4.9: Comparing the Presentation of Cultures in Literary Texts
Question 17 • TX-English II B
Read the excerpt from Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.And the intimate profundity of that look he gave me when he received his hurt remains to this day in my memory—like a claim of distant kinship affirmed in a supreme moment.Read the excerpt from "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.”It is important to note that Conrad, careful as ever with his words, is concerned not so much about "distant kinship" as about someone laying a claim on it. The black man lays a claim on the white man which is well-nigh intolerable. It is the laying of this claim which frightens and at the same time fascinates Conrad.
Answer
A
It reveals that he is using the phrase ironically to describe an unlikely relationship.
B
It shows that he thinks that Conrad is uncomfortable with the idea of African power.
C
It shows that he is trying to suggest a more profound, long-lasting, and spiritual claim than Conrad did in the novella.
D
It reveals that he is using the phrase in a more positive way to suggest that there are invisible bonds that link black and white people.
Explanation
Achebe emphasizes that the black man is “laying a claim” on the white man, and says that this claim frightens Conrad while also fascinating him. This interpretation suggests Conrad is uncomfortable with the African man’s power to demand recognition and kinship. Choice B best captures that idea; the excerpt does not mainly describe an unlikely relationship or present the bond as simply positive.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.