Authors often write not just to tell a story, but to communicate personal ideas and opinions to readers. Even the most personal beliefs can be read through the biases used by the author, often the product of society or race. In the short story Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows his opinions through the attitudes and actions of his main characters Marlow and Mr. Kurtz. Similarly, Chinua Achebe shows his personal beliefs through the character Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. Both authors, intentionally or unintentionally, show their opinions on the relationships between native Africans and European settlers in the Victorian era, and on the races themselves. Conrad's main character, Marlow, is the narrator of most of the story in Heart of Darkness. He is presented as a well-intentioned person and during his travels he is shocked by the cruelties he sees inflicted on the natives. Although seemingly benevolent and kind, Marlow displays the racism and ignorance of Conrad and, indeed, the majority of whites of his era, in a more subtle way. Marlow uses words to describe blacks that, although generally accepted in his day, were slanderous and uncouth. He recalls that some of the first natives he saw in the Congo looked at him “with that complete, deadly indifference of unhappy savages” (80; part 1). Marlow casually refers to Africans with the most offensive language: "Lines of dusty negroes came and went..." (83; part 1). For Marlow, and therefore for Conrad, Africans are savages, dogs, devils and criminals. Even the stories that Conrad creates for Marlow to tell are twisted and false. The natives Marlow deals with in the book are described as cannibals, and are also given dialogue stating that... middle of paper... reconsidered and distorted assumptions that Heart of Darkness perpetuates. Written at different times and through different perspectives, Heart of Darkness and Things Fall Apart present completely opposite visions of Victorian-era colonization. Marlow and Kurtz show the racism of white Europeans through ignorance and cruelty. Okonkwo exemplifies the anger and pain that Africans felt at the destruction of their homes and customs. Both authors had personal biases and specific motivations when writing their works; although novels can be independently educational, it is only through the study of both these and other perspectives that clear conclusions can be drawn. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things fall apart. First edition by Anchor Books. New York, NY: Random House, Inc., 1959. Print.Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York, NY: Penguin Group, 1910. Print.