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Postcolonial Literatures

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Course Type Course Code No. Of Credits
Discipline Core SUS1EN239

Semester and Year Offered: IV Semester (Winter Semester, 2019)

Course Coordinator and Team: Vikram Singh Thakur

Email of course coordinator: vikram[at]aud[dot]ac[dot]in

Pre-requisites: None

Aim: The course intends to introduce students to various literatures being written in postcolonial societies. These literatures reflect issues that are of immediate relevance to readers from postcolonial societies. By the end of the course the students will have gathered knowledge about such crucial issues like language, diaspora, culture, identity, history and nation that engage postcolonial studies today. The course will explore the aforementioned concerns through theoretical, literary and cultural texts drawn from various postcolonial nations.

Brief description of modules/ Main modules:

  1. Introducing some Postcolonial issues
  2. Postcolonial Drama
  3. Postcolonial Fiction
  4. Postcolonial Poetry

References: Salman Rushdie, “Commonwealth Literature Does Not Exist” Macaulay’s Minute on Indian Education Gauri Viswanathan, “The Beginnings of English Literary Studies” Ngugi wa Thiong’o, “The Language of African Literature” Achebe, Chinua, “The Politics of Language”. Edward Said, from “Introduction”, Orientalism Gauri Shinde, English Vinglish Wole Soyinka, The Lion and the Jewel Girish Karnad, Hayavadana Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart Derek Walcott, “A Far Cry from Africa”, “Goats and Monkeys” R. Parthasarathy, from “Rough Passage”

Suggested Readings: Bill Ashcroft et al, ed. “Introduction”, The Empire Writes Back. Ania Loomba, Colonialism/Postcolonialism. Dennis Walder, Post-colonial Literatures in English: History, Language,Theory. Robert Young, Colonial Desire: Hybridity in Theory, Culture and Race . Padmini Mongia, ed. Contemporary Postcolonial Theory: A Reader.

Tentative Assessment schedule with details of weightage:

S.No Assessment Date/period in which Assessment will take place Weightage
1. Take home assignment Early Feb 20%
2. Mid Semester Exam Mid-February 30%
3. End Semester Exam As per AUD Academic Calendar 40%
4. Class Participation and discussion Throughout the semester 10%
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