World Literatures 205 - Contemporary African Literature and Film

A study of the major writers and diverse literary traditions of Africa with emphasis on the historical, political, social and cultural contexts of the emergence of writing, reception and consumption. We pay particular attention to several questions: in what contexts did modern African literature emerge? Is the term “African literature” a useful category? How do African writers challenge Western representations of Africa? How do they articulate the crisis of postcoloniality? How do women writers reshape our understanding of gender and the politics of resistance? Writers include Achebe, Ngũgĩ, Dangarembga, Bâ, Ndebele, and Aidoo. Films: Tsotsi , Softie, and Blood Diamond.