A Criticism of the Western "Savior"

Achebe has several objections to Heart of Darkness. The first is this idea of colonialism, one that swept over Europe in the nineteenth century. Many powerful western nations began to carve out Africa, with different countries claiming different regions as their own. The Europeans did this for several reasons, often for the riches and raw materials that they found there. But their motivation is in many ways beside the point, because the mere fact that the Europeans went into these lands and claimed them with no regard for the native people living there is the problem Achebe sees. Many modern African nations have been left in disarray, having only been freed from European control within the last 100 years.

In conjunction with this idea of colonialism, Achebe also criticizes Conrads particular brand of liberalism in which he pities the African, who he sees as “sickened” and “inefficient” when compared to himself or other white people. He sees the African as being “nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation.” He is describing what he sees as African’s overwhelming poverty, a situation that they cannot remove themselves from without the help of Europeans. This particular brand of liberalism led many Europeans who traveled to Africa to think of themselves as the saving grace of the people there, sometimes called the “white savior.” This idea is patronizing, and Achebe does not want Westerners who think they can help to come into Africa. As Achebe sees it, although perhaps their heart is in the right place, what this action does is avoid the most important and fundamental idea. To Achebe, this action “always managed to sidestep the ultimate question of equality between white people and black people.” Going into Africa on mission trips or some other form of “service” is seen by Achebe as a negative action because it does not help westerners see Africans as equal to them.

In Apocalypse Now we see the US troops almost colonizing a foreign land, much like the Europeans did in Africa. The US troops pass their judgment upon the Vietnamese people, and see them as lesser. There is a lack of sensitivity in both situations to the people whose land is being invaded, and insensitivity to cultural differences.