English 349 - Cosmopolitanism

Nothing human can be alien to me.' Taking its cue from Terence's maxim, and focusing on works of contemporary transnational literature, this seminar explores the idea of 'cosmopolitanism.' Can there be such a thing as global citizenship, a set of values or commitments that transcend local particulars and instead emphasize universality? How does cosmopolitanism square with nationhood and global mobility? What in particular constitutes literary cosmopolitanism? To find our way through these questions, we will read fiction and non-fiction from the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as philosophical and theoretical texts. Authors may include Achebe, Naipaul, Coetzee, and Desai.

This course is open to Juniors and Seniors.; Prereq: English 200 and 4 English credits in post-1900 literature.