277bmohan

Eng 277b

R. Mohan

TTH 1 - 2:30

HU III

Postcolonial Women Writers: The South Asian Instance

This course will focus on writings by women from the South Asian sub-continent and its diaspora. Working from an expanded definition of writing as the attempt to draw new maps of reality, we will look at fiction, poetry, political manifestos, theoretical discussions, socio-historical accounts, and films by South Asian women. We will examine the ways these writings intervene in and energize postcolonial culture in South Asia and beyond by forging an aesthetic and political practice that involves a radical critique of gender arrangements. In particular, we will explore the ways writers use narrative traditions such as folklore, memoir, and autobiography to give voice to their unique historical, cultural, and political perspectives. We will also trace the play of irony, parody, and mimicry as writers figure the ambivalence of their position as women, especially around issues of modernity, sexuality, religion, nation, and development. Click here for the website for this course: http://www.haverford.edu/engl/engl277b/engl277b.html

Texts will be selected from the following list:

Alexander, Meena, ed. Truth Tales: Contemporary Stories by Women in India

Antherjanam, Lalithambika. Cast Me Out if You Will

Desai, Anita. Clear Light of Day

Desai, Kiran. Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard

Divakaruni, Chitra. The Mistress of Spices

Kumar, Radha. The History of Doing

Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in a Sieve

Mehta, Gita. Karma Cola: Marketing the Mystic East

Namjoshi, Suniti. Feminist Fables

Roy, Arundhathi. God of Small Things

Shiva, Vandana. Staying Alive: Women, Ecology, and Development

Sidhwa, Bapsi. Cracking India

Suleri, Sara. Meatless Days

Short fiction and poetry by Jean Arasanayagam, Ismat Chugtai, Mahasweta Devi, Yasmine Gooneratne, Anees Jung, and Ginu Kamani

Films by Gurinder Chadha, Laleen Jayamanne, Indu Krishnan, and Deepa Mehta

Course Requirements: Mid-term and final examinations; one short paper (5-7 pages) and a research paper (10-12 pages).

Enrollment limited to 30