Postcolonial Literature

ENG 336-SECTION 161

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Jungah Kim, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
Office: N-751L
Office Hours: Tue 10:45-11:45AM; Fri 11:00AM-1:00PM
Email: jukim@bmcc.cuny.edu

Spring 2013
ENG 336/Section 161

POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE

Tuesday & Thursday 4:00-5:15 PM, Room F-401

Course Description: This course will study and analyze selected novels, short stories,
films, critical essays of postcolonial writers and theorists from Africa, Asia, and the
English speaking Caribbean. The course will introduce us to the expanding body of
postcolonial literature, a term used to describe the work of writers from formerly
colonized nations. In this course, we will examine the ways in which postcolonial writers
transcend the imperial legacy of colonialism to redefine their own distinctive social and
cultural worlds. By reading a diverse selection of both colonial and post-colonial texts,
we will focus primarily on the lives and identities of their characters have been radically
altered through the experience of colonialism. This course will also approach the study of
literature in ways that intersect with other fields such as critical race theory and diaspora,
feminist, indigenous, and transnational studies by turning to topics such as
decolonization, migration, language, knowledge production, and representation. Overall,
this course aims to reflect on government, justice, ethics and morality.

Prerequisites: ENG 101 and 201 or ENG 121

Student Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this course can expect the following outcomes:
1. Be able to bring classic literature of European colonialism and emerging literature
from the postcolonial world into dialogue by contemplating conscious debates
between authors. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays, written responses, in-
class discussion, and research project.
2. Be able to identify a distinctive language regarding the themes and terms of
analysis used in postcolonial studies. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays,
written responses, in-class discussion, and research project.
3. Be able to articulate representations or repressions of gender in male-dominant
fields of cross-cultural contact. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays, written
responses, in-class discussion, and research project.
4. Be able to extend the colonial-postcolonial transition to a contemporary wave of
transnational migration. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays, written
responses, in-class discussion, and research project.

Postcolonial Literature
ENG 336-SECTION 161

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General Education Outcomes: Below are the colleges general education goals that
students who successfully complete this course can expect to have achieved:
1. Communication Skills: Students will write, read, listen, and speak critically and
effectively. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays, written responses, in-class
discussion, and research project.
2. Values: Students will make informed choices based on an understanding of
personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness, and social
responsibility. Assessment: graded out-of-class essays, written responses, in-class
discussion, and research project.

Course Requirements: Students receive letter grade, A through F, based on their
attendance, in-class and out-of-class writings, class participation, and their performance
on the final research project. Course work counts for 70% of the grade, and class
participation counts for 30%. By the conclusion of English 336-161, students will have
completed two formal, thesis-driven essays of six to eight typewritten pages (double
space/12pt). In addition, students will write in-class essay responses for in-class
discussion. Students are responsible for work covered on days missed due to absence.
Essays due are to be handed in at the beginning of that class session. Essays handed in
after this point (even later during the same class) will not be accepted. Papers
handed in late will not be graded. The work of this course is intensive, and it will be
difficult to catch up if you fall behind. Students must come to class prepared to
participate. Thus, the reading and assignments must be done on time before each class
session. Students unable to participate in class discussions because they havent done the
reading will find their class participation grade will suffer. Students will not have an
opportunity to make up in-class quizzes or peer-review sessions, and missed sessions on
these days will be reflected in the students grade. It is the students responsibility to take
notes in class no matter who is speaking and to make sure that what is said by both the
instructor and fellow student is clear. If you do not understand our readings or discussion,
you must ask questions.

Evaluation: Class Participation: 30%
Mid-Term Paper: 30%
Final Paper: 40%

Required Course Texts: All required books are available for purchase at the Borough of
Manhattan Community College Bookstore.
1) Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. On Reserve at
BMCC Library, Call Number: PR 9387.9. A3 T5 1994.
2) Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness: A Norton Critical Edition. 4
th
ed. New York: W.
W. Norton & Company, 2006. On Reserve at BMCC Library.
3) Lee, Chang-rae. A Gesture Life. New York: Riverhead Books, 1999. On Reserve at
BMCC Library.
4) Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea: A Norton Critical Edition. New York: W. W. Norton
& Company, 1999. On Reserve at BMCC Library, Call Number: PR 6035. H.
96 W5 1999.

Postcolonial Literature
ENG 336-SECTION 161

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Absence and Lateness Policy: The allowed absences are designed for you to take
advantage of in emergence situations like majoring scheduling conflicts. Many students
think they can miss the maximum hours, then miss more if they have a good reason.
Regardless of the reason, AN ABSENCE IS AN ABSENCE; I never need a note. If you
are absent one session, you are losing 2 points. If you are more than 10 minutes late
to a scheduled class session, you are losing 1 point. Accumulated points will be applied
to students final grade. If you miss class, you may contact me via email or ask another
student what you have missed. Quizzes and in-class writing cannot be made up.

