Conrad and Africa

The essay focusses on Conrad's first African story, 'An Outpost of Progress'. It begins by considering the presentation of Kayerts and Carlier, the two 'perfectly insignificant and incapable individuals', as part of Conrad's critique of 'the civilising mission'. It then argues that the true central characters in the story are Mr and Mrs Price, who successfully negotiate between the different cultures in the Congo. The chapter argues that this story is carefully grounded in the cultural diversity of Africa, not only giving the Africans a voice but recognising the range of languages and cultures, registering the numerous languages spoken and the Africans' ability to switch between them.