Context, representation and critique: some reflections on the selection of literary syllabi

AbstractThis article argues that curriculum planners should incorporate into literary syllabi works which challenge the ethos of contemporary liberal multicultural values. It suggests that such works are a stimulus to educational debate within an inherently cultural conflictual context. It also emphasises that since literature is a form of linguistic representation and such representation is semantically unstable, teachers can exploit ambiguity and interpretative alternatives to challenge texts that offend contemporary norms. These abstract issues are explored in a critical assessment of Achebe's negative evaluation of Conrad's Heart of Darkness to provide a concrete example of how issues in cultural studies and philosophy of language can inform and enhance classroom teaching.