should tell its story and not the West.

• Why the West jeopardizes the image of Africa and the Africans?

1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

Several critical cannons have made foot prints in so far as the image of Africa is projected. The

gist upon the study is to critically interrogate the contrasting images of Africa with the objective

of bringing to platform the push and pull factors leading to diversified views and images on the

continent. Other researchers’ have made inroads into the field understudy and have made

sounding arguments but how ever not all was exhausted, thus giving a gap for further research on

subject of the study. Prior to this study, researchers’ on the field of study have tended to put

focus of attention to the West’s projection of the African continent but what makes this study

distinct from others already is the centrality of how they themselves, the Africans conform or

subvert the currently projected image of the African continent in Eurocentric discourses.

1.7 LITERATURE REVIEW

The representation of Africa in Eurocentric discourseshas fascinated scholars who have come

from various historical backgrounds to follow a line of investigation in the area of study and

resulted in the production of articles and diverse publications about Africa. Such publications

tackle the debate of Africa’s topical issue of the projected image by Eurocentric discourses, thus,

representation is the central scope of the debate on platform.Bhabha (1983) who extensively

researched in colonial discourse in his text The Other Question critiques on the aspect of

representation. He opines that the most salient facet of colonial discourse is its dependence on

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the notion of fixity in the ideological structure of otherity. He further asserts that fixity, as the

mark of sociological, historical and racial variation in the discourse of colonialism, is a

contradictory meansof representation, it connotes inflexibility and a static order as w ell as

disarray, decadence and daemonic echo. Thus to say discourse of the colonizer is problematic as

there is no inclusivity of actuality and authenticity of the subject of representation thereby

resulting in negative stereotypes of the representated.

Ce’saire (1972) in his text Discourse in colonialism stipulates the fact that representation is

problematic in that it jeopardizes the reality of those representated and suit the ideologies of the

presenter. Thus Ce’saire (1972:21-22) opins that,

………..societies drained of their essence, cultures trampled underfoot,

institutions undermined, lands confiscated, religions smashed, magnificent artistic

creations destroyed, extraordinary possibilities wiped out.

Therefore the process of representation denigrates the authentic actuality of those representated

thus resulting in negative stereotypes as opined by Ce’saire (1972)

Said (1978) goes in tandem with Ce’saire as he contends that, “All representation is

misrepresentation of one sort or another”. He also argues that, ‘the act of representating others,

almost always involves violence of some sort to the subject of representation as well as a contrast

between the violence of the act of representing something and the calm exterior itself.

Representation therefore as Edward Said (1978) in Orientalism argues it always involves a

degree of violence and discontextualisation. It also implies control, accumulation, confinement

as well as a certain kind of restrangement or disorientation on the part of the one representing.

8

The Post-Colonial Critic, Spivak (1990) in Can the Subaltern Speak?, goes hand in glove with

other scholars as observed as he makes a distinction between Vertretung and Darstellung. The

former she defines as “stepping in someone’s place … to tread in someone’s shoes.”

Representation in this sense is “political representation” or a speaking for the needs and desires

of somebody or something. According to Spivak (1990)darstellung is representation in which the

representated are structured by being placed on a certain level. Representing is thus “proxy and

portrait” according to Spivak. Of relatively important to pinpoint is that in the politics of

representation the act of “speaking for” and the images projected must not be kept in isolation.

Spivak (1990) further argues posits that it is problematic to “speak in the name of” and suggests

that the marginalized or the subaltern should speak for themselves. Of chief importance to note is

that representation, self representation and the aspect of representating others is problematic as

put forward by Gayatri Spivak (1990). Spivak (1990:101) propose “constant analysis” to guard

against “constructing the other simply as an object of knowledge, leaving out the real others

because of the ones who are getting access into public places due to these waves of benevolence

and so on”. Thus Spivak stipulates the fact that representation is problematic and in the process

there is an act of interpretation, hence there is the need to check the part involved in

interpretation of the representated. Ella Shohat (1994:32) claims that we should constantly

question representations as she asserts that:

…………… utterance must be analyzed not only in terms of who represents but also

in terms of who is being represented for what purpose, at which historical moment,

for which location, using which strategies, and in what tone of address.

This enquiry is principally imperative when the depiction of the subaltern is drawn in. The

predicament does not rest exclusively with the actuality that frequently marginalized populations

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do not embrace control over their own representations but instead it is premised also on the fact

that representations of these people are flawed and negative. It is implied that subalterns can

stand in for other subalterns. Shohat (1994) also suggests that representations in one sphere, the

sphere of popular culture affect the other spheres of representation, particularly the political one:

Thus, Shohat asserts that,

The denial of aesthetic representation to the subaltern has historically formed a corollary to the

literal denial of economic, legal, and political representation. The struggle to ‘speak for oneself’

cannot be separated from a history of being spoken for, from the struggle to speak and be heard.

(1994:52)

It will be gross injustice to fail to articulate that representations affect the ways in which

individuals are perceived. The politics of representation is a bone of contention among critical

cannons in so far as the Image of Africa is projected. Various critical cannons have made

footprints as far as the issue of representation of Africa is concerned. This research is peculiar,

since no one has taken the approach that the researcher has adopted. At the cornerstone of this

approach lies the argument that representations are ideological tools that can serve to reinforce

systems of inequality and subordination and sustain colonialist or neocolonialist projects. Its

peculiarity is observed as it will articulate how unconscious African discourses in a way conform

to Eurocentric conventions on the African continent. A great amount of effort is needed to

dislodge dominant modes of representation and subvert and challenge hegemonic ideologies.

Self-representation may not be a total possibility, yet is still an imperative goal.

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1.8 THEORATICAL FRAMEWORK

The thesis advanced in this study is that the act of representations of other cultures and identities

by others gives birth to stereotypes thereby perpetuating hegemonic functions of the presenter

over the represented. The theories that underline this study include the negritudism movement

and the post-colonial theory. These theories establish a vantage point, a perspective, a set of

lenses through which the study seeks for answers to the study questions. In this study, however,

two of the theories which have been utilized, the negritudism movement and the post-colonial

theory, have different vantage points and outcomes. Their combined use was meant for

comparative purposes in the designing and analysis of the research questions and findings. The

distinction between the two theories can be summarized as follows: while the negritudist theory

is of the view that subscriptions should be made to the rich African past and the color black

which is the pigment for the African should be celebrated, the post-colonial theory is a response

to the discourses of imperial west such as philosophy, history, anthropology and linguistics. Its

main scope is to formulate nonwestern modes of discourse as a way of challenging the Western

hegemony.

According to Slemon in Castle (2001) post coloniality is specifically postmodern intellectual

discourse that consists of a reaction to an analysis of cultural legacy of colonialism. It comprises

a set of theories found among philosophy, political science, sociology and so on. Slemon (ibid) is

of the view that the goal of post-colonial theories is to combat the residual effects of colonialism

on culture. It should be taken into cognizance the fact that, in the post-colonial discourse, the

issue of the marginalized is considered in depth by the holy trinity of post-colonial studies which

is made up of Gayatri Spivak, Home Bhabha and Edward Said. Its significance to the undergoing

study is that it serves as a tool to dismantle, or, dislodge, deconstruct negative images imposed

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upon the African continent by the Imperial West. Through the use of the postcolonial theory the

researcher has the capability to put on platform a diversity of the images projected on the African

continent, resulting in stereotypes, and it enables the researcher to deconstruct and counter the

hegemonic functions of the “occident”, Imperial West.

The postcolonial theory as according to Lye, J (1997) comprehends that the postcolonial theory

focuses on literature by a formerly colonized people who endeavour to rediscover themselves as

equal beings and reclaim their past. Young (2001, p.11), cited in Rukandwa and van Aarde

(2007) elucidates how post-colonial criticism postcolonial criticism explores the oppression and

intimidation of the Other by the dominant powers in the contemporary world. Thus the post-

colonial criticism serves as a tool in dismantling and deconstructing legacies of colonialism

which suppress exploits and depicts a negatified image of the African continent.

While the postcolonial serves to dissolve legacies of hegemonic functions of the West, the

Negritudist movement is crucial to the study as it helps accompany the post-colonial criticism in

deconstruction of negative images about the “other” through celebrating the African past,

cultures and civilization. The negritudist movement also known as the “Africana Movement”,

seeks to counter racial stereotypes about Africa by Europeans. It was a movement bring into

being by theoreticians such as Leopold Sedar Senghor, David Diope and Aime Ce’saire with the

objective of denouncing the ills of colonialism, western elitism and hegemonic characteristic of

the Imperial West.Central to this theory is correspondence to Pan Africanism. These theories aid

the research to advance critical arguments on the contrasting images of Africa from a diversified

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perspective. They also serve to deconstruct and counter what is believed to be the authentic and

real image of Africa.

1.9 Research Methodology

The methodology underpinning this study is the qualitative approach. The researcher will rely on

the desk approach for most of the data concerning the thesis. Primary sources of data which shall

be used are from the literature of the empire and post coloniality, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

Noteworthy is that these two novels one representing literature of the empire and the other from

post coloniality are of paramount importance to the research in that their difference serve to

show the contrasting image of Africa from both a western and African perspective thus, giving a

platform for comparative analysis and a diversified view on the image of Africa and African

identities.

To examine the ideologies proffered in primary texts the researcher shall utilize secondary

sources which vary from journals, scholarly articles, newspapers and the digital library. These

will aid the researcher to sustain arguments generated and to bring new ideas for a way forward.

The study shall focus on the contrasting images of Africa albeit on diversified views from two

voices, the imperial and the post-colonial one.

In the case where information from the university library is inadequate, other alternative sources

of information will be opted for. These may include Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) library

in Gweru as well as the Gweru Memorial Library.This research explores the two literary texts

namely Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart, using the negritudist and postcolonial textual

analysis and criticism to understand the African reality and experiences.

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1.10 ORGANISATION OF DISSERTATION

CHAPTER 1

Chapter one as an expository of the study gives an introduction to the research topic, giving an

insight of what the reader is likely to find in the research. Also included inside are topics

questions that the researcher will attempt to anticipate as the research unfolds, background of the

study, scope of the study, as well as the objectives of the study.

CHAPTER 11

Chapter two will mainly focus on the extended literature review. Analysis and critiquing scholars

and critics’ points of divergence and convergences will be central to the chapter. After which

inclusivity of the researcher’s opnion will permeate in the body of the chapter.

CHAPTER 111

Chapter three mainly focuses on the novella Heart of Darkness. It shall give the synopsis of the

novel after which a critical interrogation will be carried. The main scope is to show that

“representation is misrepresentation”. The tittle of the chapter will be read as follows: Politics of

Representation, Stereotyping and the Tarzanification of Africa.

CHAPTER IV

In chapter four the researcher will give how the Africans narrate their story to show the African

reality and identities. Thus it shall mainly focus on Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, thereby showing

the degree of African civilization and economic developments. The tittle of the fourth chapter

we be read as Deconstructionism and The Politics of Entrapment. Within, the chapter there shall

be shift of the main thematic issue as the researcher will articulate how African discourses

unconsciously conform to Eurocentric conventions in their presentation of the continent.

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CHAPTER V

The final chapter will present a comparison of primary texts understudy after which the

researcher will conclude the research by showing the key findings of the research and provide

recommendations.

1.11 Conclusion The chapter has defined the research problem. It has laid down the foundation for this study

premised on the fact that representations are ideological tools that can serve to reinforce systems

of inequality and subordination and sustain colonialist or neocolonialist projects. This chapter

also outlined the study objectives and research questions driving the study. Related literature

revealed that representation as a concept of standing in for something always involve a degree of

violence and discontextualises the authentic reality of what is representated. This chapter also

presented the theoretical framework of this study which is built upon two theories: the

Postcolonial theory and the Negritude Movement. The postcolonial theory is an antidote to

imperial discourses and the negritudist is mainly concerned about celebrating the color black and

believes that the color black is associated with virtues not the ‘black’ in Western discourses’

which is a vice.

