The question of whether or not to include the Heart of Darkness in the AP Language and Composition curriculum is highly debatable. It is a horror story of imperialism and Western colonialism that is depicted as an event that tarnishes the lands and people the West exploits. That being so, Heart of Darkness should not be used since it promotes imperialism and racism. The idea that Heart of Darkness is essentially a book about Africa's exploitation alone makes it a highly controversial book to feature in educational programs. The curriculum is a critical course in higher learning, where students read, analyze, and write texts to cultivate an understanding of writing and rhetorical arguments (Ballard, 2019). As such, Heart of Darkness is irrelevant to the program.
Although popular in English literature, Heart of Darkness has not been spared by critics. Critics who understand the horrific implications of colonialism and slavery rebuke the tale for how it represents the dehumanizing experiences of the colonized people and how it treats women dismissively. A notable critic of the book is Chinua Achebe (2016), a world’s renowned and revered authors who condemned the book for its depiction of European racism.
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Accepting the book in the academic field promotes the ideas of the savageries of colonialism. It will also serve as a mock for people trying to overcome the darkness of the phenomenon (Firchow, 2015). The Heart of Darkness is not good enough to feature in English studies despite being a prominent literature piece. It is more of a historical book that recounts colonialism than it is a piece of English literature. Two of its central themes that depict Africa's dehumanization and the mistreatment of women have sparked debates around the world. Post-colonial analysts and feminists are particularly not okay with the massive attention the book is gaining in the academic field. Millions of books can be used in place of the Heart of Darkness for the curriculum.
References
Achebe, C. (2016). An image of Africa: racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness. The Massachusetts Review , 57 (1), 14-27.
Ballard, J. (2019). AP English Language and Composition Teachers’ Perceptions and Beliefs Concerning Preparation for Teaching Rhetoric and Composition (Doctoral dissertation, Valdosta State University).
Firchow, P. E. (2015). Envisioning Africa: Racism and Imperialism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness . University Press of Kentucky.
