Achebe was acutely conscious that western views of Africa were inevitably those of a culture that assumed itself superior—materially, intellectually, even spiritually. He believed that even as original and subtle a work as Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness—a novel deeply critical of colonialism and one that Achebe admired stylistically—reflects this. For Achebe, Heart of Darkness is tainted by racist preconceptions demeaning both Africa and Africans, and celebrating a work of art that fundamentally dehumanizes people implicitly supports of those views. Achebe's argument shocked readers and has since colored all subsequent opinions of Conrad, remaining to this day a controversial text.