On the whole, the chapter has clearly identified the gaps which this study seeks to fill.

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Chapter Two

EXTENDED LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0 Introduction

Having now introduced and motivated the topic, review or related literature will be used to

establish the agenda around the research problem, delineating key study concerns. It will reveal

the opinions and debates by other scholars which underpin this study exploring the extent to

which the research problem has been investigated before, at the international, regional and local

level. It is hoped that this discussion will highlight how the image of Africa has been depicted in

both the colonizer’s discourses and anti-colonial discourses as revealed by other scholars and

critics’.

As a point of departure it is imperative for this discussion to define and understand what the

terms representation, colonial discourse, orient, occident, other, entails according to other

scholars. This allows debates which will help achieve desired study objectives to pursue

critically.

Representation: What is it?

According to Hall (1997:15) representation is an act for standing in for, to symbolize, to be a

specimen of or acting on behalf. The definition valid to this study for the term representation is

the act of speaking in for or speaks out for others. While representation means an act of speaking

for, the term ‘colonial discourse’ revolves around the phenomenon of colonialism. The

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denotative meaning of the term being language of the imperialists which they make use of in

defining the colonized.

2.1EXTENDED LITERATURE REVIEW

The representation of Africa in Eurocentric discourseshas attracted critics who have resurfaced

from various literary backgrounds to research widely in the field and produce eclectic reports,

articles and various publications about Africa. Such publications tackle the debate of Africa’s

topical issue of the projected image by Eurocentric discourses, thus, representation is the central

scope of the debate on platform. Bhabha (1983) who extensively researched in colonial discourse

in his text The Other Question critiques on the aspect of representation. Bhabha. He opines that

the most striking feature of colonial discourse is its dependence on the concept of 'fixity' in the

ideological construction of otherness. He further asserts that fixity, as the sign of cultural,

historical and racial difference in the discourse of colonialism, is a paradoxical mode of

representation: it connotes rigidity and an unchanging order as w ell as disorder, degeneracy

and daemonic repetition. Thus to say discourse of the colonizer is problematic as there is no

inclusivity of actuality and authenticity of the subject of representation thereby resulting in

negative stereotypes of the represented.

Ce’saire (1972) in his text Discourse in colonialism stipulates the fact that representation is

problematic in that it jeopardizes the reality of those representated and suit the ideologies of the

presenter. Thus Ce’saire (1972:21-22) opines that,

………..societies drained of their essence, cultures trampled underfoot,

Institutions undermined, lands confiscated, religions smashed, magnificent artistic

Creations destroyed, extraordinary possibilities wiped out.

17

Therefore the process of representation denigrates the authentic actuality of those representated

thus resulting in negative stereotypes as opined by Ce’saire (1972)

Said (1978) goes in tandem with Ce’saire as he contends that, “All representation is

misrepresentation of one sort or another”. He also argues that, ‘the act of representing others,

almost always involves violence of some sort to the subject of representation as well as a contrast

between the violence of the act of representing something and the culm exterior itself’.

Representation therefore as Edward Said (1978) in Orientalism argues it always involves a

degree of violence and discontextualisation. It also implies control, accumulation, confinement

as well as a certain kind of restrangement or disorientation on the part of the one representing.

Said further stipulates that Orientalism as a colonial subject and ideology gives birth to binarism

where the Occident which is the so called ‘SELF’ is elevated on the hierarchy of human

civilization and the Orient is marginalized as it is titled the ‘OTHER’. Thus in the discourses of

the Imperial West, Africa become the “antithesis of Europe” as articulated by Achebe (1988) in

his critical essays Hope and Impediments. On a closer scrutiny, one may state that the west

presents an Africa which is dangerous, filled with emptiness which is a threat to humanity. It

should be taken into cognizance the fact that representation is problematic in that in the process

there is discontextualisation and distortion of originality thereby destroying the functionality of

realism. The upshot of Orientalism is the construction of a dual opposition between Occident and

Orient. Orient is imposed as everything that the West is not, exotic, alien, dangerous, unreliable,

to be tamed, exhibited as a threat to the West. In their tripartite collective article Moosavinia,

Niazi and Ghaforian (2011) they echo with Said as they postulate that western metaphysics is

based on binary oppositions, a hierarchy in which one is privileged and the other is unprivileged.

Thus to say representation is problematic as postulated by various critical cannons as it always

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involves a degree of violence as it is prone to bias and distortion such that it lacks credibility and

reality of what it signifies or stands for.

The Post-Colonial Critic, Spivak (1990) in Can the Subaltern Speak?, goes hand in glove with

other scholars as observed as he makes a distinction between Vertretung and Darstellung. The

former she defines as “stepping in someone’s place … to tread in someone’s shoes.”

Representation in this sense is “political representation” or a speaking for the needs and desires

of somebody or something. According to Spivak (1990)darstellung is representation in which the

representated are structured by being placed on a certain level.Of relatively important to pinpoint

is that in the politics of representation the act of “speaking for” and the images projected must

not be kept in isolation. Spivak (1990) further posits that it is problematic to “speak in the name

of” and suggests that the marginalized or the subaltern should speak for themselves. Of chief

importance to note is that representation, self representation and the aspect of representing

others is problematic as put forward by Gayatri Spivak (1990). Spivak (1990:101) propose

“constant analysis” to guard against “constructing the other simply as an object of knowledge,

leaving out the real others because of the ones who are getting access into public places due to

these waves of benevolence and so on”. Thus Spivak stipulates the fact that representation is

problematic and in the process there is an act of interpretation, hence there is the need to check

the part involved in interpretation of the representated. Ella Shohat (1994:32) claims that we

should constantly question representations as she asserts that:

…………… utterance must be analyzed not only in terms of who represents but also

in terms of who is being represented for what purpose, at which historical moment,

for which location, using which strategies, and in what tone of address.

19

This enquiry is principally imperative when the depiction of the subaltern is drawn in. The

predicament does not rest exclusively with the actuality that frequently marginalized populations

do not embrace control over their own representations but instead it is premised also on the fact

that representations of these people are flawed and negative. It is implied that subalterns can

stand in for other subalterns. Shohat (1994) also suggests that representations in one sphere, the

sphere of popular culture affect the other spheres of representation, particularly the political one:

Thus, Shohat asserts that,

The denial of aesthetic representation to the subaltern has historically formed a corollary to the

literal denial of economic, legal, and political representation. The struggle to ‘speak for oneself’

cannot be separated from a history of being spoken for, from the struggle to speak and be heard.

(1994:52)

It is of paramount significance to put forward the argument that representation as a subject is problematic

thus Spivak (1990) is calling for the marginalized or the subaltern to speak for themselves than for them

to be spoken for.

Mbembe (2001:17) in his critical work The Post Colony opines that Africa in the eyes of the

socalled “centre” is “…..a headless figure threatened with madness and quite innocent of any

notion of centre, hierarchy, or stability, a vast dark cave where every benchmark and distinction

come together in total confusion, the rifts of a tragic and unhappy human history and revealed a

mixture of the half created and the incomplete.” Thus, as Mbembe (2001) articulates in his text

The Post Colony puts emphasis on how the West impute negative stereotype on African

identities ; the phrases “headless figure”, “a vast dark cave” show how Africa has been dragged

to the mud in Eurocentric constructs as it is seen as an empty place with no initiations,

development, somber and dull. This negatified language and impositions of the imperial West on

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the African interior oppose the actuality and the ideologies of realism and drags away Leeky’s

discovery of Africa as the cradle of mankind and as the fore founder of humanity.

Fanon (1963) echo with Mbembe as he invokes the notion of ‘manichaeism’ in his text The

Wretched of the Earth, he asserts that;

The colonial world is a Manichean world. As if to show the totalitarian character

of colonial exploitation the settler paints the native as a sort of quintessence of evil. (1963: 31,2)

In a way Africa and the African identities are devoid of their full humanity they are personified

and are viewed as the custodians of the “dark world” so as to justify colonial acts and structures

thus it is otherised by the colonial world. The concept of “Manichean delirium”, as Fanon (1952)

calls it in a different context in Black Skin, White Masks, assumes that to cite the term “black” is

to mean vice, evil and suggest the idea of the manichean dichotomy according to which all

notions of authenticity or realismcome apart into parallel taxonomies of binarisms of white

versus black. The argument advanced in such narratives comprises that white identities have a

vantage in psychological gratification of Manichean superiority contrary to black identities who

are bargained with all-encompassing and damaging stereotypes and images. It should be taken

into cognizance that it thus results in Black Skin White Masks, Fanon takes further his argument

about the paradox of identity in the colonized world. He demonstrates the extent to which the

black man is almost invariably subjected to sublation, meaning negation, with the result that his

identity is always over-determined all this to serve what Bhabha calls the “Western metaphysic

of Man” (2004: 60) Or, as Fanon puts it: “For not only must the black man be black; he must be

black in relation to the white man.

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Adichie Chimamanda (2009) the novelist in her presentation of The Danger of a single story she

converge with other schools of thought as she opines that, ‘the danger of the single story is that it

creates one view and that view becomes the sole defining representation of a thing, or worse, a

place and its people’. Of importance is to note that the story of Africa in the Western perspective

is one, that is negative full of vices never a virtue hence the descriptions the “demonic world”

‘barbaric” “retrogressive” surrounded by “primitive tribes” the “heathen peoples”. Thus, Africa

is no good news as the ‘house of hunger’, tribal anarchies, as represented in Western discourses

particularly in Western media the CNN, BBC and powerful literature of the empire.

Chimamanda (2009) further postulates that the single negative story of Africa was constructed

by the efforts of colonial bureaucrat and establishments to perpetuate white supremacy and

hegemonic functions on the African continent. The danger of the single story as Chimamanda

(2009) warns is that it robs people of their dignity. Of significance to note is that the myths and

stereotypes of Africa which permeates the Western popular culture and literature robs the

Blackman’s dignity such that it dehumanizes him and treats him as an animated creature who

needs the redemption of the so called master of civilization the ‘occident’. Chimamanda (2009)

end it by asserting that; ‘the single story not only robs those who it maligns and oppresses, but it

also lowers the dignity of those who believe and perpetuate it.’ Hence in as far as the West

dehumanizes and stereotypes the African continent as an evil in the process it shows how the

West it is violent and it reduces itself to ferocious beasts that prey on the rest of the world by

imputing negatified stereotypes so as to establish colonial governments in the African interior.

Thus, it becomes the metropolitan of human civilization and if binarism concept is applied the

rest of the world becomes the subjects of its ill gotten acts.

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Chimamanda also converges with Rino Zhwarara (1994) in his article ‘Heart of Darkness

revisited: the African Response’ that the colonizer as the one perpetuating inequalities and myths

becomes the “heart of Darkness” as it is involved in falsifying circles and spreading unrealistic

issues of the colonized. Zhwarara (1994) further postulates that cross cultural communication as

exemplified by the novella Heart of Darkness is problematic in that it becomes a lived bank for

myths, misconceptions and stereotypes which are based in inequalities and prolonged forms of

domination and cruelty which then leads to the construction of subalternity and marginalization

of those representated. What should be taken into cognizance is that cross cultural

communication cannot be achieved for it revolves around the concept of representation thus it is

problematic as it does involve a degree of violence and discontextualisation.

Zhwarara also goes along with Achebe as they both subscribe to the notion that cross cultural

communication is problematical as the true account is distorted and becomes vague. Chinua

Achebe (1988) in his critical essays Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays subscribes to that

representation is inclined to bias and distortion and then leads to misconceptions and stereotypes.

