LITR 5734: Colonial & Postcolonial Literature

Student Midterm 2008

Erica  Shillings

23  February  2008

Preserving and Coming to Terms with Colonialism

in Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart

The version of colonialism that I was taught was how the white man savagely entered foreign countries, captured innocent natives, and took over their land.  Colonialism can be perceived in many different ways.  Instead of viewing the white man as the historic villain, the reader could perceive them as non-threatening people that simply wanted to preserve their own culture.  When reading a novel based on colonialism, a white man that enters a foreign country is instantly seen as an intruder and a threat.  In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the white men do not fill the role of an intruder but surround themselves with familiar culture and tradition.  By comparing the dialogue between both novels, a different analysis of colonialism is created through the characters and text.  I took a different approach to the perception of the white man as well as the natives.  While some moments in colonial history cannot be argued, however, they can be viewed through a different viewpoint by someone like me who is reading the material for the first time. 

In Heart of Darkness, Marlow himself contributes to colonialism by being a white man in an unfamiliar environment.  While the natives view him as a stranger in their land, Marlow comes across as innocent and displays actions that he does not necessarily want to colonize their country, but is simply preserving his own culture so that he is not consumed by what is around him.  Marlow expresses that he is horrified by what he sees in the Congo.  He makes several references toward the reader regarding the behavior of the company and the images of the natives.  Marlow witnesses other people’s behavior and actions that allow him to refrain from conforming to their ways and maintaining his European values.  Particular occurrences that take place in the Congo are ordinary scenes to the company, but Marlow makes comments in regard to these shocking scenes.  Marlow says, “‘One, with his chin propped on his knees, stared at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner: his brother phantom rested its forehead, as if overcome with a great weariness; and all about others were scattered in every pose of contorted collapse, as in some picture of a massacre or a pestilence’” (Conrad  14).    

In addition to Marlow, the company’s chief accountant is another white character that can be perceived as a man that is surrounding himself with his own culture.  Through the eyes of the natives the accountant can be viewed as an intruder, but his character is misinterpreted.  Marlow meets the accountant and reports, “‘I saw a high starched collar, white cuffs, a light alpaca jacket, snowy trousers, a clear necktie, and varnished boots.  No hat.  Hair parted, brushed, oiled, under a green-lined parasol held in a big white hand’” (Conrad  15).  The accountant is surrounded by filth and works in the building that he is not accustomed to compare to his homeland.  In order to make life bearable and suitable for his taste, the accountant continues to maintain his colonial identity through his wardrobe.  While his clothing seems unusual compared to the natives around him, the accountant is retreating back to his culture in order to uphold of level of normalcy in a land of chaos.  Marlow also notes, “‘His appearance was certainly that of a hairdresser’s dummy; but in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance’” (Conrad  15).  Even though Marlow insults the accountant’s appearance, but respects his strength to preserve his culture.

In comparison to Heart of Darkness, Okonkwo displays similar behavior in regard to his traditional culture in Things Fall Apart.  Okonkwo is a great warrior who feels threatened when the white man enters the land and brings his religion and government.  Being raised in a certain manner, Okonkwo displays actions that are perceived as savage and barbaric.  However, from his point of view, Okonkwo is following the traditions that are practiced among the people in Umuofia.  When Okonkwo kills a clansman, he is asked to leave the clan.  Achebe writes, “As soon as the day broke, a large crowd of men from Ezeudu’s quarter stormed Okonkwo’s compound, dressed in garbs of war.  They set fire to his houses, demolished his red walls, killed his animals and destroyed his barn.  It was the justice of the earth goddess, and they were merely her messengers” (Achebe  124-25).  While the village’s governing system may not resemble the white man’s law, the natives have their own way of deciding punishment.    

When the leaders of Umuofia feel that too much of the white man’s influence has entered their village, they retreat to their tradition defense.  In response to the church that the white man built in Umuofia, Okonkwo and the rest of the clan leaders burn it down.  Achebe writes, “Mr. Smith stood his ground.  But he could not save his church.  When the egwugwu went away the red-earth church which Mr. Brown had built was a pile of earth and ashes.  And for the moment the spirit of the clan was pacified” (Achebe  191).  Despite the progress that white men have made in the village, the leaders of Umuofia are doing what is in the best interest for their people.  These actions are interpreted as uncivilized and threatening to the white man, but this is how Umuofia preserves their land and traditions.  By eliminating the white man’s religion, the leaders of the clan reinforce their culture.    

In relation to Okonkwo, Mr. Brown also represents a man who wants to preserve his own culture.  Mr. Brown, while seen as harmless, is still categorized as an intruder in the village.  He does not want to cause any confrontations among the natives, but wants to maintain his own culture by teaching the Christian religion.  Achebe writes, “This growing feeling was due to Mr. Brown, the white missionary, who was very firm in restraining his flock from provoking the wrath of the clan” (Achebe  178).  Mr. Brown’s name provides further evidence that he wants to peacefully live among the villagers and share his religion.  Achebe does present a vicious event of colonialism when the white man kills the entire village of Abame.  Mr. Brown’s character counteracts the stereotypical version of the savage white man and shows that there were white men that existed to educate and not to destroy.   

In dealing with Okonkwo’s body, the village continues to follow with tradition.  When the District Commissioner asks one of the natives why they cannot take Okonkwo’s body down from the tree, a man replies, “‘It is against our custom’ said one of the men.  ‘It is an abomination for a man to take his own life.  It is an offense against the Earth, and a man who commits it will not be buried by his clansmen.  His body is evil, and only strangers may touch it.  That is why we ask your people to bring him down, because you are stranger’” (Achebe  207).  Despite all the colonial changes that have taken place within the clan, the village continues to follow their traditional customs.   

While the characters express colonialism by their actions and outer appearances, they also come to terms with their environments.  In Things Fall Apart, the people of Umuofia adapt to the change in their land as the white man shares his culture.  Marlow and the accountant, in Heart of Darkness, also become accustom to the state of their environment. 

            As previously mentioned the accountant in Heart of Darkness wears up-scale attire when coming to work.  Even though he has been in the Congo for three years, the accountant refuses to conform to the culture of the region.  While his outer appearance represents rebellion in the face of change, the accountant does come to terms with his surroundings.  Marlow reports, “‘When a truckle bed with a sick man (some invalid agent from upcountry) was put in there, he exhibited a gentle annoyance. ‘The groans of this sick person,’ he said, ‘distract my attention.  And without that it is extremely difficult to guard against clerical errors in this climate’” (Conrad  15).  In his own way the accountant accepts the change that surrounds him.  After years of living in the Congo, he acknowledges the sound of the native.  While the accountant’s main focus is his work, he becomes adjusted to his environment.             

Marlow himself becomes unnerved by what is happening in the Congo.  After an attack takes place and a helmsman is killed, Marlow is unaffected by this tragedy.  Even though Marlow refrains from expressing a large amount of outward emotion, he has been desensitized by the Congo.  Marlow says, “‘The man had rolled on his back and stared straight up at me; both his hands clutched that cane’” (Conrad  42).  While the helmsman’s dead body lies at Marlow’s feet filling his shoes with blood, he is not alarmed at the man’s death, but focused on changing his shoes.  Marlow has come to realize the nature of the Congo and the inevitable death that takes place.  When meeting the accountant early in the novel, Marlow shows more concern toward the native that is moaning in the station.  Marlow says, “‘He crossed the room gently to look at the sick man, and returning, said to me, ‘He does not hear.’  ‘What!  Dead?’ I asked, startled.  ‘No, not yet,’ he answered, with great composure’” (Conrad  16).  Conrad displays to the reader how Marlow has comes to terms with the Congo in terms of death.      

In Things Fall Apart, Mr. Brown also accepts his surroundings.  When Mr. Brown introduces school and religion to the village, he does not force his beliefs on the clan.  He realizes that the village has their ways of worship and religion, but continues to share his views in a non-threatening manner in hopes that more people will become Christians.  Mr. Brown remains persistent in his views, but also acknowledges the natives’ culture.  Achebe writes, “Whenever Mr. Brown went to that village he spent long hours with Akunna in his obi talking through an interpreter about religion.  Neither of them succeeded in converting the other but they learned more about their different beliefs” (Achebe  179).  Another aspect that the white man brings to the village is education by building a school.  Once again, Mr. Brown displays a non-violent approach to the village in hopes to recruit students.  Achebe writes, “In this way Mr. Brown learned a good deal about the religion of the clan and he came to the conclusion that a frontal attack on it would not succeed” (Achebe  181).  Mr. Brown accepts that not all natives will join his religion.

Before the appearance of the white man, the village does not know anything else.  The white man’s religion makes sense of events that have taken place in the clan where the natives did not receive any answers for the cause of it.  After the death of Ikemefuna, Nwoye looked toward the Christian faith for answers that his ancestors and gods could not provide.  He found comfort in the white man’s religion.  Achebe writes, “The hymn about brothers who sat in darkness and in fear seemed to answer a vague and persistent question that haunted his young soul–the question of the twins crying in the bush and the question of Ikemefuna who was killed” (Achebe  147).

Okonkwo’s suicide can be an interpretation of accepting colonialism.  After killing the messenger at the meeting, Okonkwo knew that he would be punished by the white man.  Okonkwo decided that rather than be killed by the white man he decided to take his own life.  Since the village will not go to war against the white man, Okonkwo kills himself because he knows that his friends will not fight for him and would be trialed under white law and sentenced to death.  Okonkwo is complying with the white man’s law because eventually that would be the village’s government.   

Being a person who is vaguely familiar with the history of other countries, I was able to conclude a different perception of colonialism through the works of Conrad and Achebe.  For years, I have found many outlets to educate myself regarding the current events happening in the rest of the world, but remained to be somewhat aware about the past.  By comparing the dialogues from these two literary texts served as a constructive learning technique.  Dr. White’s course, Colonial and Postcolonial Literature, serves as an essential resource to educate those who need to learn the background of colonialism in regard to different cultures. 

Works Cited

Achebe, Chinua.  Things Fall Apart.  New York:  Anchor Books, 1959.

Conrad, Joseph.  Heart of Darkness.  New York:  Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.