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Global Literature and Postcolonialism (ENGL30006)
Undergraduate level 3Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | Semester 2 |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
In this subject, students learn how colonisation, decolonisation and large-scale migration have shaped literary traditions from the late nineteenth century to the present, including the canon of English Literature, and how writers from different parts of world have responded to the challenges wrought by globalisation and new forms of imperialism. They also learn why some works become global in terms of their readerships and their circulation and why others remain tied to nations and/or regions, and what is gained and lost when literary works go out into the wider world, or are read in translation.
Intended learning outcomes
On successful completion of this subject, students should have:
- A deeper understanding of the importance of textual traditions in shaping responses to other places, peoples, culture
- A knowledge and understanding of the social, political and cultural forces that have informed and shaped colonial, postcolonial and diasporic writing since the late 19th century
- Develop a knowledge and appreciation of the subject matter, styles and narrative conventions used by colonial, postcolonial and diasporic writers, and how these writers have used the space of literature to comment on historical and contemporary social and moral issues
- Gain an overview of key writers of postcolonial theory and their most significant concepts and critical insights.
Generic skills
On successful completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:
- The ability to apply new research skills and critical methods to a field of inquiry
- Develop critical self-awareness and shape the capacity to persuasive arguments
- The ability to communicate arguments and ideas effectively and articulately, both in writing and to others.
Last updated: 9 April 2025