People who are fascinated by different cultures and love reading fiction will be able to combine their interests by participating in this course. Often it is exciting to read a book relevant to your travel destination. We study various themes within short novellas set in locations all over the world. We will read and discuss novels set in France, in the Americas, Africa and Asia. e USA. A lecture will be presented first, a discussion follows, based on pre-set questions. Discussion is encouraged throughout.
- An Outpost of Progress, Joseph Conrad. 30 pages, Africa, 1897
- Benito Cereno, Herman Melville. 86 pages, Africa, 1855
- The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Gilman. 66 pages, USA, 1892
- Therese Desqueyroux, François Mauriac. 128 pages, France, 1927
- Giovanni's Room, James Baldwin. 176 pages, Italy, 1956
- Death in Venice, Thomas Mann. 105 pages, Italy, 1912
- The Quiet American, Graham Greene. 208 pages, Vietnam, 1955
- The Lover, Marguerite Duras. 128 pages, Vietnam, 1984
In this class, students should read each text before class to gain the most from the course. The texts are all under 200 pages and are engaging. Students are requested not use devices during the class.
If you love reading fiction, travelling, and exploring cultures within their historical contexts, you will be able to combine all these interests by participating in this course. Often it is exciting and informative to read a book relevant to your travel destination. Imagine reading a novella set in Italy while you are there, or about to go? Also, you will read a story with Belgian Colonisation in Africa as the setting in conjunction with one dealing with the American slave trade there. These stories and novellas are set in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. Each week a lecture will be presented first, which includes a bio of the author, an examination of the story's historical context, then there will be some commentary and analysis of the prose. A discussion follows the lecture, based on pre-set questions, which are sent to all students a few days before the class. Discussion, is encouraged throughout the session.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Closely analyse and understand international literature
- Distinguish the global and cultural contexts of international literature
- Understand the importance of gaining historical knowledge to fully understand literature
- Evaluate authors’ methods and styles implemented to communicate themes
- Become prepared for further reading and research
