Achebe on Conrad

[David Morris]

>From: kevin at limits.org
>
>Not to mention that Europe seems just as mythic and unreal as Africa in
>_Heart of Darkness_.  The only place in the book that is, literally,
>anchored to reality is the boat on the Thames.
>
>However, Achebe does have a very good point.  _HoD_ may be very
>well-crafted, moving, and artistically interesting, but by Achebe's
>standards, this is not enough.  A great amount of _HoD_'s tensions are
>driven by perspective, and it is worthwhile to criticize it from
>perspectives not found in the book.

It MAY be worthwhile to criticize a book for "missing" perspectives, but I 
think the value of such would hinge on the intent of the original work.  If 
"realism" (or "relevance" or "conscience" or...) is supplanted for other 
worthy goals, does that lessen the work of art, as Achebe claims?  Of 
course, the answer lies in the values held by the critic.  If those values 
are primarily political, then from *my* perspective I see a "politically 
correct" elephant nose peeking under the tent flaps.

David Morris
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