2018 Summer Courses

Expected preparation: Previous university courses in English

Description: By examining texts from the twentieth century, this course will introduce students to the novel as a global form. We will read a set of texts with a broad geographical and historical reach—novels and novellas from Latin America, Africa and (South) Asia covering the period from early anti-colonial struggle through the post-war period and decolonization, up until the contemporary postcolonial moment. This will allow us to engage with different literary traditions and to develop an understanding of what it means to study “world literature.” We will think about how the novel has developed in the twentieth century and why it continues to take such a prominent position in literary studies. For this purpose, we will learn about different modes of literary representation—like modernism, naturalism and (magical) realism—and how novelists across the globe have developed these in and against very different economic, cultural and political backgrounds. In addition, we will discuss the concept of world literature and the novel as a global form by studying different theoretical approaches to literary studies in the age of globalization.

*Please note: This being a summer course, the schedule is very compressed and accelerated. In order to give you enough time to read all five novels, we will split the longest novel, Red Sorghum, into parts which are read over several weekends. This should allow you enough time to attend class and work on your assignments.

**Content notes will be given for every week on the syllabus. The texts we discuss portray graphic violence and exploitation, and in some cases mention sexual violence.

Texts: 

Alejo Carpentier, The Kingdom of this World (1949 in Spanish, 1957 in English)
Mahasweta Devi, Mother of 1084 (1974 in Bangla; 1997 in English)
Clarice Lispector, The Hour of the Star (1977 in Portuguese, 1992 in English)
Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Devil on the Cross (1980 in Gikuyu, 1982 in English)
Mo Yan, Red Sorghum (1988 in Chinese; 1993 in English)
*The required texts are now available at Paragraphe Bookstore (2220 Avenue McGill College).

Evaluation: 

Discussion preparation: 5%
Participation & Attendance: 10%
Quizzes: 30%
Essay Outline (2 pages): 20%
Final Paper (6-8 pages): 35%

Format: Lectures, discussions, and (in-class) screenings
​*Note: Attendance to film screenings during class time is mandatory unless otherwise specified.

Expected preparation: Previous university courses in English

Description: This course will ask how the gothic, a literary genre that originated in the 18th century as a response to modernity, has itself adapted to the past two centuries of modernization, and how its ghostly traces appear in the 20th century. We will examine sub-genres of gothic fiction, such as Suburban Gothic and Rural Gothic, with a particular focus on adaptations of the Female Gothic, which is characterized by woman's entrapment within domestic space, subjection to patriarchal authority, and the transgressive and dangerous attempts to subvert and escape such restriction. Using texts from a variety of popular media throughout the 20th century, we will ask: how does the genre change as gender roles do? When is the woman the victim, and when is she the monster? As conceptions of domestic space shift, how is the gothic plot extended beyond the home? How are twentieth-century movements like feminism and the struggle for civil rights reflected in the gothic? How has the genre has been adapted in various media, and how do new media technologies reveal modern houses to be already haunted?

By the end of the course, students will be able to relate developments in the genre’s narrative and form to their wider social and historical contexts.

Please Note: Because this is a 300-level Cultural Studies class, some experience with film and media studies will be helpful.

Required Reading: available at the McGill Bookstore, 3544 Avenue du Parc

I Am Legend (Matheson, 1954)
We Have Always Lived in the Castle (Jackson, 1962)
Course pack of critical readings and short stories. Readings are indicated by (CP). 

Recommended Reading: Short Guide to Writing About Film, by Timothy Corrigan (any edition)

Required Film and Media Texts:

The Fall of the House of Usher (Webber and Watson, 1928)
I Walked With a Zombie (Tourneur, 1943)
Selected radio plays (1946-1948)
Selected episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959-1964)
Rosemary’s Baby (Polanski, 1968)*
The Babadook (Kent, 2014)
Ex Machina (Garland, 2015)
​Get Out (Peele, 2017)

Evaluation: Participation (15%), weekly quizzes (3 x 10%= 30%), weekly response posts on the course blog (20%), final paper (35%)

Format: Lecture with discussion, screenings