In this novella Africa is used not really as a setting but as a psychological state. The journey up the river in Heart of Darkness serves as a metaphor for a kind of regression into a more ancient, primitive state of mind- one Kurtz has succumbed to and therefore must be stopped, though in the novel, the character of Marlowe is not sent to execute him. Conrad's use of Africa in this way conveys a great deal about contemporary perceptions of Africa, which is what Achebe objects to.
The film Apocalypse now makes use of a similar device by having the war in Vietnam as a backdrop. Once again the setting serves a metaphor for the psychological state of the character, but in the case of the film, it is used to critique the insanity caused by war.
I find it quite interesting that of all places to be used as a backdrop for a story, Africa, was chosen. Labeling the land as primitive and regressive as a whole is extremely insulting. I commend Achebe for working hard to dispel dispel this negative belief about an entire continent, a belief that was regarded as true for decades. There needed to be another, more accurate, guiding light to shed insight into the injustice of Conrad's portrayal of an African nation.
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