--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What was missing in all of them, he…" description: "\"“What was missing in all of them, he thought, was a recognition of Africans as people with projects—lives they were leading, aspirations they were stri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/chinua-achebe-781_africans_what-was-missing-in-all-of-them-he-thoug_1865080.jpg" --- # What was missing in all of them, he thought, was a… ![“What was missing in all of them, he thought, was a recognition of Africans as people with projects—lives they were leading, aspirations they were striving for—and a rich existing culture, exemplified in the proverbs and the religious traditions that are threaded through these novels. He was…” quote by Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/chinua-achebe-781_africans_what-was-missing-in-all-of-them-he-thoug_1865080.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/chinua-achebe-781_africans_what-was-missing-in-all-of-them-he-thoug_1865080.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/945/chinua-achebe-781_africans_what-was-missing-in-all-of-them-he-thoug_1865080.jpg) > ““What was missing in all of them, he thought, was a recognition of Africans as people with projects—lives they were leading, aspirations they were striving for—and a rich existing culture, exemplified in the proverbs and the religious traditions that are threaded through these novels. He was writing, as he often said, against the Africa of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.”” [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Achebe argues that literature must portray Africans as active agents with aspirations and cultural depth, countering dehumanizing narratives like Conrad’s. **In simple terms:** Literature should show Africans as real people with goals and culture. Key Takeaway Write stories that give Africans full humanity. Themes literature representation colonialism culture identity Mood critical hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - novel writing - teaching African literature - media criticism Key Concepts postcolonial theory narrative agency cultural authenticity Questions to Reflect On - What stories challenge stereotypes? - How can writers amplify African voices? A Different Perspective It may overlook individual diversity within African societies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Africans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africans/) [Africans People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/africans-people-2536591/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Heart of darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-of-darkness/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joseph-conrad/) [Proverbs Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proverbs-religious-2536592/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Recognition Africans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition-africans-2536590/) ## Related quotes > [When most people in the West think about Africa, is their first thought about the game reserves and who's chasing gazelles, or are they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djimon-hounsou/when-most-people-in-the-west-think-about-africa-is-their-first/) [Djimon Hounsou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djimon-hounsou/) > [“It was several decades later that I encountered that footnote, and with it my own ignorance of the Congo’s early history. 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That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/joseph-conrad-was-a-thoroughgoing-racist-that-this-simple-truth-is/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When I think of the standing, the importance and the erudition of all these people who see nothing about racism in Heart of Darkness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-i-think-of-the-standing-the-importance-and-the-erudition-of-all/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [The last four or five hundred years of European contact with Africa produced a body of literature that presented Africa in a very bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/the-last-four-or-five-hundred-years-of-european-contact-with-africa/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [With 'Nostromo', Joseph Conrad said that he had wanted to write a novel about the degradation of an idea. That's what we wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-milch/with-nostromo-joseph-conrad-said-that-he-had-wanted-to-write-a-novel/) [David Milch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-milch/) > [The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roald-dahl/the-books-transported-her-into-new-worlds-and-introduced-her-to/) [Roald Dahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roald-dahl/) > [Expeditions can greatly contribute towards building strength of character. Joseph Conrad in Lord Jim tells us that it is necessary for a youth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-hahn/expeditions-can-greatly-contribute-towards-building-strength-of/) [Kurt Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-hahn/) > [For me a Writing Day was an occasion for self-reproach and panic, a time to lament the passing of the years, stare out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/for-me-a-writing-day-was-an-occasion-for-self-reproach-and-panic-a/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [I just gave them a little scare. A touch of psychological terror. As Joseph Conrad once wrote, true terror is the kind that men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-just-gave-them-a-little-scare-a-touch-of-psychological-terror-as/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More by Chinua Achebe > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Do not despair. I know you will not despair. You have a manly and a proud heart. A proud heart can survive a general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/do-not-despair-i-know-you-will-not-despair-you-have-a-manly-and-a/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [My son even if you want to fall, at least fall where your bones can be gathered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/my-son-even-if-you-want-to-fall-at-least-fall-where-your-bones-can-be/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“And