Achabe Essay

I probably should have read the essay before I read Things Fall Apart because I would have had a better appreciation for the book. I thought the book was merely just a story. Now I know that it’s much deeper than that, it is showing an African culture deeper than just a story line. I know it is historical fiction, but is any of it actually real? 

This essay also made me think about the African literature that I have read. The only book I can think of is one I read last year (I can’t think of the name) but there was a priest and the word “shantytown” was used a lot. I’m sure I’ve read a bit more than just that.

So from the African literature, or any literature, that I have read, I have found that non put Africa in a good light. It would be interesting to read something that does. I’m not sure what the novel is saying about Africa at this point. 

I also liked how Achabe talked about Africa being a foil for Europe. I hadn’t thought about this but that fact makes sense. 

Conrad’s writing shocked me. I don’t know who he is but he says terrible things about African Americans and I was definitely surprised to read the excerpts. I think it takes balls to pull in excerpts like that, so mad props to Achabe. One of my favorite lines from this essay is, “‘A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black arms’ - as though we might expect a black figure striding along on black legs to wave white arms!” That man has some humor!!! (and it also shows the racism and how Conrad felt like he had to say “black” 3 times to emphasis that it was a person of color.

My second favorite quote is, “Travellers with closed minds can tell us little except about themselves”. He then gives the example of Marco Polo. But that quote is so true. I can visit a country and tell you what I see, but I couldn’t say much more about it than that, even though I don’t have a closed mind. This was a difficult and dense read at times, but I value what Achabe had to say. I really liked how he analyzed parts of Conrad’s work to connect back to racism. Very well done.