Postcolonial Literature (selected chapters) - OENAA1729Z

• Title: Postcolonial Literature (selected chapters)
• Guaranteed by: Katedra anglického jazyka a literatury (41-KAJL)
• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Actual: from 2019
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:0/2, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: doc. PhDr. Petr Chalupský, Ph.D.

Annotation

English

The course will focus on a range of Anglophone literatures, recently referred to as postcolonial literatures (New Zealand, Indian, Nigerian, South African, Caribbean, and Australian literatures). Both the lectures and seminars familiarise the students with key literary texts of these literatures as well as theoretical assumptions of postcolonial criticism informed by postmodern and poststructuralist strategies. The major focus of the seminars will be an interpretation of primary sources selected from a wide geographical spectrum of contemporary Anglophone literatures from the point of view of postcolonial thought as well as TEFL.

Last update: Esserová Kateřina, DiS. (24.09.2019)

Czech

Kurz se zaměřuje na celou řadu anglofonních literatur, pro které se vžil název postkoloniální literatury (novozélandskou, indickou, nigerijskou, jihoafrickou, karibskou, australskou). Jak seminaáře tak i přednášky svým obsahem studenty seznamují s klíčovými literárními texty těchto literatur jako i teoretickými východisky postkoloniální kritiky - zejména postmoderní a poststrukturalistickými strategiemi. Hlavním cílem výuky je seznámit s díly současné anglofonní literatury z hlediska jejich využití coby možných výukových materiálů.

Last update: Esserová Kateřina, DiS. (24.09.2019)

Aim of the course

·         to introduce students to the major issues of a wide range of postcolonial literatures

·         to enable students to identify dominant (and distinct) themes in individual literatures

·         to enable students to relate the selected texts to their (i.e., the countries’) cultural backgrounds

·         to introduce students to the notion of intercultural communicative competency and its implications as far as postcolonial texts and their employment in the classroom are concerned

Last update: Esserová Kateřina, DiS. (24.09.2019)

Descriptors

Distance learning in the literary part of the course will be taking place online, essentially in the form online lectures/seminars and consultations in MS Teams:https://teams.microsoft.com/l/team/19%3a0a4e3623e22f40fbbf31754b9d6e428c%40thread.tacv2/conversations?groupId=61176290-9441-46a4-bd4b-669fffd2c493&tenantId=5335a395-3770-41bf-b111-59efae08bf8d. Study materials are available in Moodle: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=6472. The online classes will be taking place at the same time as the usual classes - the students presence is required and will be noted. The introductory lesson of the semester will be focused on getting acquainted with the online form of lessons.

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (12.10.2020)

Course completion requirements

Preparation for and participation in weekly seminars (max. 2 absences), successful completion of the oral examination.

Last update: Esserová Kateřina, DiS. (24.09.2019)

Literature

English

The novels to be discussed:

·         Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart 1958 (Nigerian literature)

·         David Malouf: Remembering Babylon 1993(Australian literature)

·         Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea 1966 (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Short stories + excerpts:

·         Catherine Mansfield: "The Wind Blows"(New Zealand Literature)

·          Witi Ihimaera: "The Whale"(New Zealand Literature)

·         Roma Potiki: "Stolen Dreams" – extract (New Zealand Literature)

·         Anita Desai: "Studies in the Park"(Indian Literature in English)

·         Chitra  Banerjee Divakaruni: "Clothes" (Indian Literature in English)

·         Arundhati Roy: The God of Small Things – extract (Indian Literature in English) - optional

·         Hari Kunzru : The Impressionist – extract (Indian Literature in English) - optional

·         Bruce Chatwin: The Songlines – extract (Australian literature)

·         Banjo Paterson: "The Man from Snowy River" (Australian literature)

·         Henry Lawson: "The Drover's wife" (Australian literature)

·         Samuel Dickinson Selvon: "The Cricket Match"  (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         V.S. Naipaul: "The Night Watchman's Occurrence Book"(Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: "A Private Experience" (Nigerian literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: "The Headstrong Historian" (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of a Yellow Sun – excerpt (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah – excerpt (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Jekwu Anyaegbuna: "The Swimming Pool" (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Hilda Bernstein: "Room 226" (South African literature in English)

·         Nadine Gordimer: “The Ultimate Safari”

·         Nadine Gordimer: “Once upon a Time”

·         Nadine Gordimer: “Comrades”

Poems: Roma Potiki: "Stolen Dreams", “My Heart Goes Swimming” – extract (New Zealand Literature), Derek Walcott: “Ma Kilman” – excerpt (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Selective secondary sources for students who will write their diploma theses on postcolonial literature topics:

Ashcroft, B. ed. The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice on Post- Colonial Literature (New Accents). London: Routledge, 1994, 2002.

Bhabha. H.K. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994, 1997.

Cunningham, V. Reading After Theory. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.

Feder, L. Naipaul’s Truth: The Making of a Writer. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2001.

Khai, T. Babu Fictions: Alienation in Contemporary Indian English Novels. Oxford University Press, 2001.

Kušnír, J. Australian Literature in Contexts. Prešov: Prešovská univerzita, 2003.

McLeod, J. Beginning Postcolonialism. Manchester University Press, 2000.

Said, E. Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient. London: Penguin, 1978, 1995.

Said, E. Culture and Imperialism. London: Vintage, 1993, 1994.

Young, R.J.C. Postcolonialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (25.10.2019)

Czech

Sekundární literatura:

Ashcroft, B. ed. The Empire Writes Back: Theory and Practice on Post- Colonial Literature (New Accents). London: Routledge, 1994, 2002.

