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

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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 understand the collective battles told by men that lived through them.
Heart of Darkness is told by Marlow, a contemplative sailor. Marlow begins his journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz, a presumed prestigious leader. He is offered a job by the European government to work as a riverboat captain along the Congo River, watching over the waterways trade. Along the way, Marlow comes across many run down stations with hundreds of native slaves. The native people of the region have been forced to work, against their will, in the government bases. “The cruelty and squalor of imperial enterprise contrasts sharply with the impassive and majestic jungle that surrounds the white man’s settlements, making them appear to be tiny islands amidst a vast darkness.” (Spark, 2014) Marlow eventually arrives at the Central Station, where he meets many contemptible characters. He experiences many suspicious incidences including the sinking of his ship and hearing rumors of the infamous Kurtz. Kurtz is rumored to ...

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...Chinua. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness." Heart of
Darkness. Ed. Paul B. Armstrong. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2006. 336-349.

Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. W. W. Norton & Company: New York, 2009.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. W. W. Norton & Company: New York, 2006.

Iyasere, Solomon O. "Narrative Techniques in Things Fall Apart." Things Fall Apart. Ed.
Francis Abiola Irele. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2009. 370-385.

Prize, Williams. “Stereotypes in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart.” Merz L-SAW 201.
2010. Web. April 28, 2014. https://lsaw.lib.lehigh.edu/index.php/williams/article/view
/28/37

SparkNotes. “Heart of Darkness.” 2014 SparkNotes LLC. Web. April 26, 2014. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/ SparkNotes. “Things Fall Apart.” 2014 SparkNotes LLC. Web. April 26, 2014. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/things /

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