Department of English

This is an introductory course about “world fictions” (both literary and cinematic) as they have been made possible by an increasingly global world. We will look at some of the most exciting and acclaimed fiction and film produced in Europe, the US, Africa and Asia (all in English). How are these stories shaped by globalization? In turn, what do such fictions tell us about globalization, its histories, and its contemporary forms?

Our syllabus will include the following short novels: The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad; The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon, The Quiet American by Graham Greene, The Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh; Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo, Small Island by Andrea Levy, and My Year in Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki. We will also read one play: Harvest by Manjula Padmanabhan. Films examined will be The Constant Gardener (Fernando Mereilles), Dirty Pretty Things (Stephen Frears); My Son the Fanatic (Hanif Kureishi); In This World  (Michael Winterbottom) and Life and Debt  (Stephanie Black). Work for this class will include several quizzes, and two short papers, one of which will be revised for a final paper.  

No previous study of literature or film is required or expected. This class satisfies the General Requirement for Arts and Letters.