Saturday, January 28, 2012

1.   Achebe titled his critique “An Image Of Africa” because he felt Joseph Conrad depicted Africa from the typical European point of view.  Meaning that Conrad was not giving an accurate of factual based view, but simply an image of what Africa was believed to be.  Achebe states that Conrad projects the image of Africa as “the other world” and as the antithesis of civilization. This rendition of tribal Africa has been accused of the “dehumanization of Africa and Africans.”
Conrad speaks of his company as “wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet.” This is quite opposite to Achebe’s perspective of the European “wanderers.” Achebe titled his critique so, because he considers Heart Of Darkness to be nothing more than “An Image Of Africa” based on biased views and racist individuals.  
  
2.        Achebe views Conrad as a somewhat romantic writer. One quote used in the critique refers to Conrad as “notoriously inaccurate in the rendering of his own history.” Achebe feels that Conrad twisted his experiences and interactions with natives into an almost fictional work, which would lead individuals into believing his point of view instead of believing what actually happened.
This idea is further supported by Achebe’s statement, “For Conrad things being in their place is of utmost importance.” Achebe elaborates on this claim by telling of the “considerable pains” Conrad went through to set up layers in his story. “An Image Of Africa” speaks of Conrad as a racist, naive, and expletive author. 


3.         Although Conrad mentions the word “kinship” while comparing Europeans and Africans, Achebe claims there was nothing of the sort. According to Achebe, the only kinship Conrad felt between Europeans and Africans was that of a primitive, savage, and uneducated former self. When addressing this relationship, Conrad states, “What thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity – like yours, ugly.”
Conrad had similar ideas concerning the kinship of Europe and Africa. Achebe feels that similar to Western beliefs, when Conrad suffered anxieties over the state of his land he had a need “for constant reassurance by comparison with Africa.” Achebe suggests that the only “kinship” Conrad felt with Africa was that of a weaker and unequal man whom he must set himself apart from. 


4.         Conrad's portrayal of light and dark can be viewed in two different ways.  One of his views  being the contrast of Europe to Africa and the other being the differences of the “civilized” white man and the “savage” black man. Conrad appears so enamored with the theme that he included it in the title. Obviously, Achebe sees the theme of good vs. evil from a very different perspective.
Conrad begins the novel by contrasting the “tranquil” Thames River to the “dark” Congo River. By referring to the Thames as the antithesis of the Congo, Conrad may be hinting at his view of the Just and good Europe to the dark and evil Africa. Conrad explains that the Thames conquered it’s darkness and is now in daylight. This description is also similar to Conrad’s opinion of Europe’s advancements. Achebe viewed these ideas as ignorant and stereotypical. 

5.         Achebe and Conrad presented completely different versions of Africa in their novels. Achebe, a Nigerian native, presented a people rich in culture, tradition, and customs. Conrad, a European traveler, presented a wild, savage, and evil rendition of Africa.
Achebe goes into great detail to explain the systems of government that the tribal Africans practiced. Conrad explains nothing but anarchy and chaos. The key piece that is present in Achebe’s story is the human element of the people. Achebe tells the fears, hopes, and aspirations of the people of Africa. Conrad simply views them as untamed beasts.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

SOPA, PIPA

2. SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is an antiipiracy bill that is currently working it's way through congress.

3. PIPA (Protect IP Act) is the companion bill to SOPA and is also working it's way through congress.

4. Websites such as Reddit,  Google, and Wikipedia fear censorship of their content. These sites share links to thousands of other websites. If the government began to regulate the content of certain sites, these popular websites would pay dearly.

5. Congressman Davis,
                             I am writing in regards to the upcoming SOPA and PIPA bills. These bills can not be passed for the simple reason that we as Americans are given the right of freedom of speech and press.  Passing this bill will cause much more uproar then bringing peace to the issue.  As a concerned citizen I am asking you to consider an alternative proposal.  Instead of passing it, revise it to better affect the individuals that are causing its birth and not so much to innocent citizens that it protects.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Africa, Achebe, and Things Fall Apart

1. This quote suggests that the individuals that won histories wars, were in fact the ones that got to write her history books.
2. There are many ways to get to the same objective.
3. He dislikes the christian idea that there is only one way.  This upsets him because Africans say that there are many different ways to do something