Read the excerpt from "An Image of Africa: Racism in Based on these excerpts, which statement best Conrad's Heart of Darkness."
explains how Conrad uses language in Heart of
Darkness?
It is clearly not part of Conrad's purpose to confer
language on the "rudimentary souls" of Africa. In place
• Conrad wrongly portrays Africans as having
of speech they made "a violent babble of uncouth
undeveloped language skills.
sounds." They "exchanged short grunting phrases" N
O Conrad shows his belief that Africans are not
even among themselves. But most of the time they
capable of speaking English,
were too busy with their frenzy.
O Conrad has cannibals speak English to reveal his
Read the excerpt from Joseph Conrad's Heart of
own dark behaviors.
Darkness
O Conrad has Africans speak English to emphasize
"Catch 'im," he snapped with a bloodshot widening of their willingness to learn.
his eyes and a flash of sharp white
teeth—"catch 'im. Give 'im to us." "To you, eh?" I asked:
"what would you do with them?"
"Eat 'im!" he said curtly.