Chinua Achebe’s essay, An Image of Africa, was a lecture given by Achebe at the University of Massachusetts.  He lectures to his students about Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness.  Achebe believes this book and the man to be racist, giving readers a false look at Africa and its culture.  Achebe’s essay argues against Conrad’s book and discusses the postcolonial movement has impacted Africans and all people of our world.

A first point is that Achebe considers Heart of Darkness to be racist.  The book depicts Africans in the wrong light.  Achebe states that it dehumanizes them, and gives Europeans and other outsiders the wrong view and interpretation of Africans.  Conrad uses xenophobia, which is the fear of foreigners, to describe Africans, like where he states, “But even those not blinkered, like Conrad, with xenophobia, can be astonishingly blind.” (Achebe 61)  Conrad also makes use of other derogatory terms to describe African and its people, claiming it’s the other world, or just Europe’s bargaining and trade group, like when he says, “Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar.” (Achebe 55)  Conrad also uses certain bad words in his story that are still used today.  All of these terms and descriptions are racist, and Achebe points them out in his argument.  He argues that the text should not be idolized or considered a great book.  He calls Conrad out for being racist and offensive.  These statements from Achebe support the argument that he is against Conrad, his book, and his ideas.

The postcolonial movement is the effects and impacts of European colonization and imperialism from the early 20th century, on Africa and the world after, affecting people even to this day.  The postcolonial movement criticizes European colonizers, and so does Achebe in his lecture.  He states that much of the racism that is associated with Africa comes from imperialism and colonialism.  African used to know just as Europe’s own land and colonies, not its own independent place.  This gives it a reputation of not being independent to this day, a result of colonialization.  Because of imperialism, 21st century Africa is still thought of as having a similar standard of living is that similar to what it was a century ago.  Africa does not have political power, it is oppressed by companies wanting financial gain, and over run by warlords and other leaders.  It has also led to the racism and hatred toward Africans and other people of color.  They were dehumanized before, so thoughts and attitude towards them still stay with some people today.

Achebe argues about the postcolonial movement, criticizing Europeans for their actions.  Because of the past imperialism, the western world has a certain interpretation of Africa that cannot be broken for generations to come.  The results that have come from it, for instance Conrad’s novel, only increase the racism and hatred towards Africa and its people.  The postcolonial movement works on studying the effects of colonialization and imperialism, and Achebe’s interpretation is that it is Europe’s fault.  Now it is something that Africans must cope with for generations to come.  This point argues that Achebe discusses the postcolonial movement in the favor of criticism of imperialism.

One point made about Achebe’s essay is that he is too harsh on Conrad and his story.  Achebe spends most of it bashing on Conrad, just calling him racist and such, like when Achebe declares “The point of my observations should be quite clear by now, namely that Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist.” (Achebe 63)  It is said that, by literary critics and historians, in Conrad’s favor, when the book was written there was little to no political correctness so what Conrad wrote was assumed correct and accepted.  Conrad’s views were supported by most readers because many knew nothing about Africa, or only similar, derogatory opinions.  Just because Conrad’s views may have been accepted previously when the book came out, does not mean they are now in our current culture.  Now political correctness is expected, and people are less ignorant to others and the world is more educated.  So Achebe is correct to criticize Conrad and his book.  Achebe believes that Africans were and are oppressed, and that is a result of both Conrad’s book and colonization.  

In An Image of Africa Chinua Achebe states his claim that Joseph Conrad’s famous book Heart of Darkness is both racist and untrue.  Achebe states that his interpretation of Africa is false and misinforms the public.  He also argues that the postcolonial movement has effects on both Africans and how people identify them.  He proves his point by utilizing instances facts from Conrad’s book and arguing about how colonialization directly affects and impacts our lives today.