English 9198
Ruptures and Crossovers: Postcolonial Literature and Theory
Instructor: Professor Nandi Bhatia.
Summer 2026 course, full course equivalent.
This course will investigate major topics in postcolonial theory - such as Orientalism, subalternity, mimicry, exile, home, community, nation, and diaspora - and assess the scope and relevance of these topics for studying literary and cultural texts from India, Africa, and the Caribbean. Approached from the perspectives of race, gender, class, the readings will entail an examination of the legacies of European colonialism, the diverse geographies of migration, and the politics of English as represented in literary texts. Such an approach will necessitate an exploration of the links between what Edward Said calls "culture and imperialism" and address how literary and cultural texts speak to the ruptures, crossovers and influences that have resulted from Britain's longstanding engagement with its colonies.
