Fall 2004

E 360L • Literature of South Asia

Course Description

The multiplicity of cultures within its borders, its rich colonial history, its mythology and history, and its uneasy relation with the English language makes India a prime locus for new and innovative fiction.

The course is meant to be an introduction to the literature in English from India and Indian expatriates. We will look at the influence of mythology on modern India, and at the affects of modernity on traditional ways of life. Inquiry will also be directed towards the position of the reader—particularly the western reader who chooses to engage with the Indian subcontinent through literary representations.

Along the way, it is expected that we will experience beauty and wonder, at what is being described, and how it is rendered into literature.

Grading Policy

Participation in class discussions 15%
Reading quizzes. Best 8 of 10 grades 20%
Brief presentation on History, Culture, Biography 15%
Paper # 1 (3-4 pages) 20%
Final paper (4-5 pages) 30%

Texts

Mirrorwork: 50 Years of Indian Writing: 1947-1997
Rohinton Mistry, Family Matters
R.K. Narayan, The Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version
Arundhatai Roy, The God of Small Things
Course Reader, to be obtained at Abel’s Copies

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