This is a module about the intersection of colonial power relations, anti-colonialism, postcolonialism, feminism, and identity politics in literature that interrogates the influence of imperialism on a sense of self. It considers the writing of a number of authors from Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria, Cuba and India. In light of the complex relationship between coloniser and colonised, we consider the ideology of many of these writers, as well as the ways in which their politics are articulated in their writing, whether fiction or non-fiction. We also examine to what extent this literature is representative of other postcolonial concerns such as nationhood and national consciousness, hybridity and assimilation, and exile and alienation within the larger context of cultural theory. Particularly significant is our interrogation of the violence inscribed in both the colonial system and the colonised's fight for independence as seen from the perspective of Frantz Fanon in Black Skin, White Masks (1952), A Dying Colonialism (1959), and The Wretched of the Earth (1961).
Studying the primary and secondary texts in English, we bring awareness to the reading scene of the translation process as an important development in the transnational study of comparative literature in a globalised world. In so doing, we acknowledge the significance of indigenous languages and dialects as signifiers of subject-hood in conflict with the coloniser's language. By exploring a variety of anti-colonial resistance and liberation discourses in relation to the development of current postcolonial thinking, the module also offers an insight into the history of the discipline of Postcolonial studies.
Total Contact Hours: 20
Private Study Hours: 130
Total Study Hours: 150
Main assessment methods
Presentation (20 minutes) – 20%
Essay (3,000 words) – 80%
Reassessment methods
Reassessment Instrument: 100% Coursework
The University is committed to ensuring that core reading materials are in accessible electronic format in line with the Kent Inclusive Practices. The most up to date reading list for each module can be found on the university's reading list pages: https://kent.rl.talis.com/index.html
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate the ability to undertake the comparative analysis of literature to enhance their ability to undertake independent research;
2 Appreciate the central concepts of Postcolonial reading perspectives and theories and to understand their origin in anti-colonial liberation discourses;
3 Follow critical debates in Postcolonial studies and to form an opinion of their own by critically engaging with them;
4 Demonstrate confidence in distinguishing why certain literature of Africa, South Asia and Latin America lends itself to Postcolonial readings;
5 Analyse selected literary texts in their individual contexts within a collective image that is paradigmatic of the Postcolonial condition: alienation, marginalisation, dislocation;
6 Interrogate the intersection of feminism, postcolonialism and the writing act;
7 Consider the particularities of each writer in terms of race, class, gender, historical context and writing language;
8 Observe the mode of translation as a space of historical, cultural, political and philosophical exchange.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Communicate information, ideas, problems, and solutions orally to both specialist and non-specialist audiences;
2 Demonstrate refined written communication skills, including devising and sustaining an original argument;
3 Demonstrate conceptual understanding of a range of critical opinions;
4 Demonstrate their teamwork skills by collaborating with fellow students;
5 Demonstrate confidence in initiating and participating in group discussions with specialists and non-specialists;
6 Demonstrate an ability to undertake independent research, making use of scholarly reviews and primary sources.
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