Mar 29, 2024  
2018-2019 Academic Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

ENG 360-01 - Seminar in Postcolonial Literature

4 credits (Fall)
The Ethics of Humanitarianism in the Aftermath of Empire. Critics reading literature through a postcolonial lens tend to examine how texts represent human rights violations caused by colonial domination or resistance and humanitarian efforts to stop these abuses of power. While some activists have successfully employed Human rights discourses when vying for the dignity and security of many formerly colonized communities, others, particularly those from the global South and indigenous communities, have critiqued this perspective, claiming it is rooted in Western Enlightenment notions of individualism. In this course, we will investigate how texts read through postcolonial frameworks illuminate the successes and failures of human rights discourses to help us generate more inclusive, ethical models that promote equity while honoring the socio-cultural, religious, or intellectual outlooks of diverse communities. We will begin by reading various Declarations of independence and political manifestos to provide a context for reading post 1900 literary, radio, filmic, and online texts about the aftermath of colonization. Our case studies will come from East Africa, Australia, India, Britain,  Burma, Guatemala, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Palestine, and the United States.

Prerequisite: ENG 224 ENG 225 ENG 226 , or ENG 229 .
Instructor: Sutaria