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THE WEST INDIAN NOVEL CL 707.1X
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General Description
Topics: This course will introduce the West Indian novel through a careful analysis of seven novels, accompanied by a look at the historical background and the critical reception of the work in each case. We will examine how the West Indian novel developed as a result of de-colonization in the 1950s and 1960s, and we will also look at several more recent works. We will focus on reflections of the West Indian social, political, and cultural milieu in the novels, especially regarding issues of language, class, race, and gender. The transplantation of African, Asian and European cultures to the islands, together with their history of slavery, colonization, and de-colonization, produced a unique set of circumstances that has affected the emergence of an indigenous West Indian literature. The West Indian novel has become a prominent, thriving, and internationally recognized part of that literature, as witnessed by the work of such novelists as V. S. Naipaul, Jamaica Kinkaid, and Austin Clarke. The emigration of many West Indians abroad has also played a significant role in the West Indian experience, and this is reflected in several of the novels that we will read. In addition, there are several female writers among recent West Indian novelists. We will focus especially on how these various factors of background, experience and identity are molded into aesthetic, literary objects--the novels that we will read. Tasks: A one page response paper for each of the novels, due on the day we start reading that novel. One oral presentation on one of the novels based on a slightly longer response paper (3 to 5 pages). A term paper A take-home final. Participation in class discussion will be especially important in this class. You should be aware that the reading load in this class is substantial-you will have to read ahead so that you will be able to write significant responses to the texts and participate in class discussion.
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