Mesa State College Languages, Literature and Communications

Engl. 232 – Non-Western World Literature II Spring 2005

Instructor: Julie Barak Phone: 248-1072

e-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: 9:00-10:50 MWF

Home Page: http://home.mesastate.edu/~jbarak/

Syllabus subject to change.

General Education Goals: The course addresses the following General Education goals as they are articulated in the College Catalog (p. 51): 1) To be able to communicate effectively in the English language. 2) To be aware of the great moral, ethical, and philosophical questions which have endured through the ages. 3) To have some knowledge of the origins of our own culture and the existence of others. 4) To understand the complexities of our social, economic, and political environment. 5) To appreciate the contributions of literature to our perception of ourselves and our world.

Course Goals: In an attempt to meet the above general education goals through course-specific content goals, the course will develop or enhance the following skills/abilities/knowledge base of its participants: 1) To become familiar with the development, directions and theories of postcolonialism. 2) To read various postcolonial texts through the lens of postcolonial theory. 3) To learn to summarize accurately and succinctly. 4) To practice applying theory to various texts. 5) To investigate the value of theory to readers. 6) To develop the habit of critical thinking when approaching texts and ideas.

Course Methods: 1) The most important pedagogical method of the course will be large group discussion. We’ll ask questions, connect theory and text, challenge interpretations, build bridges between past and present and self and other, investigate our reasons for our responses, argue, agree, resist, compromise, rebel and conform. We must become a community of learners dedicated to challenging each other to grow in knowledge and compassion. 2) Because reading the material is imperative to good discussions, various types of quizzes, oral and written reports will be required throughout the semester to encourage you to keep current on the reading.

Required Texts:

Ngugi wa Thiong’o – A Grain of Wheat, A summary, About Ngugi, More about Ngugi

Arundati Roy – The God of Small Things, Study Guide, Website about Roy, Salon interview w/ Roy, Reading Group Guide

Michelle Cliff – No Telephone to Heaven, About Cliff, Another site on Cliff, A short essay on No Telephone, Voices from the Gaps Biography/Summary,

Article by Cliff in Ploughshares: History as Fiction, Fiction as History, Annotation of terms in No Telephone

Ania Loomba – Colonialism/Postcolonialism

Geok-Lin Lim, Spencer – One World of Literature

Assignments:

Random reading quizzes: Short quizzes over the novel, short story and poetry readings should be expected daily, though they will probably occur more randomly. The quizzes will test your general reading comprehension; they’re not tricky or too detailed. Usually, they’ll consist of 10 factual questions about terms, events or characters. They may, however, also ask you to explain motivation or speculate on theme. No make up quizzes. If you’re not here for the quiz, your quiz grade is zero. I’ll drop the lowest three grades for the semester. (30%)

Reports on Colonialism/Postcolonialism: One page, typed. At the top of the page write three questions, comments, ideas, connections, theories, etc., you have about the text. These will be used to direct our discussions. Following the questions, write a response to the text. Your response might include any of the following: a) Choose one of the questions you asked at the top of the page and search for an answer. b) List the emotions or other types of responses the text evoked in you. Explain why you think you responded in this way. c) Copy one sentence, one line, or one phrase that struck you as especially beautiful, puzzling, enlightening, or whatever. Then discuss how and why it evoked this response. d) Explain why you could or couldn't understand/relate/connect with a certain idea or term in the text. e) Connect the ideas in this text with ideas in another text. f) Explain how the theory discussed in the chapter helped you to understand one of the pieces of fiction, poetry or nonfiction we’ve read in the class. (10%)

Exams: Three exams, part in-class objective, part take-home essay, testing your understanding of theoretical terms and your ability to apply the theory to the literature. (20% each)

Attendance and Participation: Being here is, obviously, crucial for participation in the discussions. We can’t learn from you and you can’t learn from us if you’re not here. So show up and speak up. You have three free absences. Your final grade will drop one letter grade (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, etc.) for each class you miss after the first three. This means that if you have a B for the class at the end of the semester, but you’ve missed 6 classes, your grade will drop to a C. If you’ve missed 8 classes, it will drop to a D, and so on.

Other Policies and Procedures: Refer to the Student Handbook for college policies on Academic Honesty. If you require any kind of assistance for special needs, please see me and we’ll make arrangements to suit your situation.

Schedule

Jan 17 – Introductions

Jan 19 – Defining the Terms: Colonialism, Imperialism, Colonialism, Postcolonialism 1-19 C/PC

Jan 21 – Intro to Sub-Saharan Africa, Chapters 1-5 GoW

Jan 24 – From Colonialsm to Colonial Discourse 20-43 C/PC

Jan 26 – Chapters 6-7 GoW

Jan 28 – Chapters 8-12 GoW

Jan 31 – Colonial Discourse 43-57 C/PC, Colonisalism and Knowledge 57-69 C/PC

Feb 02 – GoW to end

Feb 04 – Bessie Head, Ama Ata Aidoo

Jan 31 – Colonial Discourse 43-57 C/PC

Feb 02 – GoW to end

Feb 04 – Bessie Head,

Feb 07 – Colonisalism and Knowledge 57-69 C/PC

Feb 09 – Ama Ata Aidoo (Other poetry)

Feb 11 – Soyinka

Feb14 – Colonialism and Literature 69-94 C/PC

Feb 16 – Achebe

Feb 18 – Gordimer

Feb 21 – Winter Break

Feb 23 – Textuality, Discourse and Material Processes 94-104 C/PC

Feb 25 – Exam #1

Feb 28 – Constructing Racial and Cultural Difference 104-123 C/PC

Mar 02 – Introduction to India, Devi, Kurup

Mar 04 – Roy Chapter 1

Mar 07 – Race, Class, Colonialism 123-133 C/PC, Psychoanalysis and Colonial Subjects 133-151 C/PC

Mar 09 – Roy Chapters 2

Mar 11 – Roy Chapters 3-6

Mar 14 – Spring Break

Mar 16 – Spring Break

Mar 18 – Spring Break

Mar 21 – Psychoanalysis and Colonial Subjects 133-151 C/PC

Mar 23 – Roy Chapters 7-13

Mar 25 – Roy Chapters 14-18

Mar 28 – Gender, Sexuality and Colonial Discourse 151-173 C/PC

Mar 30 – Finish Roy

Apr 01 – Narayan, Jhabvala

Apr 04 – Hybridity 173-184 C/PC, Nationalism and Pan Nationalism C/PC 184-215

Apr 06 – Exam #2

Apr 08 – Introduction to the South America, Borges, Prado, Lispector

Apr 11 – Feminism, Nationalism and Postcolonialism 215-231 C/PC

Apr 13 – Neruda, Allende

Apr 15 – Marquez, Paz, Castellanos

Apr 18 – Can the Subaltern Speak? 231-245 C/PC

Apr 20 – Introduction to the Carribean, Kincaid, Guillen, Ferre

Apr 22 – Lovelace, V. S. Naipaul

Apr 25 – Post Modernism and Postcolonial Studies 245-255, Conclusion 255-258 C/PC

Apr 27 – Cliff Chapters 1 & 2

Apr 29 – Cliff Chapters 3 & 4

May 02 – Cliff – Chapters 5 & 6

May 04 – Cliff – To end

May 06 – Review

May 11 – Exam #3, 1:00-2:50