King Leopold II of Belgium is known for being one of the most brutal racists in history. His inhumane treatment of Africans in Congo was revealed in photographs that emerged and were taken to highlight his cruel behavior towards Africans in Congo. The reason for this inhumanity was pure greed. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, while not embodying the ferocious behavior of King Leopold II, contributes to the racism of the period in other ways. For this reason, the novel can be interpreted in different ways from the point of view of racism. In my opinion, I both agree and disagree with Chinua Achebe's statements regarding Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and believe that it can be seen in some way as racist or non-racist. Conrad shows racism against Africans in many ways in his novel. “Black figures strolled listlessly… steam rose in the moonlight, the beaten negro groaned somewhere (Conrad, 30).” The clearest and most obvious example of racism is the use of the word “nigger.” It is a word that many consider extremely negative and demeaning towards Africans. Conrad uses this word many times to address Africans throughout his work. The term "nigger" has become extremely frowned upon in cultures around the world and it has become unacceptable for it to be used in people's vocabulary due to the derogatory meaning it has taken on, resulting from racism and prejudice against Africans in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. century. As Marlow, the novel's main character, encounters Africans on his journey, his racism manifests itself through his reflections on what he observes. When Conrad refers to Africans through his characters, he seems to see them as animals. “Mostly black and naked… middle of paper… they became the powerhouse they were. I'm not condoning it, and I'm saying the treatment of blacks was ok, but Conrad's novel is a work of its time, and will always be in history. Achebe stated that Conrad's work was "an offensive and deplorable book". I believe this view of Heart of Darkness is true through its dehumanizing portrayal of blacks in its novel. Conrad followed in the footsteps of infamous racist figures, King Leopold II in particular for his barbaric treatment of Africans in the Congo. Achebe also accused Conrad of being “a total racist,” which I disagree with. While I think Conrad was certainly a racist, he did not take that racism to the extremes as others, such as King Leopold II, did. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad made it clear that he was a racist, but he didn't carry out that racism to the fullest extent possible..