Question

The real question is the dehumanization of Africa and Africans which this age-long attitude has fostered and continues to foster in the world. And the question is whether a novel which celebrates this dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion of the human race, can be called a great work of art. My answer is: No, it cannot.

–“An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's
Heart of Darkness,”
Chinua Achebe

Which statement best summarizes Achebe’s perspective about Conrad’s Heart of Darkness?

Heart of Darkness should not be acclaimed because it deprives a group of people of positive human qualities.
While Conrad published a novel about the colonization of Africa, he did not unfairly portray the country and its people.
Conrad is one of many Western historians and novelists who ignore the culture and independence of the African people.
Conrad’s novella should not be considered a work of art because it tells of the horrors associated with the colonization of Africa.

Answer 1

"Heart of Darkness should not be acclaimed because it deprives a group of people of positive human qualities."

Reason: Achebe objects to Conrad's dehumanizing portrayal of Africans and says a novel that depersonalizes a people cannot be called a great work of art.