Chinua Achebe’s “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” Response

Chinua Achebe’s essay, “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness” explores the underlying racism in Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness. To accomplish this, the author presents the argument that it has become a Western instinct to set up Africa as a foil to Europe. Because of this, the Western world remains ignorant of the intellect of African people and begins to look at them as a lower class of people. The author argues that this racism is displayed in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. He provides direct quotes from the novel itself, followed by an explanation of how he interprets it and the racism against Africa he believes it demonstrates.  However, Achebe states real problem of this novel is not its own racism, but the fact that many people fail to see the racism in it while it remains one of the most read books in the Western world. As Achebe states in a play of words, “Whatever Conrad’s problems were, you might say he is now safely dead. Quite true. Unfortunately his heart of darkness plagues us still.” To support this idea, the author provides specific examples and quotes from scholars who have analyzed the novel, though mentioned nothing of the racism it contained. However, although I respect the ideas that the author expressed (and agree with many of them), I do have an issue with one aspect of his essay. I found it surprising how frequently the author unfairly refers to the Western world as if it has a united mindset when repeatedly using phrases such as “Western psychology” and “Western desire.” As Achebe must surely know, Western civilization consists of countless belief systems and ideologies, as well as different perceptions of Africa. One may argue this fault on a poor word choice - and perhaps I would be more forgiving had he used milder words such as ‘the Western tendency to desire..’ or even ‘much of the Western world believes...” But I believe that it is unfair to lump the Western world into one group of people, all with the same mindset - especially when he himself is arguing against misinformation and ignorace. However, despite this flaw, I do still feel that the article was a valuable read. It offered insight into Achebe’s mindset when he wrote Things Fall Apart, as well as gave an atypical interpretation of Heart of Darkness. Because of this, I feel Achebe’s essay sparked two interesting lenses in which to read each novel.

The Awakening Critical Article Response

John Carlos Rowe’s “The Economics of the Body in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening” explores the role that Edna’s physical body plays in The Awakening. The author’s purpose for writing the essay is to establish that all of Edna’s awakenings in the novel are centered on her sense of her body. To accomplish this, the author explains the historical context of the novel and explores different theories of how physical labor relates to emotional health. The author argues that the males in Edna’s life dominate her body, beginning when she is only a child and her father will not allow her to work in the fields like she wants to. This patriarchal dominance continues in her marriage and with the men she is close with in her life. Edna’s awakening begins when she realizes that her body no longer belongs to her. When she is alone, her sense of her own body is indicated through touch. The novel frequently includes scenes of Edna physically touching her flesh, as if to remind herself that she is alive. Similarly, she swims in the ocean because she can sense of the wholeness of her body. Because she has never had an outlet for bodily expression, she attempts to reclaim her body through her painting and her romantic relationships. However, she is ultimately unsuccessful, because she never obtains the love that would be required to satisfy her desire. The author of the essay presents his argument very well. He provides direct quotes from the novel itself, followed by an explanation of how he interprets it and what he believes it demonstrates. He also incorporates outside ideas, such as the novel’s connections to Marxism and to the myth of Aphrodite. In doing so, the author gives a very unique interpretation of the novel. I agree with author of the essay that Edna’s body plays a critical role in her journey. She is very much a possession to her husband, and any lacks a physical outlet of expression. Even her painting is stiff and limited, as she paints nothing more than lifeless still lifes and portraits. However, the article was very different than I imagined it would be. When the first paragraph introduced the idea of Edna’s physical body, I imagined that the author would discuss the role of Edna’s body in her sexual awakening, and her discovery that she was sexual creature. Instead, the author centered his writing on the possession and dominance over Edna’s body. Also, although I respect the ideas that the author expressed, I was not fan of the way in which he presented them. I felt as though the article skipped around a lot between thoughts and was unnecessarily repetitive. I would not call it disorganized, because the author was always able to relate everything back to his main point, but I think it would have been easier to read had the author’s ideas been more concise and grouped differently. Lastly, I found it surprising how frequently the author referred to himself using the word ‘I’ because, as students, we have always been taught not to refer to ourselves in our writing. Although I believe he referred to himself in order to make the article more personal, instead it came off sounding unprofessional and weakened his overall argument. However, I do still feel that the article gave me insight into one interpretation of the novel. I am glad that I read it.   

"The Yellow Wallpaper" Analysis

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” documents the first-person narrative of a woman slowly descending into madness, as a result of her obsession with the yellow wallpaper covering her bedroom walls and the woman that she sees hidden in it. The woman behind the wallpaper is essentially a reflection the narrator. The woman that the narrator sees trapped behind the pattern in the wallpaper is “all the time trying to climb through. But nobody could climb through that pattern – it strangles so.” Similarly, the narrator is trapped inside of her own thoughts. Because her husband insists that she rests and allows her no stimulation, she very seldom receives an outlet to escape from her own mind. Both women are both prisoners of their own worlds. The pattern that traps the woman in the wallpaper is like the social pattern that is trapping the narrator. She is defenseless against the will of her husband, who very much infantilizes her and scoffs at her feelings the way one might disregard the opinion of a child. This is shown in the setting, as she spends all of her days “resting” in a nursery with barred windows. Because of this isolation, she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in the room, where she sees different patterns and shapes and can offer her some source of stimulation. Soon the narrator’s constant staring of walls makes her see a woman behind the pattern, trapped very much like herself. Because she identifies so strongely the woman, she starts to think of the wallpaper and the woman as living entities that belong to her. She becomes angry and jealous when her husband or Jennie even look at the wallpaper. Because of she develops such strong feelings, the line that distinguishes her from the woman in the wallpaper begins to fade as she begins to write as if she is the woman. It is the nail in the coffin between how the narrator and the woman in the wallpaper are similar – in the end, they are the same person.

