01:013:211 INTRODUCTION TO THE LITERATURES OF AFRICA



01:013:301:02/ 01:195:356:01 AFRICAN SHORT STORIESBeck Hall – 003Time: M/W: 1:40 – 3:00 pmInstructor: Bojana CoulibalyOffice location:Lucy Stone Hall B301Office hours: Mondays 12:00 – 1:30 pm, or by appointmentTel:(732) - 666 – 4732 Email: bojana.coulibaly@rutgers.eduCourse Description?:This course examines short fiction produced by African writers from the second half of the 20th century to the present. It examines short stories written by distinguished African writers including Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Ama Ata Aidoo, Flora Nwapa as well as emerging writers such as Chimamanda N. Adichie and Chris Abani. A variety of themes and characters illustrated in these texts demonstrate the transcendental and universal dimension of short fiction, as the individual anecdote is representative of a wider societal phenomenon. The stories cover a broad range of themes including cultural clash, women struggle, revolution, post-independence disillusionment, cultural nationalism and afrocentricity, struggle for identity and self-determination, tradition vs. modernity, exile, war, violence and trauma. Added to a variety of selected texts excerpted from collections and anthologies, a concise short-story theory will expand our understanding of the texts analyzed and discussed. Required Texts: Adichie, Chimamanda The Thing Around Your Neck; Alfred A. Knopf; ISBN: 978-0-307-27107-5Aidoo, Ama Ata The Girl Who Can and Other Stories; Heinemann; ISBN: 0 435 91013 2 Abani, Chris Becoming Abigail: a novella; Akashic Books; ISBN-13: 973-1-888451-94-8Nwapa, Flora This is Lagos and Other Stories; Africa World Press; ISBN: 0-86543-321-6Abani, Chris Song for Night: a novella; Akashic Books; ISBN: 978-1-933354-31-6The course package will be uploaded to the Sakai course website at : 3 Reflection papers (30%)Mid-term take home examination (30%) Final research paper (4-6 pages + a bibliography) (40%)Attendance and participation are mandatory. Absence will negatively impact the final grade for the course (after 3 unjustified absences 2 additional points will be deducted from the final grade for each unjustified absence; being more than 20 minutes late will be counted as an absence). The required readings must be completed before the beginning of each class. Plagiarism is strictly proscribed. Direct quotations need to be designated by quotation marks and each borrowed concept or idea needs to be cited and to identify its author. Cell phone use is not allowed in class. Course outline: Wednesday, January 23:- Introduction to the course- Introduction to the short story genre and theory- Methodology for literary analysisORALITY and THE PERSISTENCE OF TRADITIONMonday, January 28: - “Adaku” by Ken Saro-Wiwa (course package) - “Cell One” by Chimamanda Adichie Wednesday, January 30:- “Choosing” by Ama Ata Aidoo - “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe CULTURAL ENCOUNTER and GLOBALIZATIONMonday, February 4:- “A Private Experience” by Adichie- “Die-a-Tribe” by Ken Saro Wiwa (course package)- Reflection paper # 1 dueWednesday, February 6:- “Nutty” by Ama Ata Aidoo- “Some Global News” by Ama Ata AidooCULTURAL RECLAMATION and ART IN AFRICAN SHORT FICTIONMonday, February 11:- “On Monday of Last Week” by Adichie- “Why Don’t You Carve Other Animals” by Yvonne Vera (course package)Wednesday, February 13- “Imitation” by Chimamanda Adichie- “The Headstrong Historian” by Chimamanda AdichieGENDER STRUGGLE Monday, February 18:- Becoming Abigail (ch. 1-9)Wednesday, February 20: - Becoming Abigail (continued)Monday, February 25: -“The Voiceless Victim” by Ifeoma Okoye (course package)- “Vengeful Creditor” by Chinua Achebe Wednesday, February 27 :- “The Cobwebs” by Zaynab Alkali (course package)Monday, March 4: - “The Trial” by Ifeoma Okoye (course package)- “Jide’s Story” by Flora NwapaWAR in AFRICAN SHORT FICTIONWednesday, March 6:- “Laughter Beneath the Bridge” by Ben Okri (course package)- “My Soldier Brother” by Flora Nwapa- Reflection paper # 2 dueMonday, March 11: - “A Certain Death” by Flora Nwapa (course package)- “Girls at War” by Chinua Achebe Wednesday, March 13:- Song for Night (ch. 1- “Truth Is Forefinger to Tongue Raised Skyward”)SPRING RECESSMonday, March 25: - Song for Night (continued)- Mid-term exam due COLONIAL vs. DECOLONIAL, SATIRE IN AFRICAN SHORT FICTIONWednesday, March 27: - “For Whom Things Did Not Change“ by Ama Ata Aidoo (course package)- “Payments” by Ama Ata AidooMonday, April 1: - “Empire Builders“ by Ken Saro-Wiwa (course package)- “The Voter” by Chinua Achebe Wednesday, April 3: - “She-Who-Would-Be-King” by Ama Ata Aidoo - “Cross-Pollination” by Ken Saro-Wiwa (course package)Monday, April 8: - “Newly-Open Doors” by Ama Ata Aidoo- “Independence Day” by Yvonne Vera (course package)Wednesday, April 10: - “Loyalties” by Adewale Maja-Pearce (course package)- “The Martyr” by Ngugi wa Thiong’o (course package) Monday, April 15: - “Rats and Rabits” by I.N.C. Aniebo (course package)- “The Mortar and the Pestle” by I.N.C. Aniebo (course package)- Reflection paper # 3 dueRURAL vs. URBAN, TRADITION vs. MODERNITYWednesday, April 17: - “Lokotown” by Cyprian Ekwensi (course package)Monday, April 22:- “This is Lagos” Flora Nwapa- “Death in the City” by Adewale Maja-Pearce (course package)Wednesday, April 24: - “In the Cutting of a Drink” by Ama Ata Aidoo (course package) - “The Road to Benin” by Flora NwapaMAGICAL REALISM IN AFRICAN SHORT FICTIONMonday, April 29: - “Uncle Ben’s Choice” by Chinua Achebe - “Julius’ Vision” by Adewale Maja-Pearce (course package)Wednesday, May 1:- “The Sacrificial Egg” by Chinua Achebe - “Ave, Ave, Sathanas!” by Ken Saro-Wiwa (course package)Monday, May 6:- Concluding remarks and course review Monday, May 13:- FINAL PAPER DUE on SAKAI COURSE WEBSITE by 11:59 pm ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download