English 232 Spring 2000
Instructor: Dr. Julie Barak
Office: 435 Lowell Heiny Hall
Phone: 248-1072
E-Mail: [email protected]
Office Hours: 1:00-2:00 M-Th
Home Page: http://www.mesastate.edu/~jbarak
Here are some websites on post-colonial issues you might want to check
out:
Emory University's Postcolonial
Theory site
Barry
Laga's Theory Page -- Reading with an Eye on Race and Ethnicity
Voice
of the Shuttle pages on Postcolonial Studies
Course Goals:
To develop the following abilities by reading and responding to literature:
To consider the connections between literature and other parts of life through exploring literary themes related to the human experience
To enjoy reading literature, to trust your responses to what you read, and to develop confidence in your ability to evaluate what you read
To compare experiences and literatures of several cultures in terms of theme and style
Because I believe that knowledge is created as people work and think together, the most important pedagogical method in the course will be class discussions in large and small groups. Because I believe that the best way to discover what we are learning is through writing out our thoughts to solidify and clarify our observations and conclusions, we'll practice several different kinds of writing. Because literature has its roots in oral culture and because paying attention to its sound enhances our appreciation of it, we'll read aloud often. Because, sometimes, historical and biographical information helps us to understand literature, we'll share information in the form of reports or lectures.
Required Texts and other expenses:
Biddle, Arthur W. Global Voices: Contemporary Literature from the Non-Western World.
Gandhi, Leela. Postcolonial Theory: A Critical Introduction.
Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place.
Ngugi wa Thiong'o. The River Between.
5x7 note cards for journal entries.
Top of page.
Daily Journals: Each day, for each reading assignment, you need to bring to class a 5x7 note card with 3 or 4 questions about the reading on one side of the card and a synopsis of your thoughts about or connections with the text on the other side. We'll use these note cards as prompts for in-class writing and as guides to our discussions of the texts. They will serve to prove to me that you've done the reading and thought about the texts. If you turn in thoughtful questions and reflections, you'll ace this section of the course. I'll collect them every day and return them to you, graded, the next day. 40% of your grade.
Essays: Two essays connecting the readings from Global Voices and Postcolonial Theory. How does Gandhi's explanation of the theory help you to make sense of the literature? You might for example, take a feminist, postcolonial approach to the short story by Bessie Head. Or, you might write about the colonial "other" in Ngugi wa Thiong'o's short story. Maybe you're interested in the subject of nation building. If so, you might write about Shankar Lamichhane's fiction. One essay will be due at around midterm, the other at the end of the semester. Part of the grade for these essays will be based on your presentation of your ideas in class. Each paper is worth 20% of your grade, for a total of 40%.
Participation in class discussions. Share your reactions, your
writing, your feelings, your knowledge, your questions. Volunteer to be
first. Be the first person to respond to another reader. Wonder, explain,
explore, discover, discuss. Talk about writing and reading with enthusiasm.
Show through your comments and questions that you're dedicating yourself
to the project of making yourself a scholar this semester. Part of this
grade depends upon attendance, of course. 20% of your grade.
Top of page.
See catalogue for College policies on Academic Honesty (page 34) and Disability Provisions (page 26).
Jan. 19 -- Introductions
Jan. 21 -- 1/2 of A Small Place
Week 2
Jan. 24 -- finish A Small Place
Jan. 26 -- Chapter 1 of Postcolonial Theory and Nicols and Goodison
Jan. 28 -- Intro to Caribbean Lit and Lamming
Week 3
Jan. 31 -- Chapter 2 and 3 of Postcolonial Theory
Feb. 02 -- Cliff
Feb. 04 -- Lovelace
Week 4
Feb. 07 -- Chapter 4 of Postcolonial Theory
Feb. 09 -- Intro to Latin American and Cortazar and Valenzuela
Feb. 11 -- Lispector and Campos
Week 5
Feb. 14 -- Marquez and Llosa
Feb. 16 -- Guillen, Carpentier, Arenas
Feb. 18 -- Fuentes and Ferre
Week 6
Feb. 21 -- Chapter 5 of Postcolonial Theory and Aidoo
Feb. 23 -- Intro to African Lit. and Neto, Senghor, and p'Bitek
Feb. 25 -- Ngugi
Week 7
Feb. 28 -- Soyinka
Mar. 01 -- Achebe and Ndebele
Mar. 03 -- Ousmane and Gordimer
Week 8
Mar. 06 -- 1/3 of The River Between
Mar. 08 -- 2/3 of The River Between
Mar. 10 -- Finish The River Between
Week 9
In-Class reading and discussion of essays.
Week 10
Mar. 20-24 -- Spring Break
Week 11
Mar. 27 -- Chapter 6 of Postcolonial Theory
Mar. 29 -- Intro to Middle East and Ran
Mar. 31 -- Djebar and Saadawi
Week 12
Apr. 03-- Chapter 7 of Postcolonial Theory
Apr. 05-- Habibi, Nasrallah and Kanafani
Apr. 07-- Salih
Week 13
Apr. 10 -- Chapter 8 of Postcolonial Theory
Apr. 12 -- Intro to South Asia and Kurup, Adiga, and Pritam
Apr. 14 -- Divi and Gooneratne
Week 14
Apr. 17 -- Chapter 9 of Postcolonial Theory
Apr. 19 -- Intro to East Asia and Poetry of Dao and Ting and Tota
Apr. 21 -- Naishan and Dao short story
Week 15
Apr. 24 -- Hsien-Yang and Ch'ing
Apr. 26 -- Yasunari and Yasushi
Apr. 28 -- Yukio
Week 16
May 01 -- 05 Reading and discussion of essays
Week 17
Essays returned during final exam time