Comparing The Dominance Of Males In Heart Of Darkness And Things Fall Apart

Dominance of Males in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart

One approach to understanding a culture entails an investigation of its art. By studying the art of multiple cultures, recurrent themes may help to define universal attributes of human nature. With this premise in mind, an obvious corollary suggests that the few similarities between highly disparate cultures may be particularly exemplary of humankind. Cultural differences become readily apparent when a technologically advanced society subdues one that is less advanced, such as what occurred during the European colonization of Africa. Joseph Conrad's famous novella Heart of Darkness deals with this

While a mere glance at these works reveals the overwhelming contrast between European and African cultures, a more observant eye might note a consistency in male attitudes with regard to females. The European and African cultures of Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Achebe's Things Fall Apart denote most women as inferior to men and ascribe mythical qualities to the few exceptions, suggesting that men instinctively control women but figuratively empower those they cannot dominate. Heart of Darkness illustrates how European men feel that they must protect women by condescending to their rose-tinted notions of life. Likewise, the men of Things Fall Apart also look down upon women as subservient creatures vulnerable to their own ignorance. Beyond that, both stories feature ominously uncontrollable women. These sorceress-like women impress and intimidate men with their mysticism, causing men to perpetuate their grandeur so that they become personified deities.

Under the circumstances that men regard women as either inferior

When she abducts one of Okonkwo's daughters, he is entirely powerless to stop her. In fact, when his panic-ridden wife makes a gesture of interfering with the abduction, Okonkwo is prepared to kill her with his machete. Based upon this example, one may argue that Chielo exhibits mystical behavior to escape the brutal control of the men in her village. By stating that she performs her god's will, the village designates her as having divine qualities and she ascends beyond the grasp of other villagers. By eluding the control of others while acting as a sorceress, Chielo further elucidates how men attribute divine qualities to women they cannot control.

Through the contrast of art from two distinct cultures, one may surmise that themes appearing in both cultures illustrate an inherent characteristic of humankind. As the European culture of Heart of Darkness was not significantly altered by the African culture it subdued, one may safely compare it to the non-subdued African culture of Things Fall Apart. While both stories occur relatively during the same time, the