Are You suprised ? - Augsburg College

Mzenga A Wanyama, Ph.D.
Office: Memorial 214
Office hours: Monday 1:30-4:00
And by appointment
Office phone: 612-330-1005
E-mail: wanyamam@Augsburg.edu
Augsburg College, Department of English
English 365: Contemporary Postcolonial Fiction
Spring Sem and Winter Trim 2010
Thursday 6:00-09:00 p.m.
OLD MAIN 107
“NOT so very long ago, the earth numbered two thousand million inhabitants: five
hundred million men, and one thousand five hundred million natives. The former had
the Word; the others had the use of it. Between the two there were hired kinglets,
overlords, and a bourgeoisie, sham from beginning to end, which served as gobetweens.
In the colonies the truth stood naked, but the citizens of the mother country
preferred it with clothes on: the native had to love them, something in the way mothers
are loved.”
Jean-Paul Sartre: “Preface to The Wretched of Earth.”
English 365: Contemporary Post-Colonial Fiction takes as its purview fiction from those
parts of the world that experienced the important historical phenomenon of colonialism. In
temporal and geographical terms colonialism was so widespread that we can only examine
its incidence in selected regions and periods. We will thus focus our exploration on
literatures produced by writers from parts of Africa, South Asia, the Middle East, and the
Islands of the sea, and which deliberately foreground the historical rationale of colonialism,
the methods employed by the proponents of colonialism, resistance to colonialism by the
colonized, the immediate repercussions of colonial contact, and the enduring impact of the
contact, economically, politically, culturally, and in terms of gender relations. We will
interrogate issues of definition and establish the semantic essence of the operative terms.
The term colonialism, for instance, might have a commonplace conceptual and historical
resonance. However, this term has been immensely complicated by such derivatives as Post-
Colonialism (the title of our course), Neocolonialism, and Globalization. For our particular
purpose in this course, a central concern will be to engage in discussions that help determine
whether or not the term post-colonialism has conceptually specific and historically locatable
referents or whether it is simply an “amorphous set of discursive practices” [like]
postmodernism.” We will read works of fiction and examine theoretical debates that seek to
problematize and resolve these issues.
English 365: Contemporary Post Colonial Fiction is cross listed as a Women’s Studies
Course. Consequently, many of the texts that we will read will be texts that are written by or
about women, and Feminist critical theory will constitute an essential part of the theoretical
framework of the material studied in the course.

The course fulfills the General Education Perspective in Intercultural Awareness
requirement. This requirement proposes that we look at the world (via the medium of
fiction) from points of view other than mainstream western perspectives. Thus, although
post-colonial fiction ordinarily refers to any and all works written about the postcolonial
situation, this course foregrounds works that are written by non-western post-colonial
authors.
The course also fulfills the General Education Skills Requirement in Writing. We will thus
do a substantial amount of writing and peer reviewing in the course in order to meet this
requirement.
Course Texts
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
So Long a Letter by Mariama Ba
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono
Abeng by Michelle Cliff
A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
Cracking India Bapsi Sidhwa
Films (to be determined), handouts, reserve materials
Grading
Your grade will be a cumulative average of your scores on all the course assignments below:
Discussion of course materials: this is a crucial element of how the course will be
conducted. I fully expect that you will do all the assigned reading, come to class and
participate actively in the discussions. You will get a low grade if you do not do all
the assigned reading and therefore do not get to participate fully in discussions or
you are absent from class and thereby miss the opportunity to share your views with
the class. You will receive a failing grade if you are absent from class three times.
You will each prepare and present a response to every text that we read in the
course. This will entail offering your original reading of it in response to discussion
points raised by instructor and class mates. Individuals will be assigned discussion
leading responsibilities on specific aspects of the texts.
Unannounced quizzes (TBD). We will have no provision for make-up quizzes but
will allow you to drop the lowest grade
A Midterm
One short paper offering an analysis of A Small Place
Two 6-8 page essays on any aspect of the material we study in class.
Comprehensive Final Exam
Two presentations based the first and third essays written for the course
A conclusive, personal reflection dubbed “3 moments and postcolonial fiction.”
Attendance

Regular attendance and participation in discussions are preconditions for receiving a passing
grade. Any unexcused absences will have a direct adverse effect on your grade.
Cheating and Plagiarism
College policies regarding cheating and plagiarism will be followed to the letter. Note: If
you have any concerns or questions about the course, feel free to come to my office hours
and discuss them with me.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Jan. 14, 2010
Introduction: concepts and definitions; Colonialist writing, Apocalypse Now, Video
Jan. 21, 2010
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
Discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects of Things Fall Apart
Jan. 28, 2010
Discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects of Jamaica Kincaid’s A Small
Place
Viewing of Life and Debt: Video representation of postcolonial experience, specifically
globalization, in class
Feb. 4, 2010
Presentation of your paper short, researched paper (900-1000 words) in which you offer
your analysis of Kincaid’s A Small Place as a particular depiction of the post colonial
experience. You will hand the paper to me at the end of class.
Feb. 11, 2010
Michelle Cliff’s Abeng: discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects
Feb. 18, 2010
Paper 1 group 1
Write a paper (1800-2200 words) discussing the operations of colonial institutions in Abeng
and applying material on postcolonial critical theory to your analysis. Bring 3 copies of your
essay for group evaluation. The peer group will facilitate further discussion of the text. The
final draft of essay will be due in class on Feb. 25
Mariama Ba’s So Long a Letter discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects
of the text.
Feb. 25, 2010
Paper 1 group 2
Write a paper discussing the gender issues raised in Ba’s So Long a Letter. Apply relevant
feminist critical material. Bring 3 copies of your essay to class for group evaluation. Final
essay will be due in class on Mar.4, 2010

Discussion leading and responses on Tsitsi Dangarembga’s Nervous Conditions
March 4, 2010
Paper 1 Group 3
Write a paper discussing Dangarembga’s novel under rubrics: Domination and hegemony,
colonial education and traditional education, the native intellectual, or the condition of the
native. Bring 3 copies to class for group evaluation. Final essay will be due one week later
Discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects of Ferdinand Oyono’s
Houseboy
March 11, 2010
Conclusion of discussion of Houseboy
Midterm
Mar. 25, 2010
Bapsi Sidhwa’s Cracking India: leading discussion and responses on predetermined aspects
of the first part of Cracking India (chapters 1 through16) for the first hour and 20 minutes
Library session to follow from 7:30 PM. Professor Boyd Koehler of Lindell Library will
help us identify research for our paper 2. Plan to use this session to do a comprehensive
search for source materials.
April 1, 2010
Paper 2
Presentation of your research for paper 2 on the fiction of Achebe and Bapsi Sidhwa
exploring issues of colonialism, gender, poverty, exploitation, domination, and hegemony.
Everyone will come to class prepared to present a short summary of the essay to class. Final
essay will be due on April 15
April 8, 2010
Discussion leading and responses on predetermined aspects of Shyam Selvadurai’s Funny
Boy
April 15, 2010
Gillo Pontecorvo, The Battle of Algiers (Film)
Read Frantz Fanon’s “Algeria Unveiled” (Handout)
Discussion of “Algeria Unveiled.”
April 22, 2010
Three moments and postcolonial fiction
Final exam