Learning objectives

The aim of the course is to provide students with: - a basic knowledge of the history of the British Empire - a basic knowledge of postcolonial theories. At the end of the course students will be able to: - discuss the selected literary texts through the critical theories introduced in the course - discuss in English, in a clear and consistent way, the topics dealt with in the course.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No preliminary skills are required to attend the course

Program

DIASPORAS IN ANGLOPHONE LITERATURES

MODULE 1 (A. Pes, 24 hrs, 4 cfu)
After introducing students to postcolonial studies and the main theoretical and critical contributions in this field, the module focuses on the novel The Secret River by Australian writer Kate Grenville. Starting from the presentation of the colonial historical context of early 19th century, the diasporic experiences depicted in the novel, bringing characters from Great Britain to Australia, will be explored and some major issues will be analysed: the construction/deconstruction/transformation of identity, questions of belonging and dislocation, the consequences of British invasion on the Indigenous population, the (re-)writing/suppression of history and the need to come to terms with it in the present day.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text
- Kate Grenville, The Secret River (any English edition)

Critical References
- S. Kossew, “Voicing the “Great Australian Silence”: Kate Grenville’s Narrative of Settlement in The Secret River”, Journal of Commonwealth Literature, 42, 2, 2007, pp. 7-18
- D. Herrero, “Crossing The Secret River: From Victim to Perpetrator, or the Silent/Dark Side of the Australian Settlement”, Atlantis, 2014, vol:36, pp. 87 -105

Additional references for non-attending students
- Anouk Lang, “Going Against the Flow: The Secret River and Colonialism’s Structuring Oppositions”, Postcolonial Text, vol. 9, n. 1, 2014, pp. 1-16

MODULE 2 (C. Sassi, 12 hrs, 2 cfu)
The module will investigate Zambian writer Namwali Serpell’s novel The Old Drift. The novel, between family saga and SF, charts the migratory movements across the globe of three generations of Zambians, from the early decades of the 20th century to the present day.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary text
- Namwali Serpell, The Old Drift (any English edition)

Critical References
-S. Goyal, “Playing with the Book: Namwali Serpell on the 'Great Zambian Novel” Wasafiri, 2020, Vol.35 (1), p.42-47. https://web.p.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=ce4ed848-4e53-4614-8d9c-4af0a78c9db4%40redis

Additional references for non-attending students
-A. Monaco, “Narrative Form and Palimpsestic Memory in Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift” Simplegadi 2020, Vol.18 (20), p.92-106. https://le-simplegadi.it/article/view/1128/0

MODULE 1 e 2
Handbook of postcolonial studies
-John McLeod, Beginning Postcolonialism, Manchester University Press (pref. 2^ edizione) [ch. 1, 2, 3, 7]

The present syllabus is valid until the exam session of Winter 2025

Bibliography

Didactic methods

The course will be taught in English.
Students will have to register for the webclass on the e-Learning platform, and check it regularly for updates.
Supplementary teaching materials (slides, images, videos, other texts, etc.) that will be used during classes will be available for download from the MOODLE e-repository. These contents do not substitute but complement the readings listed in the syllabus.

Learning assessment procedures

Oral exam in English. Students may be required to read and comment on passages taken from primary texts.
There will be no mid-term tests.
Students will have to bring their primary texts at the exam

Evaluation criteria

Student will have to demonstrate:
1) the knowledge and comprehension of texts, authors, contents and of the historical and cultural context;
2) the ability to comment/analyze the literary texts in the syllabus with the aid of critical references;
3) the use of an appropriate vocabulary.
Critical thinking and an ability to develop evidence-based arguments will be especially rewarded.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final grade, awarded on a 30-point scale, will result from the average of the grades obtained in the assessment of each module.

Exam language

Inglese/English