Introduction
Both Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness present the outcome of the evil of colonialism in Africa. But there is a critical difference between the two as Things Fall Apart is written in response to Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Achebe, the author of Things Fall Apart, accuses Conrad to be "bloody racist" in his Heart of Darkness. It is, no doubt, a grand claim. But upon a closer inspection of Conrad's novel, it is revealed on the readers that despite condemning Belgian imperialism, Heart of Darkness shows the African nation reduced from their human stature to the savages and companions of the evil. Even the title of this novel possesses colonial bias against the African land by calling it a heart of darkness and evil.
Things Fall Apart, on the other hand, is written to heal the reputation and identity of the African people which is wounded by the narratives of European authors. The Igbo people not only have a distinct culture, religion and role of men and women, but they also lead their lives like normal human beings. But the focus of attention in Things Fall Apart is, well, demoting to the imperialistic influences which shattered their culture and life apart. Let's explore the nature of both of these works in detail:
Cultural Exposure
As far as Heart of Darkness is concerned, there is little to nothing portrayed regarding the natives of Congo that may highlight the culture of the people living in Congo other than their "unspeakable rites". The novella is notorious for its racist treatment of the natives by indirectly referring to them as being primitive and savages. Also, their language remains in the shadows of the dark as only two words are spoken by the natives which are "Mistah Kurtz - He dead. " and "Catch im Eat im" (uttered by a Cannibal). Thus, in Heart of Darkness, the Africans are portrayed devoid of expression, intelligence and vigour.
Things Fall Apart gives a much clearer and detailed picture of the life of African people, especially of the ones associated with the Igbo clan. Instead of aimlessly following orders, the African people follow the oracle of their gods. Their system of justice is operated by egwugwus. They have a special festival known as The Harvest Festival which is followed by wrestling matches, marriages, worship of their goddess of earth and cultivation. Wives live in harmony and children help their parents in completing their day-to-day tasks. Thus, this novel presents the African nation as human beings not as primitive creatures.
Kurtz vs. Okonkwo
Both of the protagonists are excessively contradictory to each other. But both of them help in explaining the meaning of the two novels. Kurtz is an agent of ivory at the central station. His uncontrollable passion of ivory makes him a voice of imperialism. He abuses his passion and exploits the native people and their property. Kurtz is highly possessive of his ivory, his intended and his river. This turns him into a demonic figure and Marlow does not hesitate to declare him "hollow at the core".
Okonkwo, the protagonist of Things Fall Apart, emerges as a true hero of the novel but not without serious flaws. Unlike Kurtz, Okonkwo is the voice of freedom as he does not hesitate to challenge his chi or his personal god. In the beginning, Okonkwo holds nothing but he earns his name, title, respect, wealth, wives and children through his own struggle. But his flaw is his stern adherence to values of manhood which is responsible for the ruthless murder of Ikemefuna. Okonkwo's biggest grief is the lack of vigour among his people to retaliate against the English missionaries and he takes his life out of the very grief. Thus, Okonkwo stands as a representative of African culture while Kurtz stands as the representative of European colonial powers.
Colonial and Post-Colonial Literature
Another difference between the two novels is the difference of the treatment of colonialism. Heart of Darkness was published at a time (1899) when Africa was suffering from the colonialism of different powers of Europe. The novella exclusively portrays the physical exploitation of the African people during the colonial era. They were chained mercilessly for the work of their master. Therefore, because of the colonial era, Heart of Darkness showcases a dismal picture of the natives. Things Fall Apart, on the contrary, was published in 1958 at a time when Africa was being made free from its colonial destruction. The novel treats African culture as a distinguishing point between "us and them". It also emphasizes how their culture was shattered apart by the colonial powers. Due to the above-mentioned traits, Things Fall Apart carries a Post-Colonial treatment of the African tragedy of colonialism.
Conclusion
Things Fall Apart compares to be a defining novel against Heart of Darkness to wash out the blot of primitiveness and savagery from African people.
