239930 Postcolonial Narrative in U.S. Literary Studies (S) (SoSe 2014)

This seminar explores the most basic implications of postcolonial thought for U.S. Literary Studies. Therefore, we will read, amongst others, Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak, Stuart Hall, and Frantz Fanon – all of whom scholars argue to be among the most discussed advocates and producers of postcolonial thought.

We will also shortly investigate one prominent form of ‘life writing’ as postcolonial narrative: the autobiographical testimonio. The latter is, according to Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin, “a particular and effective example of a form of writing that appropriates dominant forms of imperial discourse to create powerful subaltern voices” (Postcolonial Studies 259). John Beverley’s essays and Gugelberger’s "The Real Thing: Testimonial Discourse and Latin America" are central theoretical frameworks for the investigation of the testimonio.
We will read a list of narrative texts and analyze them from a postcolonial perspective, applying the body of theory that is formed in the first half of the seminar.

Important: Task:
All students are required to select at least one of the books listed below and read it before the beginning of the term (you will have to give a presentation on it in the course of the semester). You will also have to let me know which one of the books you selected in our first session already.

Also, students should be prepared to attend one extra session on a Thursday night (May 22, 2014; 8-10 p.m.) to make up for the session on Friday, April 11, 2014, which will !not! take place.
Due to Good Friday (“Karfreitag”) on April 18, 2014, our first session will be on Friday, April 25, 2014.

Requirements for participation, required level

Students will need to read at least one of the books from the 'Literaturangaben' before the beginning of the term in order to participate.

Bibliography

Select one of the following books and read it before the beginning of the term:

Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father
Bharati Mukherjee’s The Middleman and Other Stories
Edwidge Danticat’s Krik? Krak!
Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
Rigoberta Menchú’s I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala