ENGL 315 B1: Postcolonial Lit: Indian Writing in English

L. Harrington

India is one of several countries that make up the region of South Asia and whose histories and cultures are deeply intertwined, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. While the South Asian novel in English has been embraced by the Western world, the English language holds a complex place in South Asian literary society. Therefore we will begin by tracing some key issues around language and indigenous traditions. Within this framework we will examine the period of India's decolonisation from the British Empire and the creation of West and East Pakistan in 1947 in Partition literature, particularly short stories. Our focus will then move to thematic issues informed by the methodologies of postcolonial literary practice, including gender and the nation, representing the subaltern, migration and diaspora, and the concept of New India.