HOD: Same Views of Africa

While reading Heart of Darkness, one thing that I specifically picked up one was the fact that Conrad only ever described Africa as this wild, uncivilized place, and this got me thinking about how Africa is portrayed in the media even today.  When most people in America think of Africa, they may first think of safaris, or deserts, something wild and uninhabited.  That's how the media has portrayed Africa for the longest time, as a place far off that's wild and mostly not built up that is a fun destination for people to visit on vacation.  What's dangerous about this kind of view point is that then people forget about big cities that are in Africa and the people that live there.  It also deludes people into thinking that Africa is one big country that's very similar throughout its mass, which is completely false.  Africa is made up of 54 countries, each unique in their own way, with different cultures and different ways of life.  And that's not something that is always portrayed when we think or talk about Africa.  I think that this is incredibly dangerous because we take away entire cultures that have been created in these countries and instead picture these people as unfortunate or as needing help because of where they live.  And of course some people do need help, there are areas and countries that are not as fortunate as others, but the entire world is like that.  These perceived notions about Africa are incredibly dangerous and will take time to undo and change.