Things Fall Apart

I read this book in high school, but at the time I had not read Heart of Darkness, so I am excited to reread this book now that I am familiar with Conrad's novelette. It is very clear that Achebe wants to undermine Conrad's depictions of African culture. In the first few pages Achebe presents the people as culturally sophisticated, intelligent, and wise. This is a far cry from Conrad's descriptions of savage cannibals running naked through the jungle. Although he does establish them as possessing culture, African culture is very clearly different, but no less sophisticated, as European culture. This gives the novel more impact, as it does not simply capitulate to European notions of what is and what is not culture.