Bhabha. H.K. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994, 1997.

Cunningham, V. Reading After Theory. Oxford: Blackwell, 2002.

Feder, L. Naipaul’s Truth: The Making of a Writer. New York: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2001.

Khai, T. Babu Fictions: Alienation in Contemporary Indian English Novels. Oxford University Press, 2001.

Kušnír, J. Australian Literature in Contexts. Prešov: Prešovská univerzita, 2003.

McLeod, J. Beginning Postcolonialism. Manchester University Press, 2000.

Said, E. Orientalism: Western Conceptions of the Orient. London: Penguin, 1978, 1995.

Said, E. Culture and Imperialism. London: Vintage, 1993, 1994.

Young, R.J.C. Postcolonialism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Primární literatura:

Romány:

·         Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart 1958 (Nigerian literature)

·         David Malouf: Remembering Babylon 1993(Australian literature)

·         Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea 1966 (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Povídky a úryvky:

·         Catherine Mansfield: "The Wind Blows"(New Zealand Literature)

·          Witi Ihimaera: "The Whale"(New Zealand Literature)

·         Roma Potiki: "Stolen Dreams" – extract (New Zealand Literature)

·         Anita Desai: "Studies in the Park"(Indian Literature in English)

·         Chitra  Banerjee Divakaruni: "Clothes" (Indian Literature in English)

·         Arundhati Roy: The God of Small Things – extract (Indian Literature in English) - optional

·         Hari Kunzru : The Impressionist – extract (Indian Literature in English) - optional

·         Bruce Chatwin: The Songlines – extract (Australian literature)

·         Banjo Paterson: "The Man from Snowy River" (Australian literature)

·         Henry Lawson: "The Drover's wife" (Australian literature)

·         Samuel Dickinson Selvon: "The Cricket Match"  (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         V.S. Naipaul: "The Night Watchman's Occurrence Book"(Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: "A Private Experience" (Nigerian literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: "The Headstrong Historian" (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Half of a Yellow Sun – excerpt (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Americanah – excerpt (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Jekwu Anyaegbuna: "The Swimming Pool" (Nigerian literature) - optional

·         Hilda Bernstein: "Room 226" (South African literature in English)

·         Nadine Gordimer: “The Ultimate Safari”

·         Nadine Gordimer: “Once upon a Time”

·         Nadine Gordimer: “Comrades”

 

Básně: Roma Potiki: "Stolen Dreams", “My Heart Goes Swimming” – extract (New Zealand Literature), Derek Walcott: “Ma Kilman” – excerpt (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (25.10.2019)

Requirements to the exam

English

2) Examination: oral

1^st question (literary-historical): major themes, representatives and distinctive features of a selected literature

2^nd question (literary critical): an interpretation of a poem, a short story or a novel from the point of view of a postcolonial studies, literary history and TEFL

 

A. Theoretical part

1. Characteristic features of Australian literature. Exemplify.

2. Characteristic features of New Zealand literature. Exemplify.

3. Characteristic features of English written Caribbean literature. Exemplify

4. Characteristic features of English written Indian literature. Exemplify.

5. Characteristic features of English written South African literature. Exemplify

6. Characteristic features of English written African literature (with a special emphasis put on Nigerian literature). Exemplify.

7. Discuss the major issues of postcolonial theory and the role of English.

B. Practical part

An interpretation. Discuss:

Novels:

Chinua Achebe: Things Fall Apart (Nigerian literature)

David Malouf: Remembering Babylon (Australian literature) - selected chapters

Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Short stories + excerpts:

·         Excerpts concerning postcolonial theory (Edward Said, John McLeod, Bill Ashcroft)

·         Catherine Mansfield: The Wind Blows (New Zealand Literature)

·          Witi Ihimaera: The Whale (New Zealand Literature)

·         Anita Desai: Studies in the Park (Indian Literature in English)

·         Chitra  Banerjee Divakaruni: Clothes (Indian Literature in English)

·         Bruce Chatwin: The Songlines – extract (Australian literature)

·         Samuel Dickinson Selvon: The Cricket Match (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         V.S. Naipaul: The Night Watchman's Occurrence Book (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: The Headstrong Historian (Nigerian literature)

·         Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: A Private Experience (Nigerian literature)

·         Jekwu Anyaegbuna: The Swimming Pool (Nigerian literature)

·         Hilda Bernstein: Room 226 (South African literature in English)

 

Poems: Roma Potiki: "Stolen Dreams", “My Heart Goes Swimming” – extract (New Zealand Literature), Derek Walcott: “Ma Kilman” – excerpt (Anglophone Caribbean literature)

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (27.12.2021)

Czech

1) aktivní účast na 80% seminářů

2) úspěšné složení ústní zkoušky, celkově jsou k dispozici tři pokusy

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (25.10.2019)

Syllabus

Introduction to the course

Postcolonial Literature –Definition, major issues of postcolonial theory, the role of English, postcolonial literatures and ICC

New Zealand Literature

Indian Literature in English

Teaching Practice – reading assignment, no classes

Nigerian Literature

South African Literature in English

Australian Literature

Anglophone Caribbean Literature

Last update: Topolovská Tereza, PhDr., Ph.D. (25.09.2020)

Learning resources

The course in Moodle: https://dl1.cuni.cz/course/view.php?id=6472.

Last update: Esserová Kateřina, DiS. (24.09.2019)