SFE21213 Introduction to Colonial and Postcolonial Literature (Autumn 2015)

The course is connected to the following study programs

Obligatory subject within the 90 study credits English Extension Course.
May be taken as part of the Bachelor of Arts in Society, Language and Culture.

Lecture Semester

English extension course: 1st semester (autumn)
Part of Bachelor of Arts  in society, language, and culture 3d or 5^th semester (autumn)

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

KNOWLEDGE
This course offers an introduction to colonial and postcolonial literature. Students will acquire knowledge of significant works of literature written in English from around the globe, and of the social and political contexts in which they were written. In addition to this, the course aims to familiarize students with some key terms of colonial and postcolonial studies: settlers and indigenous peoples, nation and diaspora, language and place, race and identity.

SKILLS
By the end of the course, students will have learned to

-        analyze and discuss works of postcolonial literature

-        compare works of literature from different regions

-        apply ideas and terminology from postcolonial theory to literary texts

GENERAL COMPETENCE
This course will enhance students' analytic and writing skills. Students will be encouraged to think critically about the role of literature in society. Students will increase their understanding of the ways in which English language and literature have been transformed, enriched and challenged by the impact of colonialism around the world. 

Content

Beginning with Chinua Achebe's seminal Things Fall Apart, often regarded as the starting point of postcolonial literature, the course covers literature from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, the Caribbean, and 'postcolonial London'. We will consider the texts in their social and historical contexts, and use postcolonial theory to explore the nature and roles of literature in a globalized world.

Forms of teaching and learning

The course comprises seminars, an obligatory reading list, and a variety of individual and group assignments.

Workload

Approx. 280 hours.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

Students are to submit a written assignment which has to be approved by the lecturer for the student to be allowed to sit for the exam.

Examination

5-hour written exam ?
Language use as well as content count in the assessment. ?Permitted aids: English-English dictionary.? The exam paper is assessed on the A-F grading scale.

Course evaluation

This course is evaluated twice each semester.

Literature

Novels:

Chinua Achebe Things Fall Apart (1958)

Patricia Grace Potiki (1986)

Kate Grenville The Secret River

J. M. Coetzee Disgrace (1999)

R. K. Narayan The Vendor of Sweets (1967)

Monica Ali Brick Lane (2003)

Play:

Derek Walcott Dream at Monkey Mountain (1970)

Poems:

A selection of colonial and postcolonial poetry will be included in the compendium. Selected poems by Derek Walcott and Les Murray

Criticism:

A selection of articles and extracts from:

Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, and Helen Tiffen (eds.), The Post-Colonial Studies Reader, 2nd edition (London and New York: Routledge, 1995).

Bill Ashcroft et al, The Empire Writes Back, 2nd Edition (London and New York, Routledge, 2002)

Mongia, Padmini (ed.) Contemporary Postcolonial Theory. A Reader. 1996.

Williams, Patrick & Laura Chrisman (eds.), Colonial Discourse and Post-colonial Theory. A Reader. 1993.

Recommended Introductory Text

John Mcleod, Beginning Postcolonialism (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2000)