Question
Read the excerpt from "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.”
Marlow comes through to us not only as a witness of truth, but one holding those advanced and humane views appropriate to the English liberal tradition which required all Englishmen of decency to be deeply shocked by atrocities in Bulgaria or the Congo of King Leopold of the Belgians or wherever. . . .
The kind of liberalism espoused here by Marlow/Conrad touched all the best minds of the age in England, Europe and America. It took different forms in the minds of different people but almost always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white people and black people.
Read the passage from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough.
Which statement best explains how the attitudes toward African culture are presented in the two excerpts?
A: Conrad’s passage describes a concerned attitude, while Achebe uses evidence to critique that concern.
B: Achebe’s passage describes an indifferent attitude, while Conrad’s describes a concerned attitude.
C: Achebe's passage describes hypocritical attitudes, while Conrad's passage gives an example of that hypocrisy.
D: Conrad’s passage describes a respectful attitude, while Achebe’s describes a determined attitude.
Marlow comes through to us not only as a witness of truth, but one holding those advanced and humane views appropriate to the English liberal tradition which required all Englishmen of decency to be deeply shocked by atrocities in Bulgaria or the Congo of King Leopold of the Belgians or wherever. . . .
The kind of liberalism espoused here by Marlow/Conrad touched all the best minds of the age in England, Europe and America. It took different forms in the minds of different people but almost always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white people and black people.
Read the passage from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough.
Which statement best explains how the attitudes toward African culture are presented in the two excerpts?
A: Conrad’s passage describes a concerned attitude, while Achebe uses evidence to critique that concern.
B: Achebe’s passage describes an indifferent attitude, while Conrad’s describes a concerned attitude.
C: Achebe's passage describes hypocritical attitudes, while Conrad's passage gives an example of that hypocrisy.
D: Conrad’s passage describes a respectful attitude, while Achebe’s describes a determined attitude.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The statement that best explains how the attitudes toward African culture are presented in the two excerpts is:
**C: Achebe's passage describes hypocritical attitudes, while Conrad's passage gives an example of that hypocrisy.**
Achebe critiques Marlow's liberal attitudes and the implications that arise from them, highlighting a hypocrisy in the concern for humanity that still fails to recognize true equality. In contrast, Conrad's passage reflects a complex view that acknowledges the humanity of the African people while simultaneously engaging with stereotypes and a sense of otherness, demonstrating the nuanced and often contradictory attitudes of the time.
**C: Achebe's passage describes hypocritical attitudes, while Conrad's passage gives an example of that hypocrisy.**
Achebe critiques Marlow's liberal attitudes and the implications that arise from them, highlighting a hypocrisy in the concern for humanity that still fails to recognize true equality. In contrast, Conrad's passage reflects a complex view that acknowledges the humanity of the African people while simultaneously engaging with stereotypes and a sense of otherness, demonstrating the nuanced and often contradictory attitudes of the time.