In the process of representation those representated are caricaturized thus, in this form they are

reduced to half human and are animalized. Achebe (1988:2) asserts that “…in Western

psychology Africa becomes a foil to Europe, a place of negation and vaguely familiar”. Central

to the politics of representation of Africa is denial of virtues and humanity by Western discourses

in order to establish and justify colonialism and other isms. The Blackman is “zombified” as

done by western scholars such as Trevor Roper whom claims that Africans had no a history,

language or even a past. Achebe (1988:10) opins that in Western discourse, specifically, in the

novella Heart of Darkness, the projected image of Africa thus, becomes “the other world”, the

23

“antithesis of Europe and therefore of civilization, a place where man is vaunted intelligence and

refinement…..” A closer interrogation to the opnion of Achebe puts our attention to the fact that

Eurocentric discourses construct an Africa which does not exist under the sun. Conrad then

presents the character Kurtz who according to Marlow is “vaunted intelligence” by the “heart of

darkness”, Africa such that it results in his moral degeneracy, this, accusations then constructs

negatified stereotypes on the African continent.

In the Spectacle of the Other Hall (1997) posits that representation is political in that those who

have power ‘otherise’ those who do not have such that this results in negativism of the othered.

Hall also echoes with Gramsci (1971) as he postulates that “domineering groups in society have

the capacity to exercise intellectual and moral control over a society at large with the support of a

system alliances via institutions such as the mass media, popular culture only to mention a few.

Thus western psychologies believe in the superiority of the white race and inferiorize non- white

races such that they define who they are, thus leading to the construction of images which are not

an accurate depiction of reality but often gives a deceptive account of the true account

phenomena. Of cognizance to note is that representation as an ideology is not enough for

standing in for reality as it is prone to bias and gives a deceptive image of the true account.

Of paramount importance to note is that all scholars inherent in this review consistently converge

on the notion that representation is misrepresentation in that it often gives a deceptive account of

the original image or reality. Some critical cannons have taken different roads but their

destination is the same renowned argument that cross cultural communication is a flawed system

in that it often results in negativism, stereotypes and biases. What makes this study vital and

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distinct from other pre- researches is that it takes into account how African discourses or the post

colonial discourse counters or subverts to the Eurocentric conventions or parameters on the

projection of the African continent. This research is peculiar in that those who researched before

put center of attention to that the Imperial West projects an image of Africa which is negative

this then validates this research in that it shall approach the representation of Africa paying

particular attention to the perspective of self representation, Africa, on how it counteract or

conform to literature of the empire or colonial discourses in the projection of the image on the

continent. What should be taken into cognizance is the fact that self-representation may not be a

complete possibility, yet is still an important goal.

Conclusion

The chapter from its inception it mainly focused on scholarly debates on the subject of

representation. It also defined important terms in the discourse of representation. The main

topical issue in the chapter was the rationale of the study as it validated the study through gap

identification. In view of the findings in the scholarly discussions it can be safely argued that the

politics of representation is one that is problematic in that it does not give an accurate depiction

of the original account or reality.

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Chapter Three

POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION, STEREOTYPING AND THE

TARZANIFICATION OF AFRICA IN HEART OF DARKNESS

3.0 Introduction

The preliminary expository chapters introduced the main concern of the study by tracing the pull

and push factors leading to the projected image of the “Other” Africa by the Occident. It has

been observed that the portrait of Africa that has been projected by Western writers is

subjectified and negatified so as to justify and legitimize the act of colonizing and recolonization

of the African interior. Central to this chapter is the critique and interrogation of Conrad’s

novella Heart of Darkness focusing on topical issues such as the politics of representation,

concept of stereotype and the Tarzanification of Africa.

Crucial to understanding the premise of this research is the knowledge of vocabulary. Prior to

entering the discussion about representation and stereotypes it will be of significance to define

the terms. What is representation? What are stereotypes?

What is Representation?

Representation is an act of speaking for or speaking of. It can also be an act of standing in for a

group of people. It is of paramount significance to mention that in the process of speaking about

a people there tends to be distortion of originality hence the ultimate outcome is the politicization

of representation. As an ideology, representation becomes problematic in that those who “speak

for” a people tend to project images which are negative hence resulting in biases, stereotypes and

myths.

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3.1 STEREOTYPES

Wilson (1995:61) in Race, Multiculturalism, and the Media defines stereotypes as “a

conventional formulaic and usually oversimplified conception, opinion or belief invested with

special meaning and held in common by members of a group”.The term can be delineated as

clichéd images or depictions of identities, groups of people, which are usually logically

recognizable due to their profuse utility in the popular culture. Stereotypes are socially

constructed definitions imposed on identities which are then naturalized to suit different

institutional ideologies. Stereotypes are often characterized by prejudice and strong based

implications. Vital to this study, is the fact that the African continent is clichéd the following

descriptions: jezebel stereotype, the jungle, the beast, homogeneous, the dark city only to

mention a few. African identities are thus aligned to negative stereotype such as primitive,

retrogressive, the heathen peoples, tribesmen and bloodthirsty. Thus the image of the continent

depicted after the impositions of these social constructs is one that is mythical in nature as it is

full of biases and misconceptions.

Derricourt (2011:vi) asserts that, “Africa has been the victim of generalizing statements,

simplifying histories and prehistories, stereotyping and imaginings from ancient times until

today.” This part of the prelude of Derricourt’s text lnventing Africa: History, Archaeology and

ldeas depicts that the Africa which is invented in the colonizers mind is one that is generalized

and simplified such that it thus results in negative clichés. The resultant of these epistemological

constructs is what Said (1978:105) in Culture and Imperialism terms the Africanist Discourse

which he defines as; “a systematic language for dealing with and studying Africa for the West.”

Of paramount significance to note is that within this discourse it results in stereotyping of Africa

as the savage, primitive and tribal anarchist.

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Conrad stereotypes Africa as the jungle, a thick forest which is inhabited by creatures of the

earth. The Africa of the Conradian perspective is one that is frightening and scary, which if one

enters is fear stricken. Africa as the jungle creates a tense atmosphere which is saturated with

somberness, dullness and scary. The depiction of Africa as a jungle is witnessed when Marlow

describes Africa with following phrases, ‘wretched bush’, “jungle of both banks was quite

impenetrable”, “vegetation rioted”, “impenetrable forest” thus Africa, as “jungle” (pg 66-67) in

the western set of thinking it becomes an uneasy site where penetration is impossible. Africa is

thus animalized; Conrad does not only depict the nature of the forest but goes on to talk of the

species which inhabit this primeval forest. African identities in the texts are animalized as they

are best described as “cannibals”, “savages”, these terms are derogative as they denotes a type of

species which prey on other species for survival. Hence Conrad makes generalizations of the

interior which thus results in negative clichés and subjections of the continent as a whole.

Of cognizance to note is that stereotypes they stand as an obstruction to the understanding of a

people or identities, as in the process it results in naturalizing of myths or the misconceptions

about a group of people hence an obstacle to fully understand a people. African identities are

thus inclined to stereotypical identities these are inclusive of the Blackman as blood killers,

untrustworthy inferior, savage, dull, low intelligence quota. Conrad in the novella attaches the

black race with primitivism, savagery and dangerous. Thus these stereotypes as part of the

imperial discourses serve to inferiorize the othered, or the prejudiced subjects in a bid to elevate

the occident.

Through the ‘she’, female characters in the novella Kurtz’s Mistress who symbolizes Mother

Africa, Africa is then associated with the Jezebel stereotype. Mother Africa is attached a devilish

characteristic feature, it is seen as a spirit which bewitches the soul such that it contaminates

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one’s instincts and thus results in degeneracy. This is depicted in the novella as Marlow partly

blames Kurtz’s Intended for Kurtz’s failure in the interior. It can be argued that Kurtz association

with Mother Africa is one that has led to him to his destined fate. Alluding to the biblical story of

Jezebel, it is her, Jezebel the temptress who leads man to doom. In relation to the novella in

question the African geographical landscape, Mother Africa becomes the Jezebel in which if a

man associates himself with it, he sinks himself in jeopardy thus leading himself to his doom or

fate.

Conrad in the novella depicts Africa as the noble savage. Michira (2002) postulates that the

association of Africa with savagery it results in the “animalization of Africa”. The African in the

novella is depicted as a savage who preys on others for survival. As a savage in the Africanist

discourse, the Blackman is distanced from humanizing attributes and thus becomes closer to

animal species. This is evidenced in the novella when Marlow asserts that; ̀

‘The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered

monster, but there— there you could look at a thing monstrous and free. It was unearthly, and the

men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—this suspicion

of their not being inhuman. (pg72)

From the above quotation one may deduce that Marlow partially admits that the African is

human but he denies them humanity. In a way, he, Marlow, associates the African with

coldness, heartless, callousness and mercilessness, as supported with the phrase “….their not

being inhuman.” Marlow is fear stricken when a white fog appears in the midst of their

navigation as believed that the blacks who were on the other side could attack them as their

hippopotamus meat was rotten, not enough and they were dying of hunger. Charlie Marlow

thought that the “natives” as they are believed to be savages would prey on him and the pilgrims.

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In the Conradian conception Africa is the noble savage as it is bloodthirsty and preys on other

species. This is depicted in the novella when the fog appears in the midst of Marlow and his

crew’s navigation a ‘band

Africa in the western discourse is projected as the “house of hunger”. This has been a common

cliché attached to the continent by the occident. The image of the African in the Conradian

discourse is that of a starved, skinny and dying men, like in the Western media the CNN, BBC,

RT and many others, break headlines on how hunger or famine is ravaging or stalking the

African interior. This is depicted in the novella when the narrator asserts that;

No fear can stand up to hunger, no patience can wear it out, disgust simply does not exist where

hunger is; and as to superstition, beliefs, and what you may call principles, they are less than

chaff in a breeze. Don’t you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its exasperating torment, its

black thoughts, its sombre and brooding ferocity? Well, I do. It takes a man all his inborn strength

to fight hunger properly. It’s really easier to face bereavement, dishonor, and the perdition of

one’s soul—than this kind of prolonged hunger. (pg85)

As exemplified from Marlow’s account starvation torments the soul and its outcome is “somber

and brooding ferocity” suggesting that a starved being is a portrait of gloom and menacing rage.

This implies that Africa as the “house of hunger” as it is stereotyped in the western discourses is

associated with gloomy, agony, torture and ominous frenzy. The rhetorical statement posited by

Marlow, which reads as follows: “Don’t you know the devilry of lingering starvation, its

exasperating torment, its black thoughts, and its sombre and brooding ferocity?” Suggests that

the African as a starved being, tormented with ‘devilry of lingering starvation’ his mental state is

thus fond of negative thoughts encompassing alarming rage and vehemence.

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Of significance to put on platform, is the argument that where starvation lies, there is denial of

life. Famine is associated with death, uncongenial environ and deprivation of life. Mother Africa

is thus deprived of life and maternal function. This suggests that Africa is associated with

barrenness; thus, it means the continent is not capable of being productive, initiative hence

termed “third world” countries and the West “first world” the former is retrogressive and the

latter progressive. The association of starvation with death is depicted when Marlow asserts that:

They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they

were nothing earthly now— nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying

confusedly in the greenish gloom.----------------. These moribund shapes were free as air—and

nearly as thin. (pg31)

As asserted above Conrad depicts dying Africans from the sickness of the belly, starvation. The

phrase “black shadows of diseases and starvation” suggests that there is no life and light in

Africa as projected in the West’s way of thinking.

It is relatively imperative to mention that stereotypes as a conventional formulaic and usually

oversimplified conception, opinion about a people as posited by Wilson (1995) results in

prejudices and subjection. Thus stereotyping is associated with negativism, otherisation of the

clichéd group. Hence through these stereotypes the Africa projected in western discourses is

deeply rooted in negatives, and as Achebe (1977) proclaims it become the antithesis of Europe,

thus, resulting in binaries.

3.2TARZANISM

It is a western constructed image which attempts to project a messianic image of the western

world. In general the Tarzanism trope mainly focuses on Tarzan who finds himself in the African

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jungle endeavoring to save the life of animals from possible extinction. The main underpinning

ideology of the Tarzanism concept is to paint Africans with barbarism and primitivism. The

tarzanification of Africa suggests a world where there is no transition but a constant idealized

location of primitivism whose central states remain uncontested with Whiteman’s civilization

modernity so to speak. Of cognizance to note is that the tarzanified Africa subsists in an

anachronistic place, a location accounted by Anne McClintock (1982:30) as existing in ‘a

permanently anterior time within the geographic space of the modern empire . . . the living

embodiment of the archaic 'primitive'". With this primeval background, ancient creatures, still

meander all the way through the jungle. Tarzanism is associated with the philosophy of

apemanship, primitivist philosophy, cannibalistic tendencies and savagery. In relation to the

novella, Kurtz becomes the ideal Tarzan as he is involved in cannibalism this is evidenced in the

narrative when it is accounted that at Kurtz’s station there were human heads surrounding this

site.

