Is Conrad a Racist?

Both Achebe and Firchow have strong arguments to validate their respective viewpoints. Achebe concisely argues that Marlow holds the perception that the African natives are savage, in-human, and incapable of coherent oral expression. Firchow responds that one must take into account that the word racism, and its subsequent ideas, had not even been coined as of Conrad’s publishing of the Heart of Darkness. He further elaborates that even if it were to be conceded that Conrad was to be viewed as a racist by today’s standards, he would be more “ethnocentric” than anything, as he portrays the superiority of the British over most all other cultures and not just Africans. Just look at the way he describes the Belgians, they are not painted as a much prettier picture. Personally, I think we must come to our own conclusions as to whether or not Marlow is speaking for Conrad in the first place, before arguments such as this become proper. We cannot, as readers, automatically assume that Marlow’s voice is the same as Conrad’s. In fact, the ‘racist’ voice in Heart of Darkness is twice removed from Conrad’s own voice, as Conrad is writing about an unknown narrator’s recollection of Marlow’s already “unclear” and “inconclusive” memory. Thus, while even if it is decided that Marlow is a racist, don’t be too quick to point the finger at Conrad. Additionally, Conrad goes to great lengths make the point that appearance often defies reality. There is a section on page 1915 where Marlow discusses his apprehension as a seaman to sink below the surface of anything—to discover its true meaning—“ after all, for a seaman, to scrape the bottom of the thing that’s supposed to float all the time under his care is the unpardonable sin” (Conrad, 1915). In that sense, through the use of metaphor, Conrad is further making it clear that Marlow is an unreliable narrator, at least in the context of how he views others. Therefore, and in conclusion, while we can discuss all day whether or not Marlow portrays the people in Africa as savages, or whether or not it’s the darkness and silence that account for Kurtz’s digression into barbarity, there are no conclusive answers and before you can even attempt to delve into this argument as to whether or not Conrad is a racist, you must first decide for yourself if Marlow is Conrad’s voice.