Question

Having shown us Africa in the mass, Conrad then zeros in, half a page later, on a specific example, giving us one of his rare descriptions of an African who is not just limbs or rolling eyes:

And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. He was there below me, and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat, walking on his hind legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He squinted at the steam gauge and at the water gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity—and he had filed his teeth, too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge.

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

In this passage, Achebe includes a quotation from Heart of Darkness. Why is it effective as evidence that Conrad has racist views?

It shows that Conrad saw Africans as being inferior to Europeans.
It shows that Conrad saw Africans as being superior to Europeans.
It shows how Conrad’s views evolved over time and became more biased.
It shows that Conrad believed that people of different cultures should not interact.

Answer 1

It shows that Conrad saw Africans as being inferior to Europeans.

Explanation: Achebe’s quoted passage uses dehumanizing language and similes (a “dog in a parody of breeches,” “poor devil,” “savage”) and presents the African as an awkward, comic imitation of European ways—implying inferiority rather than equality or mutual respect.