World Literatures 222 - Writing the Seas: Literatures of the Indian Ocean World

The regions of Africa, South Asia, and the Arabian peninsula have been interconnected across the Indian Ocean for centuries. This course explores literary representations of this water body as a theatre of world history and contemporary relation, considering perspectives from the diverse but interconnected ecologies, cultures, belief systems, and aesthetic forms of a maritime region marked by colonization, forced migration, trade and cultural exchange. Students discuss how authors have represented the historical forces prompting movement of people and ideas, pay attention to how gender has differentiated experience, and consider translation in a densely multilingual zone of cultural contact. Prerequisite: At least one college level literature course. (E)