Crucial to mention is the fact that the characteristics traits of Tarzan equates him with a great

ape, guerilla. This result in animalization of Tarzan, this then suggests that, in the process of

tarzanification, the Congolese in the novella are animalized, as creatures of the primeval forest.

This evidenced when a Blackman crawled to drink water from the river on fours, similar to what

animals do. The portrait of a tarzanified Africa is one that is full of mystery, forgotten

civilizations, cannibalism and animalization. It is thus imposed a mythical status which is full of

misconceptions and biases.

The African terrain is the archetypal feminine body in which Tarzan swings in through the

interior. As the maternal earth, Africa is the trope of virgin land with dark, secretive interiors that

must be settled by Tarzan’s penetrating excursion. Tarzan has also a role that of rescuing animals

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from possible extinction, this then equates to Kurtz’s who has a sole duty to rescue the tribe from

themselves through the “International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs”. Thus the

major underlying principle of the tarzanification is to inferiorize African indigenous systems and

attaches Africa’s customs and belief with the primitivist philosophy and barbarism which Conrad

does in the novella.

3.3SYNOPISIS OF THE NOVEL

Heart of Darkness is an adventure novel where Marlow who is the protagonist undertakes a

journey to Africa. Aboard the Nellie cruising through the River Thames he gives an account on

how he entered Africa. He gives his perceptions on Mother Africa; to him Africa is the home of

savages.The novella is thus, a complex exploration of the attitudes people hold on what

constitutes a barbarian versus a civilized society and the attitudes on colonialism and racism that

were part and parcel of European imperialism.

3.4TEXTUAL ANALYSIS:

3.4.1 Critique of the Tittle

The tittle of the novella ‘Heart of Darkness” it brings out the topical issue, that of politics of

representation into the fore. The term “heart” on a denotative level it refers to the core or the

nucleus or the centre, in relation to the topical issue of representation Africa becomes the centre

of the darkness, which is a term associated with vices, gloomy, dull, somber and evil. Thus

Africa becomes a place devoid of light and virtues it becomes a bloodcurdling place or the dark

city which is associated with savagery where humans are devoured the heart of man and are

transformed to the core of evil. Thus Africa becomes Sodom and Gomorra, the dark city, which

needs the redemption, of the demonic spirit from the Imperial West as the so called father of

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virtuousness, righteousness and superiority. This is also echoed in Haggard’s King Solomon

Mines were the continental image projected is negatified as symbolized by King Twala and

Gagool who are depicted as savages, bloodthirsty and tribal autocrats . Therefore Africa is seen

as horrific, the murderer as also witnessed in the novella where the Blackman, “natives” killed

the Danish Sailor Fresleven. African identities are thus followed with a dark shadow as portrayed

in Western discourses as also seen in Lessing’s The Grass is Singing where Moses is said to be

the murderer for white female Mary Turner. Africa accordingly becomes a dull place where the

Africans which are the inhabitants of the continent are depicted as noble failures, with no

intelligence or the capacity to initiate or develop any ideology of their own in the eyes of the

imperial West. As the heart of darkness, Africa, becomes the jungle, the wild, as Conrad depicts

in the novella which is inhabited by cannibals who are viewed as half human and in complete.

The image of Africa that is depicted is one that is full of negativism. Africa as the heart of

darkness as depicted in the title of the novella is accredited a higher degree of negativism and

vices in the literature of the empire which is a product the Imperial West.

The tittle of the novella ‘HEART OF DARKNESS’ is open to a diversity of interpretations the

first as articulated in this thesis is one pointing to Africa as” the nucleus of darkness” or

everything negative.

Heart of darkness as the tittle reads it points to heart of man, the Whiteman, ‘occident’ who

invades the territory of the Congolese for imperial conquests. As the heart of darkness, his heart

is that of a gory who attacks everything black and indigenous so as to outwit the owner of the

territory in order to establish colonial institutions. The occident thus dehumanizes the orient, he

animalizes him, disrespects him to such an extent that he “unpeoples” him as stipulated by

Javangwe (2011). This is then depicted in the novella when the Danish sailor, Fresleven

34

disrespects the Chief of the Congolese, on a connotative level, it thus shows how dark the heart

of the Whiteman is as he permeates the African interior he uses violence and the spirit of

destruction so as to construct Western bureaucrats within the African regions. The imperialist is

dark hearted as he does not have any mercy on the indigenous populations of the continent he set

in motion his own agendas to the fore through binarism. Thus, everything with the pigment white

is seen as a symbol of purity, elevated in the hierarchy of human civilization and the color black

is the opposite. It is of paramount significance to note that the heart which is full of rage and

hatred is one that is dark and purity can never be appended to it, the heart of the occident and the

Imperialist. This can also allude to the historical most bloody and brutal imperialist in the land of

Congolese, King Leopold the second, whose heart was dark, as he ruled the Congolese with an

iron fist. This is accompanied by his ill gotten actions which encompass execution, marring and

disfiguration all done in quest for wealth. Therefore one should take into cognizance the fact that

the heart of man is brought into question, with particular mention to that of the Whiteman in the

novella, which is full of rage and cruelty thereby presenting an image of Africa with extremities

and negative constructs so as to justify colonialism, slavery as well as re-colonization of Africa.

3.4.2 DEPICTION OF AFRICA AND AFRICAN IDENTITIES IN THE NOVELLA

The Congolese, in this instance symbolize Africans, who are representated in a relatively

negative manner. In the literature of the empire, as in the novella, the Blackman is dehumanized

such that in the colonizer’s discourse he is depicted as an animal. The colonizer “unpeoples” the

indigenous populations so as to make them inferior and make them bow to the dictates of the

occident who claims to be the superior race. Conrad in the novella depicts African identities in a

subjective and unrealistic manner. The Congolese are animalized, they are seen as incomplete,

35

and the Whiteman is thus portrayed as the opposite. This is depicted in the novella through the

following descriptions:

A slight clinking behind me made me turn my head. Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up

the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the

clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends

behind waggled to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots

in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose

bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking. Another report from the cliff made me think

suddenly of that ship of war I had seen firing into a continent. It was the same kind of ominous

voice; but these men could by no stretch of imagination be called enemies. They were called

criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery

from the sea. All their meager breasts panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the

eyes stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, without a glance, with that complete,

deathlike indifference of unhappy savages. (pg 28-29)

From this description it can be argued that Conrad depicts the Congolese, African identities in

the Tarzan mode. The phrase “….waggled to fro like tails” shows how the West animalizes the

orient in order to impute and reinforce racial inequalities and stereotypes. Marlow views the

Blackman, Congolese, as associated with vices and he associates them with criminality. Not only

does he criminates these black identities but further aligns them to savages and closer to death,

thus Conrad denies life and humanity to Africans. Inferiorisation of black race is the ultimate

result of imperial discourse and misrepresentations.

Of paramount significance to note is that racial inequalities thus prevail as portrayed in the

novella. All the Blackman, Congolese are subjected to ground work while all the Whiteman are

given white collar jobs. This is depicted in the novella (pg 28) when Marlow meets a group of

36

six Blackman carrying baskets on their heads full of earth. There is a contrast on how the two

races, black and white respectively are depicted in the novella. All the Whiteman inclusive of the

major characters Kurtz, Fresleven, holds higher positions in stations, as the agents at trading

stations; they are portrayed as intelligent, initiators this is in direct contrast to how Conrad

depicts the Congolese, he, through Marlow projects an image of the Blackman as an animated

creature, dull who is incapable to do anything by himself. This then connotes that the black race

in the Western perspective is thus subjected to an underdog, who was created to serve whilst the

white race is said to be “supreme”. This is also echoed in Honwana’s We killed the Mangy Dog

and Other Mozambican stories in the short story ‘The Hands of the Blacks’ where the white boy,

who is the narrator believes that the hands of the black, where made to serve the white race, thus

the white race becomes the superior and the black race as the subordinate.

In Heart of Darkness Conrad depicts African identities as the heathen tribes who are

bloodcurdling; horrific and also a threat to human life. He does not only projects an image of a

blood thirsty Congolese but an inferior race hence vulnerable and victims of colonialism. This is

best described through Danish Sailor, Fresleven and the Chief’s conflict. A closer scrutiny to this

first it connotes to inferiority of Blackman as depicted when Fresleven disrespects the Chief of

the Congolese in front of the villagers because of hens’ shenanigans, this then poses a question

whether the white race is civilized or superior in the hierarchy of human civilization, if one can

quarrel over a misunderstanding which can be solved by words not by hands. Secondly, through

this incident Conrad depicts the Blackman as a blood killer, through the Chief’s son who takes

his spear and kills the sailor. Thus to say the image of the Blackman in the western phenomena is

full of bias and misconceptions hence representation is subjective.

37

Of particular significance to mention is that Africans are depicted in the most racist manner in

the novella as postulated by Achebe’s (1988). Africans in the Conradian perspectives are

zombified to such an extent that they are not given names, he deliberately does this so as to

subjectify and dehumanize them in order to justify and legitimatize colonialism in the interior.

Africans in the novella are mostly described as “cannibals”, “savages” ‘half shapes crouched’,

Conrad does not attach names to the Congolese in the novella. The colonialist discourse thus

robs the Blackman his identity and dignity, thus to say the discourse, is negative as it otherise the

colonized and makes them inferior. Conrad confirms this as depicted in the novella when he

asserts that:

The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a

different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look

into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. (pg10)

The above assertion is a critique to imperialist ideologies; it thus shows how negative colonial

conquests and racism are. Imperialism is an evil process as it comes with violence and

discontextualisation. The manner in which the Blackman is represented in the novella is violent

such that it destructs, everything pointing to black and depersonalizes the African.

In the western view the portrait of Africa and its inhabitants is one that is underpinned with

darkness. This is best illustrated in the novella when Marlow accounts how the mighty Britain

was redeemed from darkness by Rome, he opines that; ‘And also…….has been one of the dark

places of the earth.’ (pg6). There are two fundamentals noteworthy in this account the first points

to that there is no a superior race than the other hence all races are at par in so far as matters of

civilization are put on podium. On a connotative level the account seeks to devoid Africa and the

38

Africans light and humanity as prehistoric Britain, the Romans in this particular instance

symbolize Europe and its civilizing mission in the African interior. It should be taken into

cognizance the fact that the image projected of Africans as in Heart of Darkness it is one

associated with barbarism and primitivism. In a way Conrad is asserting that Africa is

“imprisoned” with darkness same as Britain before Rome’s arrival. Hence this projected image

of the interior serves to justify Europe’s claim to sanitize, civilize, redeem and bring salvation to

the black race. Thus the imperial discourse or representation is political as opined by Hall in that

those who represent have power over the representated such that they otherise or inferiorize the

‘othered’.

A clear defined prejudice against the Black race is depicted in the novella. Marlow’s descriptive

accounts on the indigenous populations, Congolese, points to savagery, animalized creatures and

the wilderness; this is depicted in the novella when he sees a death circle, an open grove, where

the Congolese go to pass on. He gives a description of these men by asserting that,

Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth

in all attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair they were nothing earthly now, nothing but

black shadows of disease and starvation One of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and

went off on all fours towards the river to drink. (pg31)

The description renders images of a depersonalized African as revealed with the phrases “black

shapes”, “nothing earthly”, “creatures’. From this portrayal, these men are dehumanized, and

animalized hence distanced from human characteristics features. Marlow’s descriptive accounts

have their roots from the fact that all Africans are one, homogenous, thus it is this trait or cliché

which Conrad adopts such that he does not give greater detail and descriptive features to the

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Congolese in the novella, Heart of Darkness which is in sharp contrast to white identities in the

text.

