Instructor: Doherty, Brian E 323D Global Short Story Unique # 34869. Flag: Global Cultures Semester: Fall 2020
Prerequisite: Nine semester hours of coursework in English or Rhetoric and Writing.
Global Cultures Flag: This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices, beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.
Course Description: This course will explore issues of identity and culture in three global areas—The continent of Africa, the English-Speaking Caribbean, and South Asia (India and Pakistan. Because we use three collections of short stories from writers who now reside in the U.S., some of the experiences the writers address may be in part from an American perspective. Some texts will be delivered via pdfs available on the Canvas site. Some interrogatory elements that we will use to dissect the texts are: what role does religion and religious strife play in the construction of identity? How does the colonial experience continue to affect the national character of the regions we study? Has a distinct role evolved for women in the national cultures, whether put into place by the colonial conquerors or pre-dating conquest? How do material conditions (urban/rural, impoverished/middle class) affect identity? Other inquiries will be specific to individual texts.
Grading and Evaluation. Test on South Asian Literature 25% Test on African Literature 35% Informal Observations on Caribbean Literature 20% Periodic quizzes on the day’s reading (best 4 of 6 taken for grade): 10% Participation in class discussion of the literature: 10%
Attendance: The course should be as participatory as possible. If conditions allow, we will meet during class time in Burdine. While we are remote, there will be zoom classes and discussion boards that are required. If there are limitations on your ability to participate in these participatory measures, you are responsible for letting the instructor know.
Plus and minus grades will be used in the class. A = 93-100; A- = 90-92.9; B + = 88-89.9; B = 83=87.9; B- = 80-82.9; C+ = 78-79.9; C = 73-77.9; C- = 70-72.9; D = 65-69.9. Below 65 = F.
Please be aware of University policies and services for students with disabilities: http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/ Please be aware of the University Standard for Academic Integrity: http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/sjs/acint_student.php hybrid/blended atatement: Doherty’s statement on protocols is available on the Canvas page. In the event that conditions warrant in-person class meetings, students who come to meetings should be aware of and willing to follow all safety guidelines as determined by The University of Texas. https://healthyhorns.utexas.edu/coronavirus_exposure_action_chart.html
Required Texts: The Granta Book of the African Short Story. Helon Habila, Editor. The Thing Around Your Neck. Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. Passages: 24 Modern Indian Stories. Barbara Solomon, editor. Everything Inside: Stories. Edwidge Danticat.
Schedule of Readings/ Assignments: The Reading schedule will not vary. Each week students will receive a reminder of the week’s events, and some guidance about whether the class is face-to-face, synchronous on zoom, asynchronous on Canvas, or a blend. August 26: Introduction to class, syllabus, grading policy, three regions.
31: The South Asian Sub-Continent—India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Gandhi, Nehru, Tagore, and others. Problems that persist. September 2: Jhumpa Lahiri. “When Mr. Pirzada Comes to Dine” and “A Real Durwan.”
9: R.K. Narayan. “A Horse and Two Goats.” Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. “Two More Under the Indian Sun.”
14: Ambai. “Yellow Fish.” Anjana Appachana. “Her Mother.” Bharati Mukherjee. “A Wife’s Story.” 16: Vikram Chandra. “Dharma.”
21: Salman Rushdie. “Good Advice is Rarer than Rubies.” Khushwant Singh, “The Bottom-Pincher.” Saadat Hasan Manto. “The Assignment. 23: Chitra Divakuruni Banerjee. “The Forgotten Children.” Kiran Desai. from The Inheritance of Loss. Anita Desai. “The Farewell Party.”
28: Jhumpa Lahiri. “A Temporary Matter” and “Interpreter of Maladies.” 30: Jhumpa Lahiri. “Sexy” and “The Third and Final Continent.”
October 5: Test on India in English Language Writing. 7: Africa backgrounds, arrival of English language, English language literature. A side note on France, Islam, and Christianity.
12: Olufemi Terry, “Stickfighting Days.” Uwen Akpan, “An Ex-mas Feast.” 14: Maaza Mengiste, “A Good Soldier.” Laila Lailami, “Homecoming.”
19: Doreen Baingana, “Passion.” Leila Aboulela, “Missing Out.” Aminatta Forna, “Hayward’s Heath.” 21: Ivan Vladislavic, “Propaganda by Monuments.”
26: Zoe Wicomb. “You Can’t Get Lost in Capetown.” Camara Laye, “The Eye of the Statue.” Alex La Guma, “Slipper Satin.” 28: Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. “A Private Experience.” “Jumping Monkey Hill.” Binyavanga Wainaina. “How to Write about Africa. https://granta.com/how-to-write-about- africa/
November 2: Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. “Tomorrow is Too Far,” and “The Headstrong Historian.” Chinua Achebe. “Chike’s Schooldays.”
4: Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie. “Cell One,” “That Thing Around Your Neck,” and “The Arrangers of Marriage.”
9: Test on African Short Stories. 11: Caribbean Stories/ The story of the Caribbean. One by Sam Selvon.
16: C.L.R. James, “Triumph.” Earl Lovelace, “Victory and the Blight.” 18: Pauline Melville, “The Conversion of Millicent Vernon.” Olive Senior, “Do Angels Wear Brassieres?”
23: Edwidge Danticat. “Children of the Sea” and “Without Inspection.”
30: Edwidge Danticat. “Seven Stories.” December 2: Edwidge Danticat. “Dosas” and “In the Good Old Days.”
7: Due date for Informal Observations on Caribbean Literature.