Joseph Conrad Critical Lens

Authors use pieces of literature such as Joseph Conrad’s novel, The Heart of Darkness, the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and the satirical essay by Binyavanga Wainaina “How To Write About Africa” to show how they or other people portray Africa. Authors use different tones of voice to write: either about the same event or the same place so that their works appeal to a specific audience. Books can be written for the same audiences as well. Authors can voice their books differently to get their message across; Joseph Conrad uses his voice to tell how Africans are savages; both Chinua Achebe and Binyavaga Wainina use their voices to show how people’s views of Africa are not entirely correct. When Conrad wrote his book, not many people had been to Africa so they believed that his racist views were true. In Africa they “walk on their hind legs”(Conrad 33). Unlike dogs—humans only have two legs—they only have hind legs. Conrad chooses words that have a negative connotation. When Conrad uses hind
In Africa, people celebrate their “daughter’s uri” (Achebe 94). A uri is an engagement party. Achebe uses real life situations that readers can relate to rather than using strange words with no explanations--like Conrad. Achebes’s use of serious situations help the readers relate to the story of the Igbo people and learn more about the real Africa. Africa has “900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating” (Wainaina 92). By using sarcasm it is a way to subtly let people know what they think is wrong. Wainaina is eludes to the fact that thinking that all 900 million people in Africa are starving is ridiculous without saying it out right. This style of writing can appeal to people who want to read about a real thing but do not want it to be serious. The writings of Achebe and Wainaina let people see the real side of