Fall 2005

FR 390N • North and sub-Saharan African Autobiography/Novel

Course Description

This course will examine works considered autobiographical from the colonial and "postcolonial" period. The first text written in French that appeared in Africa was Force-Bonté. It is seen as imbedded in colonial values, which in turn reflect a painful manipulation the "tiralleurs" undergone. We will then analyze other works that appeared and the various positions taken towards colonial rule, examining different power structures and the affect on women. During the second part of the term we will study "postcolonial" authors to see how they wander between languages and cultures, valorizing the different facets that compose their identity, seeking a space that moves beyond nations.

READINGS: - Bakary Diallo, Force-bonté. - Camara Laye, L'enfant noir. - Mouloud Feraoun, Le fils du pauvre. - Mariama Bâ, Une si longue lettre. - Senghor (choix de poèmes) - Abdelkébir Khatibi, La mémoire tatouée. - V.Y. Mudimbe, Les corps glorieux des mots et des êtres. - Assia Djebar, L'amour, la fantasia. SECONDARY READINGS : - Lejeune, Le pacte autobiographique. - Bernard Mouralis, Autobiographies et récits de vie en Afrique (extraits). - Kandoura Drameh (article sur Force-Bonté) - Janos Riesz : « The Tirailleur Sénégalais Who Die Not Want to Be a 'Grand Enfant' : Bakary Diallo's Force Bonté (1926) Reconsidered » - Abdelkébir Khatibi, Maghreb Pluriel (extraits).

Grading Policy

ASSIGNMENTS AND COMPUTATION OF GRADE: Students will be asked to keep up with the reading assignments and fully participate in class discussions as well as prepare an oral presentation. Essay: 75% Class participation: 10% Oral presentation: 15%

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