Postcolonial Literature and Theory

The field of postcolonial studies addresses the literature and culture of regions that have been marked by the experience of European colonialism. Today Postcolonial writers and critics are at the cutting edge of creative and scholarly work around the world. We will read literature by writers such as Wole Soyinka, Assia Djebar, Patrick Chamoiseau, Michelle Cliff, Mahasweta Devi, and Salman Rushdie, We will consider these works alongside theory, history, and anthropology in order to explore their political, cultural, and literary dynamics. We will address such topics as: critiques of colonialism, nationalism, social movements, postcolonial gender studies, development, neocolonialism, globalization, migration, and diaspora.