106-033 Postcolonial Writing

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Usually 25 points of first year English, see Prerequisites.

Semester

Subject Description

In this subject students examine the literary, theoretical and filmic texts of contemporary writers belonging to formerly colonised societies and the postcolonial diaspora. In the process, students encounter such concepts as authenticity, identity, historical revisionism, mimicry and hybridity. The subject also explores the uses postcolonial writers have made of narrative devices such as realism, irony, allegory and magic realism to critique formations of colonialism, nationalism, neo-colonialism and globalisation. On successful completion of the subject students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complexity and range of postcolonial textual production and be able to show an understanding of some of the major theoretical debates surrounding postcolonial literature and criticism.