Modern day representation of racism of Indigenous Africans and sexism of women in "Heart of Darkness"

Essay Question: From a modern context Conrad's representation of Africans in "Heart of Darkness" may be read as racist, while his representation of women in the text may be read as sexist. Write an assessment of Conrad's representation of indigenous Africans and his representation of women from your reading of this novella. Often a modern day reader will perceive the works of an early 20th century author as being sexist and racist. This is however …

…revealed. Personally, I am inclined towards the post-colonial or racial reading of this text. I believe it is the most relevant reading as, personally, I believe racism is still an ingrained part of our culture. The status and position of women in society has greatly increased since Conrad wrote the novel, and though many steps have been taken to remove the inherent racism of our society, I believe that subconsciously many racial preconceptions still exist.