In the Western phenomenon, the African is depersonalized through destructing humanizing

attributes and he is thus clichéd with animal like features. This is portrayed when the African

man, crawls on his hands and knees to the water source to drink water as described by Marlow,

this degrades the black race and it is this subjective representations which then confirms truism

of the Darwinism theory. Conrad equates the African identities in the Congo to creatures of the

jungle as depicted through Marlow’s descriptions of one of workforce on the ship. He asserts

that;

“… to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat

walking on his hind legs" (pg 36).

This above statement is a clear testimony on the West’s attachment of the African as a noble

savage. In a way through this man Conrad attempts to say that even if the African acquires

knowledge of some sort he still remains an underdog pretending to be civil

Marlow presuppose that the Blackman, ship attendant, is the same as the other indigenous

populace: he is too crude to be truly sophisticated like any other European. Marlow incessantly

oversimplify the barbarian nature of the Congolese to portray one individual in a way constant

with his predetermined beliefs the very meaning of a stereotype.

Marlow further demean Africans by representing the indigenous populace as prehistoric and

empty. This illustrated when he says;

40

The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us who could tell? ... we glided

past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic

outbreak in a mad house" (pg35).

The natives are so primordial that they are deprived of language. Marlow resign to speculating

who could tell, instead of endeavoring to identify with the indigenous populations’ message

because he deems the man's opinions as either too insignificant to be taken seriously or that the

black man is too irrational to have anything reasonable to say. In the whole novella, Conrad,

constructs black identities that are dumb and distances them from speech. In place of speech, he,

Conrad, creates an African who produces sounds instead of utterances. This own its own clearly,

depicts how the West has animalized the orient. A closer look to Conradian style in the novella

that of exclusion of language and native dialogue points to that in Western view the Blackman is

not sophisticated such that he can contribute to the development of the storyline or the plot. In

general, the African identities projected in Heart of Darkness are too primordial to be in control

of a language. Of cognizance to note is that, Conrad only attaches speech to African identities in

the text when in it is in support with the image of the Blackman as a noble savage. The technique

which Conrad employs that of suppressing the speech of Congolese serves to silence an

objection to the clichés and stereotypes that he attaches but instead presents instances in which

the voice support the clichés.

Marlow conclusively believes that the African is a noble savage associated with prehistoric,

primeval irrationality and depicts this image in the representation of Africa. Conrad clichés

Africans and identifies them as ‘formless shapes’, on an allegorical level this can point to that

Africa is an unstructured continent, which needs to be structured by the West. The narrator,

Marlow gives a descriptive account of the African interior with particular mention to banks,

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“rotting into mud, whose waters, thickened into slime, invaded by the contorted mangroves that

seemed to writhe at us in the extremity of an impotent despair” (pg14).Analogous to men,

Africa is said not to be of apparent or distinctive lines, but of unstructured fundamentals like

mud, mire, and roots and both Africa and the Africans are represented in terms of fatality and

demise as accounted in phrases like “rotting" and “impotent despair”. In view of the fact that

Africa and Africans are only well thought-out in the milieu of fatality, as a symbol of the West,

Marlow constructs the cliché that Africa is relentlessly in an untamed and horrendous state. In

actuality, Conrad in Heart of Darkness, creates an, Africa which is devoid of an identifiable

humanity, such that the West becomes its source of salvation and redemption .Conradian pattern

thus challenges distinctive human characteristics on African identities, akin to the representation

of the Africans themselves in the novella. It should be taken into cognizance, that the indigenous

populations in the African interior , the African, is viewed as a nobody other than a replica of

each other who serve no other intention than to be a component of the scenery for the Western

world. Noteworthy, is the fact that Conrad conforms to the Hegelian ideology which denounce

the African race and thus associating it with nihilism, fragility, primitivism and all vices of the

world. Zhwarara in his essay the African Response subscribe to this argument as he opines that

Conrad in Heart of Darkness his major intension was to denounce human degeneration in a

colonial milieu but he instead maintains it but making generalizations on the African continent

hence maintaining imperialist discourse. Conrad as he tries to go against colonialist perspective

he, does becomes an ideal instance, of western machinations, hence a blood racist in Achebe’s

terminology.

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3.4.3 THE IMAGE OF CONGO RIVER AND NATURE IN THE NOVELLA

The Congo River as described by Marlow is equated to a coiled snake, a snake which is a reptile,

harmful and venomous hence dangerous to humanity. Thus as part of nature the image of the

river is symbolic of Mother Africa in the colonial discourses it is then inclined to negativism,

dangerous and harmful. The Congo River, is symbolic of a hazard, danger, thus it lies in wait all

set to strike. The river, as a snake strikes at the imposter, the Whiteman, who permeates into the

interior, invades and then dominates the African physical space as opined by Mudimbe (1988).

This is depicted in the novella when Marlow and his crew encounter difficulties, to travel up

through the river, due to its strong current, which incessantly pushes them back thus expelling

them from the African interior. The difficulties which Marlow and his crew encounter and all the

calamities they witness push him to project an image of Africa which is gloomy, scary and

frightening. The Congo River as the major geographical setting of the novella it then symbolize

the African interior, thus Africa becomes the coiled snake, full of venom hence uninhabitable by

man as portrayed in the literature of the empire. Conrad depicts this in the novella as seen by the

man who commits suicide; the Swede as he converses with Marlow puts on platform the fact that

probably the uncongenial conditions of the “country”, Africa, were the push factors to his self

slaughter. Thus, as it is venomous, it thus jeopardizes every soul that enters into it and is

responsible for its fate and calamities which befalls that soul. The image of Africa which is

projected by Conrad in the novella is one that is associated with vices, thus Africa in the

discourse of the West is evil, scary and dull.

Of particular to mention is the color of the river. The color brown it suggests a picture of the

river as murky and contaminated. The color of the watercourse is symbolic of the African

interior which has been invaded by an invisible worm, the occident that destructs everything

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pointing to black, challenges indigenous structures so as to establish Western institutions and

hegemony. Thus Africa has been contaminated by the Whiteman who has filtered through the

regions The obstacles which Marlow faces during the course of his exploration which delays

their navigation, connotatively, it suggest the rejection of western civilization by Mother Africa

so as to preserve its Africana indigenous system.

The fog which appears in the midst of Marlow’s navigation it yet again serves as an impediment,

which Mother Africa to expel the westerners from the interior. Conrad used this symbol so as to

project an Africa which is mysterious as it distorts the normality of things.

The Congo River as the major geographic setting of the novella is symbolic as it has been used to

represent Mother Africa. In the Conradian, perspective, the Congo River as described by Marlow

is similar to a coiled snake, thus, mother Africa is projected as evil, venomous and a dangerous

continent.

Conrad description of nature depicts the continent as mysterious and impenetrable jungle this is

revealed when Marlow asserts that:

Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when

vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty stream, a great silence, an

impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick, heavy, and sluggish. There was no joy in the

brilliance of sunshine. The long stretches of the waterway ran on, deserted, into the gloom of

overshadowed distances. On silvery sand-banks hippos and alligators sunned themselves side by

side. The broadening waters flowed through a mob of wooded islands; you lost your way on that

river as you would in a desert, and butted all day long against shoals, trying to find the channel,

till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once—

somewhere—far away—in another existence perhaps. (pg 45)

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As envisaged from the above assertion one may deduce that Africa is attached with primeval

irrationality. To Marlow sailing through the river is similar to going back to ancient times hence

the “primitive” and “retrogressive” Africa. The phrase “vegetation rioted” suggests that Mother

Africa was rebelling against European penetration on the interior. On another axis, to the

westerners they deem Africa as a jungle which cannot be entered easily as one encounter

hindrances on his way in hence they call it becomes the “impenetrable forest”. The atmosphere

of Africa as illustrated by the statements “there was no joy in the sunshine”, “deserted into the

gloom of overshadowed distances” they suggest an atmosphere which is tense one saturated with

sadness. The phrase “air was warm, thick, heavy and sluggish” denotatively points that Africa

does not have a sounding life hence Europe’s penetration as the West does say will save the

continent from its predicament. On a closer scrutiny, they suggest a sour welcome to the

colonizer by Mother Africa; hence she is against this penetration of imperialists who come on a

civilizing mission wrapped up with various agenda’s.

Conrad’s representation of nature depicts a hostile Africa hence to the white man Africa becomes

the “impenetrable forest”. Thus, Africa in the novella is represented negatively and associated

with the “dark continent” metaphor.

3.5 A CRITICAL DEBATE ON THE NOVELLA

Conrad’s novella has been a bone of contention among critics and the academics such that it is

open to a diversity of interpretations. Some schools of thought argue that Conrad’s novella was a

criticism of European Colonialism in Africa. Another group of critical cannons argue that

Conrad’s novella was a product of its time, the Victorian period. The school of thought inclusive

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of Achebe argues that Conrad was a racist. Hence the novella, Heart of Darkness is multifaceted

and can be analyzed from different viewpoints.

Some schools of thought posit that Conrad’s Heart of Darkness was a product of his time the

Victorian era. The Victorian images of Africa were mainly dominated by colonialist attitudes

which sought to justify Anglophonic systems in the interior. The novella was written at the turn

of 19th century when Britain’s racism to orient was at its peak. Conrad’s derogatory and

offensive terms which he made function in Heart of Darkness was considered as normal during

the Victorian period and thus it is regarded as a literary masterpiece as it conformed to the

parameters of the West in its projection of Africa during Victorian era. Hence critical cannons as

exemplified by Leevis believe Conrad’s novella was a product of its time and does not seem to

view the elements of racism within the text.

Prior to the argument above Achebe (1978:8) terms Conrad a “blood racist” in that he presents

Africa as the other world. He further argues that Africa in the Conradian perspective becomes the

“antithesis of Europe”, “a place where man is vaunted intelligence and finally mocked by

triumphant bestiality”. Achebe posits that Heart of Darkness is a racist text as it depicts African

as mute beings that are not verbally productive, in a way Africa is subalternised as it is denied a

voice. Apart from denial of voice Africa is depicted as the “dark continent” a place where there

is a subtle demonization of the psyche of every soul that enters into the interior. Kurtz’s

intelligence as Marlow presupposes has been vaunted by the evils or vices within the Congo

basin. Kurtz’s last words “The horror!” “The horror!” (pg109) on another axis seem to suggest

that the continent is horrific or dreadful site where man’s soul is devoured by the ill forces within

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the African region. Hence to Achebe Heart of Darkness is indoctrinated by racial discourse

which projects an image of Africa as negative.

Some schools of thought invalidates Achebe’s point of view as they are of the view that

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is a criticism of European Imperialism. In his essay “Conrad’s

Critique of Imperialism in Heart of Darkness” Hawkins (1979) posits that the novella is a parody

on European penetration in the interior. Marlow attacks imperialist motives as he compares

European exploration with that of the Romans in Britain when he asserts that

They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force— nothing to boast of, when you

have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. They grabbed

what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence,

aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind—as is very proper for those who

tackle darkness. (pg10)

From the above assertion one may deduce that Conrad attacks imperialism as he equates it to

robbery, where Africa’s natural resources were looted by the imperialists. The phrase “it was just

robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a large scale…..” suggests that European

imperialism was a murder of the African continent as it was robbed of its humanity, dignity and

natural resources. To reinforce this argument Shaffer (1992:230) opins that Heart of Darkness

“invokes only to destroy the norms, values and myths of imperialist civilization”. On another

axis Heart of Darkness can be viewed as condemnation of European imperialism on the African

interior. Marlow further denounce colonial conquests when he opines that;

the conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different

complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too

much”. (pg11)

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Hence it is clear cut to view the novella as an attack of Imperialist practices in the African

interior. This critical debate on the novella makes it a complex phenomenon as there are many

interpretations to the text which vary according to the schools of thought.

