Critic speak is tough, but we've got you covered.
Quote :"An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness"
Africa as setting and backdrop which eliminates the African as human factor. Africa as a metaphysical battlefield devoid of all recognizable humanity, into which the wandering European enters at his peril. Can nobody see the preposterous and perverse arrogance in thus reducing Africa to the role of props for the break-up of one petty European mind? But that is not even the point. The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster in the world. And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot.
We're pretty sure you probably don't need us to translate this one. Achebe's not exactly holding back his feelings and thoughts on Conrad's novella and his "'racism"' (a word Achebe uses more than once to describe Conrad).
We'll just point out that—yeah—it's probably not all that respectful to Africans for Conrad to turn a large diverse place like Africa and its people into props for some white dude's story of mental breakdown. Looking to love Conrad? Not if Achebe has a say.
Even before Said (this essay's from 1975), Achebe showed the world how postcolonial lit crit could sound: clear and biting (take that, Bhabha!). Poco theory today doesn't have the same clarity as Achebe's writing, and possibly not even his original fighting spirit. Case in point: you probably won't hear anyone just say that some work is "'racist"' (these days, that just may be too "'reductive."')
That's why Achebe's essay is so key. It doesn't seek to pander; it seeks a villain and finds it in Conrad. Agree or disagree with him: at least you know where he stands and what he thinks postcolonial studies should do.