Buchanan 1

Haebin Buchanan
Gibran Escalera
ENGL 297 A
24 February 2016

Major Paper Three ‘Proposal’

Prompt: Representation(s) of Africa

In his essay, Achebe laments that Africa serves as mere "setting and backdrop" (343) in Conrad's
novella, "reduc[ed] to the role of props for the break-up of one petty European mind" (344). How
is Africa depicted in Heart of Darkness? Pay attention to the moments in the text that describe
this setting. Close read them. How is Africa represented at various moments in the text? Do these
representations cohere into a single overarching representation? If so, describe that
representation as specifically as you can. If not, tell us how you see the representations of Africa
in the novella as inchoate, or at least as not easily resolved into a single representation.

Passage: Page 17 where Marlow discovers where the people are sent to die.

“Black shapes crouches, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunk, clinging to

the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain,

abandonment, and despair. Another on the cliff went off followed by a slight shudder of soil

under my feet. The work was going on. The work! And this was the place where some of the

helpers had withdrawn to die.

“They were dying slowly— it was clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals,

they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying

confusedly in the greenish gloom.” (Page 17)

Questions:

1. This passage is important for understanding the stereotypes of Africa and Africans that are

present in the text because there are many different aspects about the way that Marlow describes

the setting as well as the people. Regarding the people, Marlow refuses to even describe them as

actual humans. Rather, he says “black shapes,” which also presents another stereotype that all

Africans look similar. He does not give respective description to each of the beings, but instead
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he clumps them all together. Marlow does all this in his description of the people while they are

dying, which also shows that the sympathy shown for “whites” are not given in the same way

towards the natives.

2. Prior to this passage, Marlow discovers a giant hole in the ground where people are sent to die,

which leads to the chosen passage. Marlow is describing his account with the sight and he refers

to the people are “black shapes.” Not once in his description does he refer to them as actual

people or show signs of sympathy for the fact that they are all dying. However, this is not

because he is unaware of this fact. He clearly states, “They were dying slowly,” but he does not

show sadness or any other emotion that follows with death. His description seemed almost

nonchalant with a bit of disgust, or almost that the natives dying like savages is a natural thing

because they belong with the ground. “They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they

were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly

in the greenish gloom.” This particular quote shows that even when they were alive and about

with the others, they were merely enemies or criminals and now that they are in the pit dying or

dead, they are not ‘earthly.’

3. One of the first things that I noticed about this passage is the side-by-side comparison of the

natives that are at work, while the workers are dying at the place Marlow is at. “The works was

going on. The work!” It seems as if the workers that are currently working bound to die. This

foreshadowing shows the sad fate and worth of the natives. The ones who are working will

surely end up like the dying people in the hole. The second interesting thing was how he

constantly refers to them as “black shapes/shadows” rather than people. This particular word

choice shows the value/worth of these natives in the eyes of Marlow and the others. Almost

gives off the idea that they belong with the earth (death) because shadows are a part of the earth.
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They are not alive, but they are just a being that is there; a natural phenomenon. The last

interesting aspect of this passage is the imagery of the natives inside the ‘dying hole.’ They

‘cling onto the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light.’ This draws an image of

savages, or even animals on all fours, trying to shy away from the light. The description he

provides shows the natives more as animals than actual humans and I think this is an important

thing to note when deciphering the way that Marlow and the other views the natives.