3.6CONCLUDING REMARKS

The chapter commenced with discussing the politicization of representation and its implications

on the representated groups. A discussion on stereotypes and tarzanification of Africa in the

novella Heart of Darkness later followed. The chapter’s major gist was to show how the Western

projected image of Africa mainly in the literature of the empire. Of paramount significance to

note is that representation is a problematic ideology as it results in stereotypes, subjectivity,

prejudices and negativism. The chapter to follow shall account on how African discourse

represents the continent with particular attention to Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.

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Chapter Four

DECONSTRUCTIONISM AND THE POLITICS OF ENTRAPMENT IN THINGS FALL APART

4.0 Introduction

The previous chapter focused on the critique of Heart of Darkness bringing out the image of

Africa in Western discourses. The major gist of this chapter is to interrogate on how Africa

counter subverts the Western projected image of the African interior. Also of prime importance

to be discussed in the chapter is how the African discourses unconsciously confirm the asserted

conceptions of Mother Africa by the Occident and to depict on the entrapped continent.

4.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT

Achebe’s revelation in writing this African epic was to attest Blackman’s civilization from an

anthropological perspective. Things Fall Apart it acts in subverting Western fabrications of

Africa as a space of want, desolation, absence in short, a heart of darkness where anything is

confirmed as potentially to happen. Of prime importance is that the novel is a response to

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and other such works of art that defy the black race such as Cary’s

Mister Johnson and Haggard’s King Solomon Mines. The classical African epic, Things Fall

Apart it serves as an antidote to the negative images imposed by the Imperialist as it depicts the

reality of Africa and Africans. For instance, in the novel Achebe depicts an autobiographical

ethnography of Igbo society which characterized by civility and social developments. Thus

Achebe, through writing Things Fall Apart he has adopted deconstructionism criticism

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4.1.1Synopsis of the Novel

Things Fall Apart is a classical African Epic, which is set in Umuofia, centers around the

character Okonkwo who is the most respected man in the Igbo society. The novel is made up of

three parts, the first part it centers on the heroism of Okonkwo and his achievements. The second

part, it shows the tragic flaws of the main character Okonkwo and his life in exile. The final and

third part, this is when things fall apart in Umuofia, it depicts Whiteman’s permeation,

missionaries in the African interior. The major focus of the final part is Europe’s contact with

Africa and effects on indigenous Africana systems.

The major focus of the novel is to depict the autobiographical ethnography of Africans, and, also

to show the impact of European penetration to indigenous cultures.

4.2 DECONSTRUCTING THE DARK CONTINENT GEOGRAPHICAL “IMAGE”

The argument advanced in this thesis is that prior to being subjected by the western discourse,

Africans had a great civilization embedded in an agro based economy, powerful indigenous

judicial systems, traditional media systems and a religion. Prior to Roper’s and Hegelian

philosophy on the interior, Africans did have a history, culture, language and a sound

anthropology before the encounter with the occident. Things Fall Apart it depicts an African

society which was civilized before contact with Europe. The African society was a highly

centralized state governed by the ancestral body, clergy and a traditional judicial system. This is

depicted in the novel as revealed when Agbala the Oracle of the Hills, the priestess Chielo, as

part of the ancestral body, and the Egwugwu, they governed the matters concerning the state.

Achebe attempts to restore the African dignity which was lost through the imperialist who

tarzanified the black race so as to justify, legitimize colonialism in the interior. The postcolonial

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writer, Achebe endeavors to reclaim self-esteem of the Blackman. According to Achebe, the

principal obligation of an African writer is to regain self-worthy and a dignified history of

himself. Achebe asserts that

African people did not hear of culture for the first time from Europeans; that their societies were

not mindless but frequently had a philosophy of great depthand value and beauty that they had

poetry and, above all, they had dignity. It is this dignity that many African people all but lost

during the colonial period and it is this that they must now regain. The worst thing that can

happen to any people is the loss of their dignity and self-respect. The writer's duty is to help them

regain it by showing them in human terms what happened to them, what they lost. (1978:10)

From the above assertion it could be argued that Achebe seeks to counter-subvert Western

projected image and stereotypes on the continent. He is calling for erasure of Western

fabrications on the African interior thus he further opines that as a writer he will help the African

society regain belief in itself and put away complexes of the years of denigration and self-

abasement. Things Fall Apart becomes a mirror which reflects the African philosophy and

societal norms and values.

4.2.1 INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

The African society had a great philosophy which was embedded in indigenous knowledge

systems. These knowledge systems were mainly informed through folktales, proverbs and

idioms. The African society had a type of education that suited an African context that endowed

moral, norms and values of the Africana community. African education was transmitted from

generation to generation through proverbs, folktales and idioms. African education was mainly

indoctrinated with topical issues on the University of Life. Achebe depicts an African society

which was civilized as it had a special type of education through the folktale and the proverbs.

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Folktales were usually told in winter after crop harvesting, during the evening. This is depicted

in the novel as we see Ekwefi telling her daughter Enzima the tortoise and birds tale which has

the sole aim of denouncing the spirit of greed with oneself. Thus folktales played a didactic role

in that they were used to instill societal ethics and approved morals and norms to the younger

generations. Folktales are regarded as edutainment, implying that they play a twofold role, that

of educating as well as for entertainment. This is also depicted in the novel as we see Nwoye’s

mother narrating the tale on the Earth and the Sky to Nwoye. The tale shows the tension between

Sky and Earth and how Vulture as an emissary is able to convince Sky to release rainfall. There

are two fundamentals noteworthy; firstly the tale serves as a tool to depict masculine and

feminine tensions within the society as we see Okonkwo disapproving Nwoye to here feminine

stories and fight for his attention to masculine stories of war and bloodshed. Secondly, it points

to the tension between Umuofia and Mbaino as a result of the killing of Udo’s wife, Okonkwo

becomes the emissary and comes back with the lad Ikemefuna. Like Vulture, Okonkwo does not

end his mission in the expected way, the latter commits an atrocity as he cut down the head of

the boy who called him father and the former pierces the leaves with his talon and the water fell

as rain. Folktales as part of African philosophy played a crucial role in transmission of societal

ethics and norms. This tale was meant to instill discipline as well as obedience to the younger

generations. Apart from this the tale can also be taken as form of entertainment. Of significance

to note is that Africans had a philosophy which was rich and distinct. This type of indigenous

knowledge systems serves as a tool used by Achebe in reclamation of Africana heritage, culture

and a rich African history. It is noteworthy to opine that prior to Europe’s painting of Africa with

barbarism and primitivism the African society had a heritage and a befitting history as depicted

in Things Fall Apart. The African education was also informed through idioms and proverbs.

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Proverbs are regarded as a type of figurative language which is a discourse which is informative

used in the impartation of ethics, societal norms and moral values. The first proverbs are

depicted in Chapter One of the novel as Unoka asserts that; “Our elders say that the sun will

shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them.” (pg6) The

connotative meaning of the above proverb being that those who strive and work hard in life will

benefit from the fruits of their labor and sweat before those who beg and depend on the

hardworking. The proverb it denounces laziness and dependency syndrome and advocates for an

energetic, hardworking and live society. African education as informed by folklore and proverbs

it was a tool used in teaching both the younger and older generations on crucial issues in the

university of life. Achebe further employs proverbs in the chapter as revealed when the narrator

asserts that:

As the elders said, if a child washed his hands he could eat with kings. (pg6)

On a denotative level, it suggests the credit and dignity accredited to cleanliness and

responsibility. Thus it thematizes hand washing as a positive characteristic feature which one

should adopt in order to promote a hygiene environment.

It is worthy deducing the fact that the Africans were civilized prior to Western’s constructs and

stereotypes on the continent. The African philosophy is best noted in the folklore and proverbs

which functioned as banks in which the African wisdom, culture and heritage were stored and

later transmitted to the other generations.

4.2.2 USE OF VERNACULAR LANGUAGE IN THE TEXT

Achebe’s use of vernacular language it serves to refute the notions that the African man did not

have a language as been asserted by Conrad in the novella. He seeks to deconstruct the myths

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and stereotypes that were associated with the Blackman, for instance, that he did not utter a

speech but depicted as a relatively primordial being that could not have a command of speech but

could only produce mysterious sounds. Achebe’s inclusivity of Igbo texts within the narrative

serves to reclaim the lost culture and heritage of the Africana community.

Ngugi (1987) in Decolonizing the Mind postulates that language exists as culture and language

exist as communication. Suggesting that language, communication and culture respectively are

the products of each other. Achebe makes use of vernacular language to communicate the

African culture, implying that language and culture are indispensible. For instance, it is the

traditional norm of every African gathering to first great each other before the agenda for that

particular meeting. This is depicted in the novel when one of the masked spirits named Evil

Forests greeted the clan by saying;

‘Umuofia Kwenu!’shouted the leading egwugwu, pushing the air with his raffia arms. The elders

of the clan replied, Yao!

‘Umuofia Kwenu!’

‘Yaa!

‘Umuofia Kwenu!’

‘Yaa! ’ (pg65)

As exemplified from the above assertion it can be argued that the indigenous language is a tool

in which culture is put on view, in this instance it shows how the African societies make the

acquaintance of greeting each other during an important gathering. Of significance to note is that

the above salutations by the masked spirit were the traditional way used to open a judicial court

session in Umuofia. Achebe deliberately makes use function of these salutations in vernacular so

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as to depict an African society which had a rich heritage and a culture prior to Hegelian

philosophy and other Western constructs of the continent.

Another important aspect in the text is the use of indigenous names for the character. Ngugi

(1987) postulates that to speak a language is to assume a cultural identity, implying that through

Achebe’s character naming he seeks to reaffirm an African identity and refute the notion on the

animalization of the African identities by Europe. All the African characters in the text are given

names in vernacular for instance the main character Okonkwo, his wife Ekwefi and the friend

Obrieka. The vernacularisation of the text serves to attach a cultural identity and attachment to

the African geographical space to the Blackman. Hence Achebe makes function of Igbo terms so

as to depict the attachment of the black soul to the African land hence deconstructing the myths

that Africa was a virgin land inhabitated by creatures of the earth as opined by Conrad in the

novella. The naming system in the African society was of prime importance. Inherent the

Africana community salutation naming was made function as it was a strategy used to cast away

evil spirits which were on an obstacle to positivity. This is depicted in the novel through

Ekwefi’s endeavors to save her dying children by the name she gives them. Of importance to

note is that this salutation naming function as tactic to counter the cycle of giving birth to

Ogbanje children. Ekwefi named one of her girl child “Ozoemena” implying that ‘May it not

happen again’ and at last names another Onwuma-‘Death may please himself’(pg56).The

significance of salutation naming is also further depicted when Okonkwo in exile names his

daughter “Nneka”, implying that Mother is supreme, this was in honor to his matriarchal

kinsmen. Hence salutation naming was of paramount significance as it was used as way in

communicating in the African society. Ngugi (1987:15) in Decolonizing the Mind asserts that

“culture is almost indistinguishable from the language that makes possible its genesis, growth,

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banking, articulation, and indeed its transmission from one generation to the next.” Suggesting

that language is the vehicle in which culture is transmitted. Hence Achebe makes function of

Igbo terms to reflect one’s identity and reflecting the African culture.

Language is an important tool in which a culture is assumed and an identity is reflected.

Achebe’s inclusivity of vernacular in the narrative serves as deconstructionist tool used to depict

that contrary to Europe’s constructs on the African continent, the Blackman had an identity and

culture. Vernacularisation as an adopted concept by Achebe it serves as a weapon to challenge

the “Africa” of the Western world and it thus shows that Africans as human who could command

a language and deliver a speech at any given discourse.

