| Goals | Methods | Required Texts |
| Work for the Course | Schedule | Definition of Magic Realism |
Because 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 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:
Ashcroft, Bill. Gareth Griffiths and Helen Tiffin. Key Concepts in
Post-Colonial Studies.
Biddle, Arthur W. Global Voices: Contemporary Literature from the
Non-Western World.
Fanon, Frantz. The Wretched of the Earth
Kincaid, Jamaica. A Small Place.
Murakami, Haruki. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Ngugi wa Thiong'o. The River Between.
Daily Journals: Each day, for each reading assignment, you need to bring to class a 5x8 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. 25% of your grade.
Essays: Two essays (4-5 pages) connecting the readings from Global Voices and with the theory from Fanon, Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin and Kincaid. How does Fanon’s explanation of oppression, for example, help you to make sense of the literature? 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%.
Several Short Reports on terms from Key Concepts in Post-Colonial Studies: On a rotating schedule, which I’ll publish soon after the semester starts, students will be responsible for summarizing one or two definitions from Key Concepts and then applying that definition or concept to a piece of the literature we’ve read. Along with your oral report, you should submit a short (1 page, single-spaced) report focusing on the application of the term to the literature. 15% of your grade.
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.
See catalogue for College policies on Academic Honesty (page 34) and Disability Provisions (page 26).
| Date | Reading Assignment | Writing Assignment |
| 1 – Jan. 14 | Introductions | |
| Jan. 16 | ½ of A Small Place | Journal |
| Jan. 18 | Finish A Small Place | Journal |
| 2 – Jan. 21 | Intro to Caribbean Lit., Lamming and Marshall | Journal, Key Concept Reports (KCR) |
| Jan. 23 | Rhys, Nichols, Lovelace | Journal, KCR |
| Jan. 25 | Cliff and Goodison, Cesaire | Journal, KCR |
| 3 – Jan. 28 | Intro to Latin American Lit., Cortazar and Valenzuela | Journal, KCR |
| Jan. 30 | Lispector and Campos | Journal, KCR |
| Feb. 1 | Marquez and llosa | Journal, KCR |
| 4 – Feb. 4 | Guillen, Carpentier, and Arenas | Journal, KCR |
| Feb. 6 | Fuentes and Ferre | Journal, KCR |
| Feb. 8 | Preface and Chapter 1 of Fanon | Journal |
| 5 – Feb. 11 | Chapter 2 of Fanon | Journal |
| Feb. 13 | Chapter 3 of Fanon | Journal |
| Feb. 15 | Chapter 4 of Fanon | Journal |
| 6 – Feb. 18 | Winter Break | |
| Feb. 20 | Chapter 5 and Conclusion of Fanon | Journal |
| Feb. 22 | Intro. to African Lit., Neto, Senghor and p’Bitek | Journal, KCR |
| 7 – Feb. 25 | Ngugi | Journal, KCR |
| Feb. 27 | Soyinka | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 1 | Achebe and Ndebele | Journal, KCR |
| 8 – Mar. 4 | Ousmane and Gordimer | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 6 | 1/3 of The River Between | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 8 | 2/3 of The River Between | Journal, KCR |
| 9 – Mar. 11 | Finish The River Between | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 13 | In-class reading and discussion of essays | |
| Mar. 15 | In-class reading and discussion of essays | Essay #1 Due |
| 10 – Mar. 18 | Spring Break | |
| Mar. 20 | Spring Break | |
| Mar. 22 | Spring Break | |
| 11 –Mar. 25 | Intro. To Middle East ern Lit. and Ran | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 27 | Djebar and Saadawi | Journal, KCR |
| Mar. 29 | Habibi, Nasrallah and Kanafani | Journal, KCR |
| 12 – Apr. 1 | Salih | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 3 | Intro to South Asian Lit. and Kurup, Adiga, and Pritam | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 5 | Divi and Gooneratne | Journal, KCR |
| 13 – Apr. 8 | Intro to East Asian Lit. and Cheng Naishan, Bei Dao and Shu Ting | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 10 | Pai Hsien-Yung and Lo Ch’ing | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 12 | Kawabata and Enchi | Journal, KCR |
| 14 – Apr. 15 | inoue, Kaneko, Tanikawa and Hayashi | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 17 | Mishima | Journal, KCR |
| Apr. 19 | 1-9 of Hard-Boiled Wonderland | Journal |
| 15 – Apr. 22 | 10-20 of Hard-Boiled Wonderland | Journal |
| Apr. 24 | 21-29 of Hard-Boiled Wonderland | Journal |
| Apr. 26 | Finish Hard-Boiled Wonderland | Journal |
| 16 – Apr. 29 | Hwang Sunwon, Pak Mogwol, Kim Namjo, and Hwang Tonggyu | Journal |
| May 1 | In-class reading and discussion of essays | |
| May 3 | In-class reading and discussion of essays | Essay #2 due. |
| 17 – Exam |