Final answer:
Marlow's feelings witnessing the howl and dance of the tribesmen in 'Heart of Darkness' are ambiguous but suggest an uncomfortable mix of intrigue and revulsion, reflective of the European view of Africa as 'other.' The novella is criticized for dehumanization and racism by Chinua Achebe, who sees it as diminishing African humanity to serve European narrative purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Marlow in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness hears the tribesmen howl and watches them dance, he feels a complex mixture of emotions. It is not explicitly detailed in the text how Marlow feels at this exact moment, but Conrad's portrayal throughout the novel suggests that Marlow witnesses these events with a mix of fascination, fear, and a profound sense of otherness. Marlow is both drawn to and repulsed by the raw and primal aspects of the African wilderness, and by extension, its inhabitants, which is a reflection of the European attitudes towards Africa at the time. Conrad’s exploration in Heart of Darkness is often criticized for perpetuating racism and Eurocentrism, most notably by Chinua Achebe, who argues that the novella dehumanizes Africans and reduces their humanity to illustrate European problems.
Joseph Conrad's own ambivalence or critique toward European colonialism does not fully absolve the novella from these criticisms, as the text still paints Africa as a symbol of primitiveness and chaos, in stark contrast to Europe’s self-ascribed rationality and order. Ultimately, Marlow’s reaction to the tribesmen can be seen as a portrayal that aligns with the troubling perspectives of colonialism and Eurocentrism that Achebe and others have highlighted.