4.2.3 INDIGENOUS MEDIA SYSTEMS

The pre-colonial African society was highly civilized; it used various ways to communicate a

certain message. Africa had indigenous ways it made function in communicating; these included

the use of instruments such as drums, iron gongs, ekwe and the flute. Kyeremeh (1998) defines

indigenous communication systems as “any form of endogenous communication system which

by virtue of its origin, form, an integration into a specific culture, serves as a channel for

messages in a way and manner that requires the utilization of the values, symbolism, institution

and ethos of the host culture through its unique qualities and attributes”. From the above

definition it can be argued that traditional communications systems are those symbols with are

culture specific used as channel to covey particular messages, these may not necessarily be

sound making but they can be in graphical form. Achebe in Things Fall Apart presents various

ways in which the pre-colonial lgbo society used to communicate a message. The Igbo society

made use of the ekwe complimented by the cannon to announce the death of an elder or of any

villager. This is depicted in the expository of Chapter thirteen when the narrator says;

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Go-di-di-go-go-di-go. It was the ekwe talking to the clan. One of the things every man learned

was the language of the hollowed out instrument. Diim! Diim! Diim! boomed the cannon at the

intervals. The first cock had not crowed, and Umuofia was still swallowed up in sleep and silence

when the ekwe began to talk and the cannon shattered the silence. Men stirred on their bamboos

and listened anxiously. (pg88)

As exemplified from the above account the ekwe played a crucial role in the conveyance of

messages in African societies, hearing the sound the villagers’ paid great attention to the

message being delivered. In this instance the “hallowing out” ekwe it was meant to announce the

death of Ezeudu, the old man who had once visited Okonkwo telling him not to intervene in the

killing of the Ikemefuna. It was not a death of an ordinary man, but a great warrior thus the firing

of the cannon sent a signal to the clan that a great man and warrior had passed away.

The drum is depicted as one of the major traditional instrument in Africana societies. It had a

dual function; the first role was that of conveying a message or signaling a particular event and

the second role being for entertainment purposes. In the text, the drum function as a messenger

of news for the death of Ezeudu, of particular to mention is that their heralded the death and

burial of this notable elder. Drums complimented by the flute were also used to signal the

presence of highly honored members of the society. This is depicted in the novel as we the drums

are beaten before the appearance of the egwugwu, the ancestral body. Therefore it is worth

deducing that Africa was highly civilized, embedded in a rich cultural heritage.

Of paramount importance to note is that traditional instruments were not only meant for message

conveyance but also played a pivotal role in the provision of entertainment to the Africana

community. The flute was a product of reeds and horns. It was a musical instrument which was

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made function at ceremonies, new yam festivals and other prominent gatherings in Umuofia

society. Unoka, Okonkwo’s father, exhibits an exemplary mastery and addiction to the flute as a

folk musician (pg 4). Of cognizance to note is that the flute is still of use as communicative and

entertainment tool in the contemporary Africana community.

Contrary to Eurocentric constructs which associated Africa with barbarity, the continent was

sophisticated in a distinctive manner. Achebe in writing the narrative Things Fall Apart wanted

to celebrate Africaness and reclaim black culture; history and heritage lost resulting from

imperialism. Achebe further put on view traditional graphology which was made function by

Pre-colonial African societies. The depiction of what Wilson in Odunlami (2006) terms

“objectifics” is one of forms media used in Africa to communicate. As opined by Odunlami

(2006) objectifics are form of media presentated in concrete forms with significance to a specific

society or may be universalized through traditional association with specific contextual

meanings. Achebe makes use of “objectifics” through use of kola nuts and an alligator pepper for

reasons especially welcoming of visitors. This is evidenced when Okonkwo’s father, Unoka

says;

‘I have kola’, he announced when he sat down, and passed the disc over to his guest.

Thank you. ‘He who brings kola brings life’. (pg5)

As exemplified from the above assertion the kola nuts were of prime importance as they were

used as a welcome gesture for visitors. Apart from kola nuts, cowries and bundles of short

brooms were other forms of objectifics as they used in the performing of marriage and other

traditional rites. This is depicted in the novel when Ezeani the priest of the earth goddess

instructs Okonkwo to bring with him hundred cowries, a hen and a cloth to appease the ancestors

after he obstructed the Week of Peace. Hence the objectifics were relatively important in the

African cultural context as they were of use in message conveyance.

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It is of chief importance to deduce the fact that Achebe through delineating a various diversity of

indigenous media systems he seeks to deconstruct the “Africa” of the Conradian perspective

which is tarzanified and associated with primeval irrationality. The image of Africa that is

constructed in Things Fall Apart is in great contrast to the one projected in Conrad’s Heart of

darkness in that he represents an Africa which was civilized which in it had a history, culture and

a language. The representation of Africa from an insider, gives a moderately authentic view than

that of the outsider who gives a biased view to his own advantage.

In deconstructing the “dark continent” metaphor Achebe puts on view the culture of the African

society. African society was a network of families; the society was patriarchal in that the male

voice had power over the female ones. Matriarchy was undermined, no women were granted

power, and they had to bow down to the dictates of patriarchy. This is depicted in the novel as

Okonkwo has tension with Ekwefi who tends to question him some of his acts. The African

patriarchy was polygamous; it found prestige and manhood in marrying many women. Polygamy

was an African custom which allows the African patriarchy to marry more than one wife; this

was meant to prove one’s manhood, secondly, it was a tool in which one could use to describe

his wealthy. As depicted in the text Okonkwo had three wives, Nwoye’s mother, Ekwefi and

Ojiugo. It can be said that Okonkwo’s popularity as great man cannot be attached to wrestling

only but it was also modeled around his polygamous nature. Hence polygamy was of

significance to the African patriarchy as it was depicted as a positive masculine trait. Under such

a custom women are subjected by their male counterparts. Achebe gives the voice to the female

only in spirit as exemplified through Chielo who is able to instruct and command patriarchy as a

spirit.

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Prior to Eurocentric conceptions on Mother Africa, Africans had a religion. The type of faith that

the Africans had was mainly informed with the ancestral spirits. The African traditional religion

was the dominant faith in the Igbo society. Individuals had personal gods known as the chi, it

was this chi god that determined one’s destiny. This is depicted through Okonkwo who believes

that his chi is ill fated such that it only spells doom to him. They also worshipped their ancestral

spirits through the oracle of the Hills and Caves Agbala. The Hills and the Caves was the shrine

in which worshippers made use of to talk with their departed fathers. They did not only worship

at the shrine but they did go consulting Agbala whenever they were in a dilemma and had social

upheavals. This is revealed in the novel as we see Unoka consulting Agbala why he had failed as

a farmer but the priestess of the time Chika tells him that hard work and wisdom is all that

determines one’s bumper harvests. Hence prior to the discourse of the colonizer Africa had a

religion which was an Africanized one which best suited an African context. They claim that the

religion that Africa had was an exemplary of a pagan religion, but however Achebe proves

otherwise as he depicts the African traditional religion which was the main faith of the blacks

during or even in the contemporary context.

4.3 MOVING OF THE OCCIDENT INTO BLACK AFRICA

Kane (1962) asserts that;

Strange dawn! The morning of the occident in Black Africa was spangled over with smiles, with

cannon shots, with shining glass beads. (pg44)

The above assertion clearly depicts that Europe’s encounter with the Blackman was a strange

dawn in that it resulted in a negative impact on the indigenous cultures and systems. European

penetration into the interior was violent in that, the Whiteman permeated into the core of the

continent and thus dissolved indigenous systems through memory replacing. Memmi asserts that

memory replacing is the process in which the colonizer destructs the indigenous systems of the

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natives and replace them with his own exotic and foreign ways. In relation to the text understudy

white missionaries such as Mr Kiaga comes in with a new faith and deems the African traditional

religion as pagan. The Whiteman came as a wolf in sheep skin in that he came in the name of

preaching the word but also had a hidden agenda. This is illustrated in the novel when the

narrator says;

……..the white man had not only brought a religion but also a government. It was said that they

had built a place of judgment in Umuofia to protect the followers of their religion (pg114)

As illustrated from the above account the occident comes with a civilizing mission through the

spread of Christianity but on another angle he makes use of Christianity to establish colonial

administrations into the African interior. Religion was one of the tools which the colonizer used

as a memory replacing tool. This is depicted in the novel as we see Nwoye the son of Okonkwo

is one of the converted followers of the new faith he rejects the religion of his father and is

known as Isaac. It can be argued that the coming of the occident resulted in things falls apart in

Umuofia. Yeats’s in his poem “The Second Coming” he asserts that;

Turning and turning in the widening gyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer

Things fall apart, the center cannot hold;

Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (1919:10)

Yeats’s poem as the preludes note to the text it for tells the destruction of Africa’s indigenous

systems and heritage as a result of European penetration into the interior. The Whiteman came

with a new form of government in the form of the District Commissioner who legitimized

colonialism into the interior. Mr Brown introduces a new school in Umuofia and he is able to get

the attention of Akunna who sends one his sons to the new school. The phrase “the falcon cannot

hear the falconer, things fall apart, the center cannot hold” they suggest that the members of the

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African society cannot echo with each other as some have followed the ways of the occident and

some are Okonkwos who believe that the Africana community should resist against European

penetration.

It is of paramount importance to deduce that Africans had a befitting sociological anthropology

which later falls apart as result of imperialism which destructed indigenous structures and

replaced it with the ways of the Westerner. Hence Achebe seeks to reclaim and restore the lost

Africana heritage which was suppressed by the age of European Imperialism. Europe after

successfully establishing its administrations in the region its associate Africa with the “Dark

Continent” metaphor to justify, legitimize colonialism in the interior. Achebe’s Things Fall

Apart as one of the founding novels of African literature seeks to deconstruct the African myths

and stereotypes attached to it by the West.

4.4 POLITICS OF ENTRAPMENT

Achebe in his endeavor to deconstruct western conceptions on Mother Africa he does face

unwarranted pitfalls of entrapment given the historical phenomenon of the otherisation of black

identities by the West. The perpetual inferiorisation of Africa by the Occident does have an

effectual impact on how Africa represents itself, as they fall prey, to Eurocentric parameters on

writing about the African continent. Therein the process of deconstruction, the postcolonial

writer unconsciously conforms to the constructed images of Africa by the West. Some schools of

thought opine that Achebe adopts a holistic approach in his representation of Africa, as he brings

in the positives and negatives of the interior. Prior to the commonly renowned interpretation, the

argument advanced in thesis is that, Achebe, unconsciously confirms to the racial stereotypesas

thus seen when he presents the African as the savage who has a terrific spirit driven by the

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society’s customs and tradition. Okonkwo who is the main character in the text he is depicted as

a blood curdling figure as revealed when the narrator says:

……..he could stand the look of blood. In Umuofia latest war he was the first to bring home a

human head. That was his fifth head; and he was not an old man yet. On great occasions such as

the funeral of a village celebrity he drank his palm-wine from his first human head. (pg9)

As exemplified from the above assertion, Achebe serves to bring in the greatness of Okonkwo as

a warrior but however he does encounter unwarranted pitfalls of entrapment in that in as much as

tries to romanticize a rich African past he also confirms with the Western set of thinking

specifically, to Conrad’s assertions in the novella. The phrase “stand the look of blood”, in an

African setting it’s a masculine trait which shows prowess of a warrior but the effect is negative

as it associated with killing and murders. In a way the Igbo society as depicted from the above

assertion it celebrates human killings, this is reinforced through Okonkwo’s use of the human

head as cup for his palm wine. Hence in the process of deconstruction, Achebe, finds himself in

wanton pitfalls of entrapment.

Achebe unconsciously conforms to Eurocentric conventions on his presentation of Africa. He

presents African identities that are mysterious and fond of negativity. The character Evil Forest,

one of the masked spirits is depicted as a mysterious being and the Umuofia villagers are said to

be fear stricken if he appears before them. This is clearly depicted when the narrator asserts that;

…………the egwugwu appeared. The women and children sent up a great shout and took to their

heels. It was instinctive. A woman fled as soon as an egwugwu came in sight. And when, as on

that day, nine of the greatest masked spirits in the clan came out together it was a terrifying

spectacle. Their leader was called Evil Forest. Smoke poured out of his head. (pg65)

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As observed above it is noteworthy to see how Achebe faces unwarranted pitfalls of entrapment

in the process of deconstruction. He tries to depict the greatness of the judicial body but at the

same time unconsciously depicts a “terrific spectacle” of the governing body of Umuofia. Hence

self-representation may not be a complete possibility, yet it is still an important goal.

