'Writers from elsewhere': Reading Timothy Mo

Dozent/in:

Touhid Chowdhury

Angaben:

Übung, 2 SWS, ECTS: 4, Studium Generale, Erweiterungsbereich

Termine:

Mi, 12:00 - 14:00, KR14/00.06
Einzeltermin am 29.4.2020, 12:00 - 14:00, U2/01.30

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

1. Module Allocation:
all modules including an obligatory/optional reading tutorial (Übung) for literature in
LA GS/HS/MS/RS/GY
BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik
MA English and American Studies
MA WiPäd
Erweiterungsbereich English and American Studies

2. (De)Registration:
in FlexNow! (except for guest auditors): 04.03.2020, 10:00 - 25.04.2020, 23:59 (NEW)
guest auditors: please contact lecturer

Inhalt:

In his essay “‘Commonwealth Literature’ Does not Exist,” Salman Rushdie devises the idea of ‘writers from elsewhere’ referring to those contemporary novelists, poets and playwrights who, although often not born into the English language, have chosen it as the medium of their expression. This new definition, in general, is a reaction to the idea of ‘Commonwealth Literature’ as formal and at times flattering appreciation of a diverse group of writers writing in English. According to Rushdie, ‘Commonwealth Literature’, in a sense, also confines all these writers into ghettos together with the cultures from which they originate. Besides, literature written in English after the Second World War is too vast a territory to be measured with any precision if we stick to narrow definitions like ‘Commonwealth Literature’. Great Britain has provided the linguistic, literary and cultural context to what can broadly be called ‘writers from elsewhere’: Salman Rushdie, Kazuo Ishiguro, Timothy Mo and Hanif Kureishi are some of the names that we all know. These novelists are notable examples of immigrant writers who have contributed to British fiction with their transnational outlook and alternative uses of English. In contrast to Rushdie and Ishiguro, who won the Booker Prize, Timothy Mo has been nominated three times but never won because of his unconventional and controversial writing style. Nevertheless, he remains a formidable talent whose work deserves more recognition than it has received to date, especially outside Britain and Hong Kong where he has received most fame.

This course will offer an in-depth look at Timothy Mo’s writing from linguistic, historical and cultural perspectives. We will analyse key literary works of him and try to posit them within the new canon of ‘writers from elsewhere’. The primary objective of this course is to introduce Timothy Mo to students. The secondary goal of this course is to creat a sense of awareness of Timothy Mo's culturally-induced writing style among students.

Empfohlene Literatur:

The Monkey King (1978)
Sour Sweet (1982)
Renegade or Halo2 (1999)

Further secondary texts will be made available on the VC.

From Heart of Darkness to Apocalypse Now: Defining and (Re-)thinking Otherness

Dozent/in:

Touhid Chowdhury

Angaben:

Seminar/Proseminar, 2 SWS, ECTS: 6, Studium Generale

Termine:

Di, 18:00 - 20:00, MG1/01.02

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

Module Allocation:
1.1 Seminar
BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik: Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft / freie Erweiterung: Seminar 6 ECTS
Ergänzungsmodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar max. 6 ECTS
LA GY: Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS
BA Berufliche Bildung: Basis/Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft: Seminar 6 ECTS
LA GS/HS/MS/RS: Basis/Aufbaumodul Literaturwissenschaft (b): Seminar 6 ECTS

1.2 Übung:
all modules including an obligatory/optional reading tutorial (Übung) for literature in
LA GS/HS/MS/RS/GY
BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik
MA English and American Studies
MA WiPäd
Erweiterungsbereich English and American Studies

(De)Registration in FlexNow: 04.03.2020, 10:00 - 25.04.2020, 23:59 (NEW)

Inhalt:

Edward Said, in his seminal work Orientalism, illustrates the Western xenophobic discourse of ‘Othering’. Said’s theory states that since the inception of European Enlightenment and colonization, Western society has essentialized and othered a self-glorifying contrast between its own civilized society and primitive, unenlightened cultures outside of Europe. This is a prevalent theme in many literary texts and films. One of the most obvious example would be Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness that depicted Africa and African highly in a denigrating characterization by Marlow’s repetitious use of the word ‘savage’ in reference to African Americans, which connotes being uncivilized and archaic. Therefore, levelled Africa and African as the Other!

This course will introduce ideas, theories and examples of the representation of Otherness. The overall aim is to introduce a greater degree of awareness and self-reflection in relation to studying ‘other’ cultures. This course will introduce key terms and ideas that will be used to understand, interpret and analyze texts and films pertaining to the idea of the Other. To do that, following terms will be discussed: Edward Said and Orientalism; Colonialism; Postcolonialism and its theories; and issues of constructing the Other. Throughout the course, we will explore specific texts and films that illustrate themes emerging from a consideration of these theoretical concepts.

Empfohlene Literatur:

Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness. Penguin Classic Edition (1984).
William Somerset Maugham. “The Letter.” OUP Australia New Edition (1986).
Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart. African Writers Series Edition (1978).
Ama Ata Aidoo. Our Sister Killjoy. Longman Group Ltd. (1977).
John le Carré. The Constant Gardener. Hodder & Stoughton (2001).
Utsana Phleungtham. The Story of Jan Dara. Thai Modern Classic (1995).
Francis Ford Coppola. Apocalypse Now. 1979. (Movie).
Roland Joffe. The Killing Fields. 1984. (Movie).

Just Write

Dozent/in:

Touhid Chowdhury

Angaben:

Nachbesprechung

Termine:

Einzeltermin am 15.7.2020, 20:00 - 22:00, U2/00.25

Key Texts in Literary Theory

Dozent/in:

Touhid Chowdhury

Angaben:

Übung, 1 SWS, ECTS: 1, Studium Generale

Termine:

jede 2. Woche Mi, 20:00 - 22:00, U9/01.11
First Session: April 29th!

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

1. Module Allocation:

• BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik (ab Studienbeginn zum WS 14/15): Ergänzungsmodul Methoden und Theorien der Englischen und Amerikanischen Literaturwissenschaft (alle Haupt- und Nebenfächer) (1 ECTS)

• BA Anglistik/Amerikanistik (ab Studienbeginn zum SoSe 2009): Ergänzungsmodul Methoden und Theorien (1 ECTS, ab Studienbeginn zum SoSe 2012 unbenotet)

• alle alten Studiengänge: Übung (1 ECTS)

2. (De)Registration:

in FlexNow! (except for guest auditors): 04.03.2020, 10:00 - 25.04.2020, 23:59 (NEW)

guest auditors: please contact lecturer

Inhalt:

In this seminar we will study trends and schools in literary theory since the 1950s. We may discuss key texts by thinkers identified with formalism and structuralism, deconstruction and poststructuralism, gender studies and queer theory, psychoanalytical criticism, (Neo)Marxism and Cultural Materialism, New Historicism, postcolonial criticism and reader-response theory.
Depending on the participants personal interests, we may also consider more recent approaches like ecocriticism and possible-worlds theory or less "canonized" theories (e.g. systems theory).

The course is intended to assist students in both finding own approaches towards primary texts and in identifying mind-sets and methods applied in the secondary sources they read in their other seminars: "What theory demonstrates [...] is that there is no position free of theory, not even the one called common sense" (V. B. Leitch).

Empfohlene Literatur:

A course reader will be made available for download at our VC group once the schedule has been agreed upon.