General Education Program
Extended Course Description

Course Content: The course will cover approximately eight novels from three highly colonized regions: Latin America/the Caribbean; Africa; the Philippines. Examples would include works by novelists such as V. S. Naipaul (Trinidad); Chinua Achebe (Nigeria); and Jessica Hagedorn (the Philippines). The course will approach these novels as post-colonial literature, that is, as works of political as well as literary significance. Post-colonial literature both reflects and examines the effects of imperialist domination during the colonial period and after, down to the present day. The literature reflects the imperialist domination in its themes and its experimentation with form; it examines how colonialism has affected the perceptions of the colonized peoples. One important consideration of the Post-Colonial Novel will be how a country (and its literature) decolonizes itself, or to what extent it either can or should do so, after political independence. Another major consideration is how various post-colonial literatures are similar in themes, motifs, and literary forms. Ultimately, perhaps the most important concern will be the cross-cultural and multicultural issues which stem from the aforementioned relationships. In fact, the question for the future, examined by post-colonial studies in general, is--is cultural/ethnic purity any longer a viable model, or does multiculturalism, "an acceptance of difference on equal terms," provide a more promising model. (I am indebted to The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice in Post-Colonial Literatures, 1989, for the quotation and for several ideas in this section.)

Continuity and Comparison: Post-Colonial literary studies emphasize comparison, and, within comparison, both continuity and discontinuity. First, in comparing post-colonial to western literature (the literature of the colonizer), we will observe both positive and negative continuities. Some post-colonial critics see no positive continuities, and all wish to decolonize their culture and literature by eschewing the imperialist assumptions and practices of the former colonizer. Some critics look however, for a synthesis of positive aspects/continuities with current practices or perceptions. Second, by comparing several post-colonial literatures, we will sort out their common elements and thereby in effect construct a theory of post-colonial literature. Finally, by comparing post-colonial literatures with one another against the backdrop of Western literature, we may conclude that there are more similarities that bind cultures and ethnic groups than there are differences that separate them.

Course Requirements: Course grades will be based on: (1) Three examinations (40%). Exams will be cumulative, with the first counting 10% and each of the next two 15%. (2) Quizzes (10%). There will be a 15 point quiz on each of 8 novels. (3) Class Presentation (10%). The presentations will combine literary analysis with pertinent historical information. (4) Journal (20%). Regular journal entries will focus on comparative aspects of the novels. Midway through the semester students will begin making entries related to their paper. (5) Paper (20%). The research paper of 6-8 pages will focus on a specific novel not taken in class. Students will engage in historical, biographical, and critical research.

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