Winter Term 2001/2002

Prof. Martina Ghosh-Schellhorn:

VL: The New English Literatures and Cultures
Meant as an introductionto the field of the New English literatures and cultures, this lecture series will deal with those regions of the Anglophone world which were once part of the British Empire. The characteristic features of the cultures involved will be addressed and a survey made of their literatures.
The mandatory tutorial is designed to introduce you to the analysis of NEL texts.
Further course details as well as master copies of texts for discussion have been placed in the IB for your convenience.
Accreditation:

Prof. Martina Ghosh-Schellhorn:
HS: Constituting Identities in Anglophone Cultures
What have the effects of colonial rule been and how has this influenced the constitution of identities in the former colonies? We shall be approaching these issues by examining theories of self-representation in combination with case-studies of autobiographical writing. The tutorial is mandatory. Out of print texts and additional material, including course details, can be found in a folder in the IB.

Texts:
Rhys, Jean. Smile Please: An Unfinished Autobiography , London: Deutsch, 1979.
Ondaatje, Michael. Running in the Family . London: Picador, 1982.
Das, Kamala. My Story. Delhi: Sterling, 1977.
Emecheta, Buchi. Head Above Water. London: Flamingo, 1986.
Naipaul, V.S. The Enigma of Arrival: A Novel in Five Sections. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1987.

Prof. Martina Ghosh-Schellhorn:
HS: Writing in a Patriarchal Climate: Fiction by Indian Women
How do women negotiate a space for themselves within patriarchy? This question will be asked and an answer sought to it in the context of fiction by Indian women. What forms of agency are envisaged by Indian women writers for their female protagonists? Why does the realist mode predominate? These are some of the topics on which the seminar will focus attention in its look at a selection of recent women-oriented texts.

Texts:
Roy, Arundhati. The God of Small Things . London: Flamingo, 1997.
Hariharan, Githa. The Thousand Faces of Night. London: Women's Press, 1992.
Kapur, Manju. Difficult Daughters . Delhi: Penguin India, 1998.
Deshpande, Shashi. Small Remedies. Delhi: Viking India, 2000.

Dr. Mark Stein:
PS: African Poetry in English
This seminar surveys a range of West, East and Southern African poetry written in English. Given the wealth and diversity of poetry, we will only be able to study some of the more well-known writers and texts. Our starting point is to consider the implications of the term 'African' poetry before we familiarize ourselves with different ways of reading poetic texts. Then we have the opportunity of discovering the work of male and female poets such as Ayi Kwei Armah, Ama Ata Aidoo (Ghana), Jack Mapanje (Malawi), Gabriel Okara, Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri (Nigeria), Syl Cheney-Coker (Sierra Leone), Dennis Brutus, Ingrid de Kok (RSA), Okot p'Bitek (Uganda), and Dambudzo Marechera (Zimbabwe). Several poetry anthologies are on reserve in the IB. Before the first session, please consult the syllabus and bibliography which will be available in the IB.
Accreditation: Regular attendance, active participation and a short oral presentation are expected from all participants. In order to receive a "benoteter Schein", a term paper of 2,500 words based on the MLA stylesheet is required.