Literary Criticism Response

Helen Killoran’s “Ethan Frome – The Murder of a Masterpiece” explores the different phases of criticism and praise that the novel Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton has received since it was first published in 1911. The author’s purpose for writing the essay is to demonstrate how the interpretation of the novel has changed over time depending on the different viewpoints from which the novel received. To accomplish this, the author explores the criticism that has accompanied each area of reception. While the earliest reviewers looked at the novel as a Greek tragedy, people have looked at it differently depending on the time period. During hard economic times such as the Great Depression, many saw it as a commentary against the viciousness of poverty. They criticized Wharton for the way she portrayed the poor and have claimed that Wharton, an upper-class woman, could not relate to the characters in the story. Throughout times when society was more concerned with religion, the critics were more concerned with the spiritual value of the novel. Some called it a sin for readers to enjoy such a painful novel while others attacked Wharton, claiming that author is responsible for the needless suffering of her characters. Others have looked at Ethan Frome as an extension of Wharton’s own life. They have seen the writing style of the novel as an expression of Edith Wharton’s relationship with Henry James and have seen the protagonist and the situations he encounters as a reflection of Wharton’s own troubles. In chronologically exploring the commentary on the novel, the author presents her argument very well. In addition to explaining each category of criticism and the viewpoint it came from, she also includes examples of how some have countered each argument. She also incorporates both positive and negative responses to the novel, as well as direct quotes from the essays she refers to and direct quotes from Edith Wharton refuting her critics. In doing so, the author of the essay gives a very wholistic view of the criticism and praise that the novel has received and how it has changed over time. I agree with author of the essay that the reception of Ethan Frome has gone through different phases of criticism. Each person who reads the novel is going to interpret it in a different way, depending on their own experiences and what they enjoy in a work of literature. Upon reading the essay, I was very surprised to learn what harsh criticism the novel has received. It was more than people just didn’t like the novel, but many were absolutely outraged by it. In the directly quoted selections that the author provided, many wrote as if they were personally offended by the novel. Today, books are mostly criticized for their sexual content and harsh language for fear of "corrupting our youth." So, it's surprising that a novel such as Ethan Frome – which I see as a cautionary tale more than anything – was criticized because, basically, it was sad. It’s amazing how words on a piece of paper can cause such uproar when put into a certain order.

Sonnet 130

Sonnet 130 reminds me very much of Billy Collin’s poem “Litany” in that they both seem to make fun of other love poems, in which a lover is compared to various objects. The first quatrain discusses what the speaker’s mistress is not. Her eyes are nothing like the sun, her lips are not as red as coral, her breats are filthy when compared to snow, and her hair is like black wires. The second quantrain continues, the colors of roses are not in her cheeks, and perfumes smell better than her breath. The third quatrain claims that music sounds better than her voice and that she treads on the ground. The couplet ends the poem with stating that despite all these things, she is as special as any woman who other poets have written about with false comparisons. Although the sonnet sounds as if the speaker is insulting his mistress, I don’t believe that that was the intention of the writer. I believe the poem should be taken sarcastically, that the speaker is more making fun of other love poems rather than declaring his own beliefs.

Sonnet 116

Sonnet 116 takes on a favorite topic amongst poets: love. In the first quatrain, the writer says that people who love each other should be together, but that love isn’t love if it ever falters. The second quatrain continues saying that love is constant and unchanging, and the third quatrain states that not even time, which destroys beauty, can destory can love. The couplet closes with the indication that if what writer says is false, he never wrote it and no man ever loved. I can’t help but feel that after 116 sonnets, the writer may be growing a little tired of encouraging the subject to have children and running out reasons why he should procreate. That’s why I think he takes on the topic of love, a different perk to having children that might appeal to the subject. By showing him the beauty of love, maybe he can convince him to find love, and then have children with her.

Sonnet 87

Sonnet 87 adornes the subject with compliments, making the speaker sound almost desperate in tone. In the first quatrain, the speaker tells the subject that he understands if he wishes to leave him, because he is so unworthy of him, and the second quatrain goes on about how undeserving the speaker is of the reader. The speaker continues his desperateness in the third quatrain, and the sonnet ends with the couplet stating that the time he has been with the subject has been like a dream. With reading this sonnet, it is apparent what a lack of self-confidence the speaker has and makes him seem pathetic. This could possibly indicate that writer was infact mocking the subject, rather than praising him. If the writer is trying to encourage the subject to have children, maybe the subject says that he is waiting for a girl who adores him in such a way as this. By writing the sonnet in this style, the writer demonstrates how silly a girl like that would sound, making the subject realize that he does not want that, and hopefully settle down with someone else.