Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad vs. Things Fall Apart...

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are two novellas written to make a statement about the struggles of early societies. Both stories stir up moments of hope, anger, disappointment, despair, and enlightenment in an attempt to inform the reader of the injustices and societal differences during the 1800’s. Heart of Darkness tells the story from a European Colonist perspective while Things Fall Apart illustrates the outlook of the African tribe member being colonized. Throughout this piece I will investigate these unique texts in hopes of revealing the symbolism behind the trying stories. I will compare and contrast the narratives and decipher the outlooks so that the reader can learn to appreciate and†¦show more content†¦Some clan members, however, do rebel and burn some of the preachers’ shelters. This results in a big meeting, both European and African. At the gathering the tribe members are told to decease from any futur e acts of destruction or rebellion. Expecting his fellow people to support him, Okonkwo kills their leader with his machete. However, when the crowd allows the other Europeans to escape, Okonkwo realizes that his clan is not willing to go to war. Soon after the murder, Okonkwo prideful character, and inability to accept defeat, results in his suicide. Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart exemplify two different perspectives of African Literature. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows the African Culture through the eyes of the ‘white man’ or colonizing Europeans. In this story the native Africans are depicted as vicious savages. â€Å"In response to Conrads stereotypical depiction of Africans, Chinua Achebe wrote Things Fall Apart through the point of view of the natives to show Africans, not as primitives, but as members of a thriving society. Things Fall Apart follows Okonkwos life as he strives for prestige in his community. When European missionaries come to Umuofia, Okonkwos clan, Okonkwo tries to protect the culture that the missionaries would destroy in the name of civilizing the natives. However his rigid mentality and violent behavior has the opposite of its intended effect, perpetuating the stereotype of the wild African in the eyes of theShow MoreRelatedHeart Of Darkness, By Joseph Conrad Essay2290 Words   |  10 PagesThe author of Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, and the author of Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, both present two stories written in completely different perspectives on the way whites and African’s view each other. These two men also lived in completely different time eras than each other, along with opposite life styles which affected their view on their writings, for Joseph Conrad lived in the late 1800’s, born in Ukraine, and Chinua Achebe in the early 1900’s, born in Nigeria. Man’s fallenRead MoreThings Fall Apart vs. Heart of Darkness Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesAfrican Colonization through Literature: Things Fall Apart Vs. Heart of Darkness History is an extraordinary mix of truth and fiction. The dichotomy that is bred from different historic al perspectives opens the eyes of those who study history to the semi-fabricated nature of much of humanities past. For most of recorded history, events have been recorded and retold through the eyes of the victors. Only recently have people had the opportunity to view both sides of issues. The Western practiceRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesglobalization, both of which can be seen as hallmarks of the opening decades of the twentieth century. This intermingling of the forces and processes that were arguably essential components 2 †¢ INTRODUCTION of two epochs we routinely set apart as centuries suggests the need for flexibility in demarcating phases of world history, and for determining beginnings and endings that accord with major shifts in political and socioeconomic circumstances and dynamics rather than standard but arbitrary