27840 - Other Literatures in English
Compulsory
5.1. Methodological overview
The course is basically oriented to the teaching of postcolonial literatures in English. Therefore, the proposed activities (analysis of postcolonial literary texts with critical tools and commenting/ presenting/ reflecting upon the said analysis using different theoretical approaches) are focused on the application of a series of principles and basic theories of postcolonial criticism to a selection of representative texts in the field of postcolonial literatures in English. The course is organised in two phases: 1) learning of the main critical postcolonial theories and authors, 2) applying the concepts studied by means of analysing and discussing a selection of postcolonial literary texts in English.
The students will also have the chance to write an optional individual essay, in which they can apply the basic theoretical approaches and methods studied to the analysis of a chosen topic.
All the sessions will be conducted in English, and all the texts included in the programme must be read in their original English version.
More information will be provided on the first day of class.
5.2. Learning tasks
1. Theoretical sessions (30 hours) in which the teacher introduces the different literary approaches, critics and authors.
2. Practical sessions (30 hours), in which the teacher and the students analyse and comment on the readings included in the course programme. These exercises in practical criticism can be carried out in different ways: as a team comment guided by the teacher; as team work in small student groups that will discuss specific aspects and then present their findings to the rest of the class, or as an individual composition answering questions asked by the teacher. Some students would then present it to the class for it to be discussed by all. It is taken for granted that students will have read and worked on the relevant texts on their own before attending class.
3. Individual work/ monitored activities
4. Personal study/ autonomous activities
5.3. Syllabus
(27840) Other Literatures in English
The subject is divided into five units, organized as follows:
UNIT 1. Introduction: a) Coming to Terms with Terminology: Colonial vs. Colonialist Literature; Postcolonial Literature; Commonwealth Literature; New Writing in English; Third World Literature, etc. Advantages and disadvantages of each of these denominations; c) Re-defining Contemporary 'english' Literature: Questioning the Anglo-Centric Cultural Tradition.
UNIT 2. India and Pakistan: a) Brief introduction to the British colonization of India; b) Analysis of Rudyard Kipling's "Lispeth"; Extracts from E.M. Forster's A Passage to India; R.K. Narayan's Waiting for the Mahatma; one short story from Rohinton Mistry's Tales from Firozsha Baag; and one short story from Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies.
UNIT 3. Australia and New Zealand: a) Brief introduction to the British colonization of Australia and New Zealand: b) Analysis of Katherine Mansfield's "Prelude" and Mudrooroo's Dr Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World.
UNIT 4. South Africa: a) Brief introduction to the British colonization of South Africa; b) Analysis of Nadine Gordimer's "A City of the Dead, A City of the Living"; Bessie Head's "For 'Napoleon Bonaparte, Jenny, and Kate"; and Zöe Wicomb's "Another Story".
UNIT 5. The Caribbean: a) Brief introduction to the British colonization of the Caribbean; b) Analysis of Jean Rhys's "Mannequin" and Jamaica Kincaid's "What I Have Been Doing Lately".
COMPULSORY READINGS AND FILMS:
LONGER TEXTS (novels):
R.K. Narayan's Waiting for the Mahatma
Mudrooroo's Dr Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World
SHORTER TEXTS (poems and short stories):
Rudyard Kipling's "If" and "The White Man's Burden" (poems); "Lispeth" (short story)
Extracts from E.M. Forster's A Passage to India
One short story from Rohinton Mistry's Tales from Firozsha Baag
One short story from Jhumpa Lahiri's Interpreter of Maladies
Katherine Mansfield's "Prelude"
Nadine Gordimer's "A City of the Dead, A City of the Living"
Bessie Head's "For 'Napoleon Bonaparte,' Jenny, and Kate"
Zöe Wicomb's "Another Story"
Jean Rhys's "Mannequin"
Jamaica Kincaid's "What I Have Been Doing Lately"
FILMS (film copies are available at the SEMETA)
Deepa Mehta, Earth
Deepa Mehta, Water
Deepa Mehta, Midnight's Children
Phillip Noyce, Rabbit-Proof Fence
Ian Gabriel, Forgiveness