College Attendance Policy: At BMCC, the maximum number of absence is limited to 4
hours of absence (not 4 days) for a 3-hour course. In the case of excessive absences, the
instructor has the option to lower the grade or assign an F or WU grade. (Students more
than 10 minutes late to a scheduled class session will be marked absent for the session.)

Classroom Conduct: During the session, there is no bathroom break. Cell phones must
be turned off during class time. You will be asked to leave and counted absent if your
phone rings in class (same rule applies to texting during the session).

Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who
require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact
the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (Room N-320, OSSD telephone:
212-220-8180 Fax: 212-220-1264). BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all
programs and curricula to all students.

BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement: Plagiarism is the
presentation of someone elses ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as
ones own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the
original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations,
require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional.
Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for
plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised
to consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to
appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCCs web site,
www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult
the college bulletin (also available online).

BMCC Learning Assistance Centers:
1) A. Philip Randolph Memorial Library offers an online tutorial to assist students in
researching and writing research papers. The tutorial is highly recommended for each
student and can be found at http://lib1.bmcc.cuny.edu/.
2) Writing Center (Room S-500W Tel: 212-220-1384) is designed to serve the writing
needs of the BMCC community.




Postcolonial Literature
ENG 336-SECTION 161

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COURSE SCHEDULE

Week One: What is postcolonial literature?
01/29 (Tue): Introduction: Discuss course schedule and policies
01/31 (Thu): Read Rudyard Kipling, The White Mans Burden & Robert Young,
Introduction: Montage from Postcolonialism: A Very Short Introduction

Week Two: Imperialism in Africa
02/05 (Tue): Read Aim Csaire, Discourse on Colonialism; G.W.F. Hegel, The
African Character in Heart of Darkness (hereafter HD), pp. 208-212;
Frantz Fanon, The Negro and Hegel
02/07 (Thu): Read Heart of Darkness (hereafter HD), pp. 3-31

Week Three: Imperialism in Africa
02/12 (Tue): NO CLASS (COLLEGE CLOSED)
02/14 (Thu): Read HD, pp. 31-54

Week Four: Imperialism in Africa
02/19 (Tue): Read HD, pp. 54-77
02/21 (Thu): Read Chinua Achebe, An Image of Africa in HD, pp. 336-349 &
Edward Said, Two Visions in Heart of Darkness in HD, pp. 422-429

Week Five: Anti-Colonial Responses
02/26 (Tue): Read Things Fall Apart (hereafter TFA), pp. 3-62
02/28 (Thu): Read TFA, pp. 63-125

Week Six: Anti-Colonial Responses
03/05 (Tue): Read TFA, pp. 129-167
03/07 (Thu): Read TFA, pp. 171-209

Week Seven: Colonialism and Gender
03/12 (Tue): Film Christopher Columbus
03/14 (Thu): Read John McLeod, The Double Colonisation of Women
*Mid-Term Paper Due

Week Eight: The Caribbean Writes Back
03/19 (Tue): Read John McLeod, Re-reading and re-writing English Literature &
Jane Eyre in Wide Sargasso Sea (hereafter WSS), pp. 119-132.
03/21 (Thu): Read WSS, pp. 9-37

Week Nine: Spring Recess
03/26 (Tue): NO CLASS (SPRING RECESS)
03/28 (Thu): NO CLASS (SPRING RECESS)

Week Ten: The Caribbean Writes Back
04/02 (Tue): NO CLASS (Spring Recess)
Postcolonial Literature
ENG 336-SECTION 161

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04/04 (Thu): Read WSS, pp. 38-104

Week Eleven: The Carribean Writes Back
04/09 (Tue): Read WSS, pp. 105-112
04/11 (Thu): Gayatri C. Spivak, Wide Sargasso Sea and a Critique of Imperialism in
WSS, pp. 240-247 & Elleke Boehmer, Native, Settler, Creole

Week Twelve: Reflections on Exile
04/16 (Tue): Read Albert Camus, The Guest from Exile and the Kingdom
04/18 (Thu): Read Edward Said, Representing the Colonized from Reflections on
Exile and Other Essays

Week Thirteen: Transcultural Experience
04/23 (Tue): Documentary Film The Murmuring (1995) by Byun Young-joo
04/25 (Thu): Read A Gesture Life (hereafter GL), pp. 1-84

Week Fourteen: Transcultural Experience
04/30 (Tue): TBA
05/02 (Thu): Read GL, pp. 85-176

Week Fifteen: Transcultural Experience
05/07 (Tue): Read GL, pp. 177-271
05/09 (Thu): Read GL, pp. 272-356

Week Sixteen: Final Discussion
05/14 (Tue): Final Presentation
*FINAL PAPER DUE
05/16 (Thu): Final Discussion; what has changed and what do I carry from this class?