Disenfranchisement of a Culture

Achebe rejects the way in which colonial and post colonial literature represents African culture. In the literature of the time, there is a significant lack of intelligence and or sophistication being portrayed on part of the African people. Specifically in the Heart of Darkness, Africans are seen as sub-humans still in the early stages of development. Achebe's article points out sections in the Heart of Darkness that prove his objections."We were wanders on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance". Two major ideas jumped out at me when looking at this quote. First the dehumanizing characteristics that are being portrayed onto the Africans. They are being represented as subhuman or alien that had no claim to their land. The second major idea that stood out was how the landscape was being depicted. Africa was being portrayed as this dark prehistoric earth that was avoid of all the proper amenities that a civilized environment offered. It is obvious that there is a certain basis being projected on the African people. This is significant because literature and media have an impact on peoples opinion. If Africa is being portrayed as an uncivilized prehistoric land, the general populace would have no qualms with colonizing and enslaving human beings.