Conflict in Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Achebe's Things Fall Apart

The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad are very different from one another. While they each tell a very different story, we know that both take place in Africa and that they do have similarities. One of the similarities that each novel has is the main character struggling in both. Marlow is morally fighting a conflict. On the other hand, Okonkwo is physically trying to fight conflict. Both result in the main character losing his battle with the conflict at the end of each novel.

We learned very early on that Okonkwo is well-known for his physical capabilities. Achebe shared his history, “As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amatinze the Cat,” (3; ch.1). This not only brought him fame but also respect in his village, Umuofia. His physical traits were a great asset when Umuofia was in a war with a neighboring village. Where Okonkwo ran into his troubles, was when he could not use his fists that he so greatly depended on. Others in the village could talk problems out and find solutions, while his solution was always war and killing. We learned that his lack of speaking skills was one of the main reasons for his attitude towards resolving issues through discussion; instead, “…Okonkwo thundered and stammered,” (14; ch.2). What he lacked in words because of his stammering and stuttering, he made up for with his fists and violent actions. The only problem was that as a result, compromise seemed to be a foreign principle for Okonkwo. When the five messengers came to the marketplace at the end of the book, the head messenger barely got a short message out before Okonkwo acted violently on him. Achebe described his actions:

In a flash Okonkwo dre...

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...and beliefs. Neither wanted change, but could not prevent it. Change doesn’t have to be a bad thing, but for both it turned out to be. Okonkwo could have listened to what the colonists had to say about their religion and compromised to solve both groups’ problems. Marlow could have spread the news on what he found was taking place in Africa. Both chose not to do so and were unsuccessful as a result. Achebe and Conrad told largely different stories, but with some similarities. In both there was a lot of conflict, especially for the main characters. They were battling morally inside and physically on the outside, only to give up in the end of each novel.

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. 1st ed. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. 3-209. Print.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. 2nd ed. New York: Bantam Books, 1981. 3-

132. Print.