This is the first of many racist comments that take place throughout the book. The sheer volume of comments made in regards to race in the entire book is enough proof to answer the question of, is the book racist or about racism? I argue that the book is not racist, but instead that it is realist. I also argue that the public finds this book so controversial because Conrad is giving us a fairly accurate portrayal of how cruel humans can be. I believe that the book is racist because he also writes in regards to the wrongs of colonialism. His statements that some view as racist are merely observations of an unbalanced social hierarchy. You can tell this also because of the fact that he remains very neutral in all controversial comments.