Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is one of the most widely recognized and acclaimed short stories written. But with fame and recognition comes controversy, as is clearly demonstrated by the book's broad interpretations. Many people believe that Heart of Darkness is racist, while others believe that the book is perfectly civil. Chinua Achebe, one of Africa's most famous novelists, firmly believes that the book is dehumanizing and racist; I agree with him, to a certain extent. Three of the most important ways in which Achebe discusses Conrad's racism are the way African people are portrayed, African culture, and the comparison between Europe and Africa. First of all, Achebe believes that Conrad dehumanizes the African people, turning them into objects rather than thinking and living human beings. He pointed out that Conrad describes Africans as “savages,” for example when Conrad says, “…and going up this river…sandbanks, swamps, forests, savages, – very little food fit for a civilized man,” it might seem that Conrad is suggesting that these “savages” are far inferior...