The otherisation of Africa by the west has an untold negativism in that it affects how Africa

represents itself. Achebe in trying to deconstruct and demystify the “Africa” of the Western

perspective he does unconsciously depicts Africa as inferior and white as superior. This is

revealed in the text when Achebe creates African elders who are weak such that they are

manipulated by the District Commissioner. These elders under the order of the District

Commissioner they are imprisoned and their hair is shaved off. On a closer scrutiny, the Black

race is thus depicted as inferior, the act of imprisonment, suggests that the Blackman is a dog

which should be under the constant monitoring of the master cause if not it will go astray. Hence

inherent the deconstruction process Achebe unconsciously confirm to western assertions of

Africa hence resulting in entrapment.

Achebe depicts an African who is demonized, the devil himself; the aspect of the snake cult is

one of the pertinent issues which show how Achebe unknowingly confirms to the stereotype that

Africa is a dark continent associated with primeval irrationality. Generally snake cults are

associated with devilish acts and tend to create a tense atmosphere. This is articulated in the

novel when the narrator asserts that Enoch who was one of Mr Smith’s convert was a son of the

snake priest who was believed to have eaten the sacred python. From this incident depicted in the

narrative it can be argued that African discourses largely confirm the conceptions asserted by the

colonialist discourse on Mother Africa unknowingly. Of significance to note is that Enoch’s

devotion to the new faith of the Occident, it suggests Africa’s admission that it’s the Dark

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Continent, another analogy to this it implies some Blackman as Enochs have followed the

Whiteman’s faith as it is deemed superior and evil free thus confirming the stereotype of the

Blackman as the heathen tribes hence Conrad in the novella through Kurtz advocates for the

suppression of savage customs in Congo.

Okonkwo’s suicide was a fatal mistake in that it depicts that Africa is self suicidal as it destructs

its own soul. Suicide of Okonkwo to the Europeans it’s a gesture which shows the inferiority

complex of the black race, it is an admission that Africa is inferior and cannot stand against the

Occident. As part of the deconstruction narratology, Achebe’s depiction of the main character,

Okonkwo as self-suicidal is problematic in that it denotes an ill-fated society which needs a

Messiah to come redeem and sanitize the unfortunate souls whose father figure as embodied by

Okonkwo has committed an abomination.

4.5 CONCLUDING REMARKS

The chapter was based on the concept of deconstruction and entrapment. It mainly critiqued on

how Achebe deconstructs the African myths and stereotypes attached by the West. Apart from

delineating tools used by the postcolonial writer to deconstruct the African myths, the chapter

also endeavored to show how Achebe faces unwarranted pitfalls of entrapment in the process of

demystification of the asserted conceptions of Mother Africa by the West. Of relatively

importance discussed inherent the chapter is Europe’s cultural invasion and its effects upon the

indigenous local cultures.

On the whole, the chapter helped show the image of Africa in the African discourses outlining

the positives and bias associated with deconstructive narratology.

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Chapter Five

CONCLUSION: CONTRASTING IMAGES OF AFRICA IN HEART OF

DARKNESS AND THINGS FALL APART

5.0 Introduction

The previous chapter was a critical analysis to Achebe’s deconstructionist approach in Things

Fall Apart and the inherent biases associated with it. Central to this present chapter is to recall

the questions of the study and to critically evaluate the extent to which they have been answered.

Of prime importance is that the chapter serves as a conclusion to the study as it shall give a

detailed summary on the whole thesis.

The underlying thematic concern of the research was the concept of representation. The

representation of Africa in Western discourses has been problematic in that, the West is an

outsider and the “Africa” he projects is one that is associated with biases and negativism.

Representation is thus considered to be political in that those who have power otherise those they

represent hence resulting in a degree of violence and discontextualisation. The otherisation of the

representated groups triggers conflict between the so called “SELF” and the “OTHER” such that

the othered tries to deconstruct the myths and stereotypes presented by the “self” of himself.

5.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY

The question of the study being the factors why Europe projects a negative image of Africa, in

response to this question it was noted that imperialist’s negative projections of the continent

serves to justify the establishments of Anglophonic administrations in the interior. From time

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immemorial to date the image of Africa in the western discourses has been negative, no virtue or

credit is accorded to the continent. The constructed image of Africa by the West has thus resulted

in myths, stereotypes and racial prejudices. The factors contributing to “Africa” of the Western

discourses is that they want to justify and legitimize colonialism and neo colonialism in the

interior. The “Dark Continent” metaphor as reinforced in Conrad’s novella serves to justify the

occident’s claims to sanitize the continent, to redeem it from itself. Of paramount significance to

note is that the West represents Mother Africa as the virgin land so as to dominate the African

physical space as opined by Mudimbe (1988). Conrad’s representation of black identities which

are mute that is to say linguistically depraved serves to justify the west’s claims of the African as

a “zombie” an animated creature. The west does not construct these images to dominate the

African physical space only but also aim to run ancient organization of the natives, to

monopolize Africa’s wealthy and resources. This is envisaged in the novella as we see several

established trade stations within the Congo Basin by the Whiteman were ivory is the main

product on trade. Hence the image of Africa projected in Western discourses is largely

influenced by the occident’s bid to justify imperialist agendas in the interior. The other factor

contributing to negative representation is the hegemonic functions which the West attaches to

itself; it thus uses these stereotypes to elevate itself in terms human and social development. The

west’s hegemonic functions are supported by Darwinism a theory which reinforces the African

myths and stereotypes.

Question two of the study being how Africa counters Eurocentric constructs on the continent, it

was noted that African discourses in countering constructs of the West did justice as it was

significantly paramount to deconstruct the African myths and stereotypes which makes Africa

even to date to be termed “third world” instead of “first world” for it is the cradle of mankind.

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Achebe does justice in subverting the African myth and stereotypes, one of the major myths are

that of the “mute Blackman”, as in the Conradian perspective has no language and a befitting

autobiographical ethnography. Credit is given to Achebe as he does make function of

vernacularism in his text so as to show the Western world that the African was a human being

not an animated creature thus he did have a language which he could command. African

discourses representated by Chinua Achebe does well in the production of a deconstructionist

narratology, a counter discourse.

The third question guiding the study, is how unconsciously African discourses confirm the

asserted conceptions of Mother Africa by the West. In anticipating, the matter it has been noted

that in the process of deconstruction the postcolonial writer conform to the parameters or

conventions of the West unknowingly hence giving a confirmation to the asserted conception.

The research to a notable extent does evidences the bias inherent the deconstruction process

through the postcolonial writer Achebe who does face unwarranted pitfalls of entrapment in his

deconstructionist narratology given the historical phenomenon of the otherisation of Africans by

the West. Hence it relatively important to pinpoint the fact that to a notable extent the African

discourse does unwarrantingly fall into trap by proffering a confirmation to the Western

constructed image of Africa.

The fourth question guiding the research is why Africa should tell its story not the West, in

response to this it was noted that following negative constructed images of Africa by the West, it

is indeed of significance for Africa to tell its own story. African discourses play a pivotal role in

authenticating the true self and familiarizing the world on who Africa is really is. Africa should

tell its own story to deconstruct, demystify the fabrications and stereotypes of the continent by

imperial West. African discourses help in showing the African philosophy and developments

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before contact with Europe and deconstruct the notions of Africa as the ‘virgin land’ and’

primeval forest’. Deconstructionist narratology on the part of African discourses is important as

it help in claiming the authentic self, condemnation of Western hegemony, colonialism and the

valorization of African history, traditions and customs which Achebe does in Things Fall Apart.

On the whole the study set out to critically interrogate the contrasting images of Africa in the

literature of the empire and the post colonial novel. The main concern was to show that

representation of Africa in the Western discourses has been problematical due to the hegemonic

acts of Imperial Europe, which it seeks to give a sounding rationale. Apart from focusing on the

West’s representation of Africa, of key importance to the study was how Africa counter subverts

the projected image of the continent by the West. The two narratives critically analyzed in the

study, Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart respectively serves to depict the two major

contrasting images of Africa. The study was informed with two theories that complemented each

other the Negritudist and Post-Colonial theory. These theories supported the discussion as they

helped in bringing out topical issues such as the deconstructionist narratology and critiquing the

texts.

In brief, the first chapter was a historical contextualization of the study, delineating, and the

statement of the problem, rationale of the study, research objectives, and the significance of the

study. The major thrust of the chapter was to show how historically till to date the African has

been negatively represented by Imperial Europe.

Chapter two of the study presented an extended literature review which served in

contextualization of major thematic concern of the study. From an international scholarship

perspective, representation is said to be political in that those who have power otherise those who

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do not have such that it results in negative and biased images(Hall 1997) .Hence Said (1978:45)

asserts that “representation is misrepresentation of one sort or the other. African scholarship is

also on concord with international scholarship as they opine that the danger of a single story is

that it is one sided such that its presentation it may thus result in negative stereotypes and

mythifications (Chimamanda 2009). Both scholarships, western and African, are in accord with

the view that representation is a flawed system as it is narrow and biased.

The third chapter of the study critically interrogated Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Its major gist

was to account on the politics of representation, stereotyping and the tarzanification of Africa.

The chapter argued that Conrad misrepresents Africa and the Africans, fundamentals noteworthy

are that Africa is attached the ‘Dark Continent’ geographical metaphor and African identities are

animalized and zombified in the novella. Apart from noting the above facts, the chapters helped

in revealing the multifaceted nature of the novella, that is to say, the interpretations which can be

possibly attached to it.

Chapter four focused on the critical analysis of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. The major thrust of

the chapter was to deconstruct the African myths and stereotypes, thus, it was informed with

deconstructionist narratology. The narrative analyzed helped in showing African civilization

before contact with Europe. The chapter also endeavored to show how unconsciously African

discourses conform to the asserted conceptions of Mother Africa by the West. The conclusion

drawn from the Chapter is that deconstructionist narratology does contain elements of bias to

some extent.

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Chapter five was the finale to the study; its major gist was to give a comparative analysis of the

primary texts analyzed in the study. It also functioned in providing detailed summations of

chapters to the study

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS

Following, the negative representation of Africa in the Western discourses it is of prime

importance for Africa to tell its story the African way. As commonly said “no one can tell the

African story better than the African herself” hence the need for Africa to narrate the real African

experiences and stories. Self-representation may not be a total possibility but still an important

goal. Self-representation if of significance in that it does not give room for production of

stereotypes and myths.

Depolarization of identities is of paramount significance as it deals away with racial hierarchies

and binaries. Depolarization of identities serves to erase the notion of whiteness and blackness

and view all human races as equal and at par. Thus there is need to adopt the concept of

depolarization of identities in order to put an end to problems bedeviling the African continent.

Another important aspect which should be made function, is that future writers of literature of

the empire should try and neutralize the discourses or language they make use of in their

narrative in order to suit or depict Africa’s existence. Neutralization of language is an essential

component in the process of representation as this will help resolve the element of violence and

discontextualisation.

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5.3 CONCLUSION

The representation of Africa from time immemorial to date has been problematic as the west

projects Africa as the “house of hunger”, “dependent” and “pitiable”. Thus this study is of

significance as it tries to depict an authentic image of Africa through deconstructing the myths

and stereotypes. The “Africa” of the West is invalidated by the Africa presented from the point

of view of an “insider”, African discourses. The importance of the study is that it helped show

how African discourses in the deconstruction narratives gives confirmation to the myths and

stereotypes by the West which does make them face pitfalls of entrapment unconsciously. The

vitality of the study is to help literary critics and scholars on a deeper analysis on the aspects of

representation and it serves to help show how in future they will reflect the African reality,

identity as well as providing relevant advice on, for example, how to address the projected

image of Africa by the Center.

On the whole, the “Africa” of the West is another view and the Africa of Africans is another

portrait hence “CONTRASTING IMAGES OF AFRCA”.

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