so Mr. Brown came to be respected even by the clan, because he trod softly on its faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/and-so-mr-brown-came-to-be-respected-even-by-the-clan-because-he-trod/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others is also making it for himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-have-learned-that-a-man-who-makes-trouble-for-others-is-also-making/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [In fact, I thought that Christianity was very a good and a very valuable thing for us. But after a while, I began to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-fact-i-thought-that-christianity-was-very-a-good-and-a-very/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I find Nigeria very frustrating. I am not alone in this. There are many Nigerians abroad. As you know, the brain drain is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-find-nigeria-very-frustrating-i-am-not-alone-in-this-there-are-many/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I do not actually see how art, literature can be anything other that being in that domain of trying to tell us, trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/i-do-not-actually-see-how-art-literature-can-be-anything-other-that/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Democracy is not something you put away for ten years, and then in the 11th year you wake up and start practicing again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/democracy-is-not-something-you-put-away-for-ten-years-and-then-in-the/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When there is a big tree small ones climb on its back to reach the sun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-there-is-a-big-tree-small-ones-climb-on-its-back-to-reach-the-sun/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [When I began going to school and learned to read, I encountered stories of other people and other lands. In one of my essays,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/when-i-began-going-to-school-and-learned-to-read-i-encountered/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane. H. P. LOVECRAFT, attributed, Telling It Like It Is Dancing is very important nowadays.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/almost-nobody-dances-sober-unless-they-happen-to-be-insane-h-p/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [This is why I find racism impossible, because this is against humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/this-is-why-i-find-racism-impossible-because-this-is-against-humanity/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [“Then listen to me,' he said and cleared his throat. 'It's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/then-listen-to-me-he-said-and-cleared-his-throat-it-s-true-that-a/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [What you must accept is that your life is not going to be the same while you are writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/what-you-must-accept-is-that-your-life-is-not-going-to-be-the-same/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) [Explore all 368 Chinua Achebe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) ## More Africans quotes > [“Acknowledging that my skin was, in fact, Cocoa as it is, would have destroyed their narrative about who I really was. Therefore they had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitta-xinindlu/acknowledging-that-my-skin-was-in-fact-cocoa-as-it-is-would-have/) [Mitta Xinindlu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitta-xinindlu/) > [Africa for the Africans... at home and abroad!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-garvey/africa-for-the-africans-at-home-and-abroad/) [Marcus Garvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-garvey/) > [Tourists who go to Africa have more of a traditional experience than Africans do. A tourist goes on safari; Africans don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/tourists-who-go-to-africa-have-more-of-a-traditional-experience-than/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [“Alexa, and the other guests, and perhaps even Georgina, all understood the fleeing from war, from the kind of poverty that crushed human souls,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/alexa-and-the-other-guests-and-perhaps-even-georgina-all-understood/) [Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/) > [As Africans, we need to share common recognition that all of us stand to lose if we fail to transform our continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thabo-mbeki/as-africans-we-need-to-share-common-recognition-that-all-of-us-stand/) [Thabo Mbeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thabo-mbeki/) > [Cuba forces in Angola gave a real shot in the arm to the liberation movements, and it also was a lesson to the white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/cuba-forces-in-angola-gave-a-real-shot-in-the-arm-to-the-liberation/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Africa doesn't look like it's changed that much to me since I first went in '94. 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Africans comprise the vast majority of peacekeepers in civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prendergast/africans-are-on-the-front-lines-of-humanitarian-efforts-distributing/) [John Prendergast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prendergast/) > [Africans sensed in their hearts that Jesus did not mock their respect for the sacred or their clamor for an invincible Savior, so they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamin-sanneh/africans-sensed-in-their-hearts-that-jesus-did-not-mock-their-respect/) [Lamin Sanneh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamin-sanneh/) > [To a lot of Africans, seeing an animal is a something of a rarity. So it's a paradox of this sort of parallel life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/to-a-lot-of-africans-seeing-an-animal-is-a-something-of-a-rarity-so/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [Africans believe in something that is difficult to render in English. We call it ubuntu, botho. 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