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All of them not only acknowledge Achebe’s charges but do so by historicizing the novella, providing the multiple contexts in which those arguments might be better or differently understood. D. C. R. A. Goonetilleke’s Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is part of the Routledge Guides to Literature series, and is aimed at those beginning “detailed study” of the novella, outlining the range of responses and critical opinions the novella has occasioned over the years. To this end, the book assembles an array of contexts in order to understand the novella’s cruxes and controversies, both the cultural and historical, as well as the biographical, literary and intellectual. The treatment of these contexts is broader than in Armstrong’s casebook, but of necessity more abbreviated. The book’s argumentative edge is on view from the first pages in which Goonetilleke argues against those who position Conrad as Euro-centric, racist, and/or imperialist and does so by contextualizing the work in ways generally familiar to readers of casebooks such as Armstrong’s and of much current scholarship. However, Goonetilleke’s use of the biographical context provides a somewhat novel view of a writer who was not simply “homo duplex” but an unusually complex individual, shaped by his Polish past, his travels with the French Mercantile Service and then with the British Merchant Service, the literatures of Poland, France, and England, as well as his years as an English writer living on England’s south coast. Goonetilleke argues that we need to consider more closely how Conrad’s years at sea brought him into contact with non-European cultures of the various countries the merchant services took him to, with peoples of the West Indies, South-East Asia, Australia, and Africa. Unlike other modernists, such as Woolf and Joyce, who never travelled outside of Europe, Conrad, Goonetilleke emphasizes, was a migrant writer who came to his subject in 1899 with more nuanced and informed thoughts about non-Europeans than most of his contemporaries. I am intrigued by this view but also a bit sceptical since most writers on the subject aver that Captain Korzeniowski most likely confined his exploration of those foreign lands his years as sailor, mate, and master took him to, to the European-dominated ports in which his ships weighed anchor. But this is a fresh view, one that should be seriously considered. In the second section, “Critical History,” Goonetilleke summarizes and comments upon the novella’s reception in six sections: the initial reviews, the period of 1930 1959 and the novella’s general rise, the period dominated by politics, philosophy and ethics from 1960 the 1970s, the decades of the 1970s and 1980s that he entitles “Beyond formalism,” and a final section on “Post-colonial criticism” that he divides into early and more recent. This breakdown and the major contributors to and general observations about the nature of each period could serve the student/scholar embarking on a more formal reception study of the novella. This guide is in conversation with major commentators on the novel: Edward Said, JanMohamed, V. S. Naipaul, and Chinua Achebe, and he does so quite directly, using contextual evidence to refute or, at least, complicate — many of their assertions about Conrad’s racism and imperialism. He discusses the cultural context of Social Darwinism and its attendant racism which, he demonstrates, “Heart of Darkness” opposes. He argues that, unlike most of the adventure and travel writing of the day, in his fiction “Conrad breaks with nineteenth-century stereotypes of unrestrained savagery” (20) and locates the darkness in Europe rather than in Africa. He provides cogent external evidence that supports the many indictments of imperialism he locates in the work, among which was Conrad’s role in the Congo Reform movement (13). Indeed, Goonetilleke quotes E. D. Morel who headed up the Congo Reform Association as saying that “Heart of Darkness” itself was “the most powerful thing ever written on the subject” (14). More surprisingly than his countering of some postcolonial views, Goonetilleke even takes on Conrad himself and asserts that the chief character in the story is Kurtz, not Marlow, even though Conrad had written that the story should be seen as “something quite on another plane than an anecdote of a man who went mad in the Centre of Africa” (CL 2: 360). While Goonetilleke goes on to write with great insight about Kurtz and about what we learn about him, albeit indirectly through Marlow, I have never been sure what is to be gained by proving that Kurtz is more important than Marlow or vice versa. They seem to me inextricable, the narrated and the narrator who both come into being through Marlow’s telling. However, Goonetilleke argues his point well that “Kurtz was no innocent who simply became a victim of Africa” but an extraordinarily gifted European who acts opportunistically and barbarously. In any case, he insists throughout on the separability of Marlow and Conrad. Part of Conrad’s irony, he argues, is in his depiction of Marlow as something of a chauvinist and misogynist. In response to those who have accused Conrad of sexism, Goonetillike argues that actually many of Conrad’s female characters are strong individuals and, in the case of Marlow’s aunt, have more social power than the men (43). He goes on to make use of current work on Conrad from a feminist and gender theoretical view, that of Johanna M. Smith and Nina Pelikan Straus in particular (63), and in his third section, “Critical Readings,” Ruth Nadelhaft’s feminist perspective is included along with other seminal recent essays that represent a range of theoretical perspectives. The fourth section, “Adaptations,” lists various versions of the novella, particularly and at some length the film Apocalypse Now. The fifth section, “Further Reading and Web Resources,” will serve students and interested readers well for it not only contains an up to date selected bibliography of critical print sources on the novella, as well as on his life, but also a useful list of web resources. Matara Wanshaya: Heroes of MataraThe chronicle, Matara Wanshaya which records and analyses the role played by the people of Matara in the annals of history will be launched ceremonially and presented today to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the National Literary Arts Festival which is now being held at Narandeniya MMV, Kamburupitiya, Matara. Matara Wansaya has been enriched with articles written by intellectuals born in the Matara region as well as those reputed in the academic world. The topics range from literature to painting, which from the cultural heritage of the Matara region. In short, it is a unique work of research on the cultural heritage of the population who have lived on the banks of Nilwala.
Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena mooted the project to mark the occasion of national significance the annual Literary and Arts Festival to be held in Kamburupitiya, Matara. This move by the Minister is a clear departure from the tradition of publishing an anthology of articles on literature to mark such a significant occasion. Matara region (ancient Ruhuna), had been the cradle of the national resurgence where heroes organized struggles whenever the sovereignty and the integrity of the country was threatened by foreign invaders. Magama Kingdom, a part of ancient Matara had been the launching pad of the struggle to defeat the foreign aggressors. After 1505, too when the Western powers invaded the island and formed their administration, it was the educated elite of Matara who initiated the bold step of the anti Portuguese and anti Dutch freedom struggle in the coastal areas of the island. This struggle, however, was based on education and literature which laid the foundation for the cultural revival and the political struggle. This resurgent movement helped build a national identity which is a sine qua non of awakening of a nation, oppressed for centuries by alien aggression. The esteemed oriental seats of learning which produced tens of thousands of scholars, Vidyodaya and Vidyalankare Pirivena and their parent institution, Paramadhamma Chethiya Pirivena, Ratmalana were established by the renowned Maha Sangha who hailed from Matara, precisely the Weheragampita Raja Maha Viharaya, Matara where legendary Ven. Karakota Dhammarama Nayaka Thera lived. Looking back, we notice that the Sinhala literature began to decline, with the fall of the Kotte kingdom due to the Portuguese invasion and their political manoeuvres that sowed the seeds of discord among the Sinhalese royalty. Meanwhile, the instructions of Arittaka Wendu to the King contributed to the decline of the Sitawaka Kingdom. During this period, many religious scholars fled to the hill country seeking refuge and others to Matara, where there were educational institutions of high repute. The migrants from Kotte and Sitawaka Kingdoms collaborated with the educated elite of the Matara region to awaken the nation through a cultural revival, which paved the way for the English - speaking nous-riche resident in Colombo to initiate the movement for constitutional reforms. This scholarly, work is aptly titled Matara Wansaya because the term Wansaya meaning Chronicle denotes a continuous record of events of social, political and cultural significance which changed the course of history. Of course, Sinhalese literature is noted for chronicles such as Maha Vamsa, Chula Vamsa and Deepa Wansaya which glorify the reigns of Kings and Queens and their feats. Their authors highlighted the feats of their favourite rulers and ignored the setbacks and failures. The royal dynasties and even their petty quarrels were highlighted. They are, of course, valuable sources of history for students of history who may benefit from its wealth of information of the achievements of the royal dynasties giant irrigation works like tanks, dagoba and sculpture which speak volumes of the genius of the common man as well. In addition to above mentioned chronicles there are also Dhatu Wanshaya, Bodhi Wanshaya and Thupa Wanshaya which describe in detail, the history of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Sri Maha Bodhi and the greatest stupa, Ruwanweli Seya and the rituals conducted in elaborate detail. In modern times, several chronicles have enriched the Sinhalese literature namely, Mahaweli Wanshaya, which describes the ancient civilisation of the ‘people living on the Mahaweli valley and the aspects of the new culture. Further the Uva Wanshaya and Sabaragamu Wansaya were chronicles that describe the history of provinces which enriched the Sinhalese literature. Moreover, there are two books on Matale and Gampola districts too but they have not been titled as Wansaya. Matara Wansaya consisting of two volumes are an anthology of articles by renowned scholars on the social, political and cultural aspects of the Matara region. The book is the result of the labour of forty scholars including professors and lecturers of universities. At the outset they were invited to a meeting in which they formulated a plan to produce a unique chronicle of lasting value. For example, the topic ‘history of Matara’ dealt with by eight authors, each of whom was entrusted with eight topics per history, identity and traditions of Ruhuna, the stamp of Matara in the Sinhala culture inscriptions found in Matara, especially Panakaduwa copper plate. The period from the Naga tribal settlement to 1500 A.D., the period from 1500-1948, 1931-2005 election history, the Morawaka Korale, William Graville report (1813) and the information of Matara derived from literary works.There are 16 chapters with 81 articles dealing with topics written by 85 esteemed scholars. There are 1134 pages in the two volumes.Matara Wansaya was compiled and edited by a Board of Editors, Sugath Watagedera, a prominent journalist too served as an editor, The Board of Advisors consisted of the Chancellor University of Ruhuna, Ven. Attuduwe Siri Rahula Maha Nayaka Thera, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ruhuna, Professor Gamini Senanayake and District Secretary, Matara Gamini Jayasekara, the Minister of Cultural Affairs, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and the Secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage, G. L. W. Samarasinghe were ex-officio advisors. The edition Matara Wansaya had to strike a balance between creativity and research. In spite of constraints, they were able to turn out a valuable scholarly work mainly due to the hard work of the Coordinator, Nihal P. Jayatunga and the patronage and cooperation extended by the Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana and the Secretary of the Ministry G. L. W. Samarasinghe. Since 62 articles out of 85 have been contributed by professors and lecturers of Universities and 83 writers by experienced authors, Matara Wanshaya will be an invaluable guide to any person interested in the history and culture of Ruhuna.
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The articles published in Matara Wanshaya, deal with the social,
political, economic, cultural and religious aspects of the life of the
people as well as biographies of outstanding personalities who made
their contribution to national awakening. 
