LC S, Borderlands: The Construction of Nations and
Identities
Wagner College, Fall 2003
Dr. Pranav Jani Office Hours: F 10-12:30, 1:30-3
Parker Hall 302 http://www.wagner.edu/faculty/users/pjani
pjani@wagner.edu http://webboard.wagner.edu/~pjani
(718) 390-3362
Course Description:
English 111 will investigate “borderlands” by examining
writing that has developed under various forms of imperialism since the
nineteenth century. Imperialism – a
system in which richer and more powerful countries dominate over weaker ones –
has forcefully yoked together the histories of Asians, Africans, Europeans, and
indigenous peoples through slavery, colonization, and economic coercion. We will be reading literature that depicts
the various conflicts generated by imperialism – but from the perspective of
those oppressed by imperialism. In the
process, therefore, we will learn to hear the voices of the silenced and to
question our own notions of the boundaries between West and non-West, between
“us” and “them.”
Required Texts
Chinua Achebe, Things
Fall Apart
Zee Edgell, Beka
Lamb
Jamaica
Kincaid, A Small Place
George Orwell, Animal Farm
Solomon, Barbara, ed. Other Voices, Other Vistas
Participation: 15%
Paper #1 (1-2 pages): 10%
Paper #2 (2-3 pages): 20%
Paper #3 (4-5 pages): 25%
Final
Exam 30%
Try to be actively present in class by being prepared to participate in class discussions, critique the readings, and express opinions. Not only is discussion important to your grade, but sharing your ideas in class will help refining your ideas in your papers. Your participation grade will include one oral presentation.
More than three absences—of any kind—will affect your grade. It is your responsibility to communicate with me about missed class time.
Papers are quite important to your grade. Consider using the resources you have at Wagner for helping you gather ideas and materials for your paper and improving your writing. Call the writing center at 420-4234 to set up an appointment. You can also contact me to set up an appointment or discuss ideas.
Evidence of plagiarism or cheating will result in an “F” for the course (not just the paper) and disciplinary proceedings. We will discuss how to cite sources to avoid plagiarism.
Out of fairness to each student, I will only give full credit to papers and assignments turned in by the due date. This may require planning ahead on your part, especially if you have multiple papers due on the same day. Late papers will be knocked down one-third of a grade for each week-day they are late. On the other hand, please do not hesitate to speak with me about a due date in case of emergency.
T 8/26 Howard Zinn, “Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress”
http://www.horizons.k12.mi.us/~aim/papers/zinncolumbus.html
Th 8/28 Zinn, “Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress”
Clip from The
Sopranos
*Zinn, “The
Others”: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Zinn/The_Others.html
T 9/2 George Orwell, Animal Farm
Th 9/4 Orwell,
Animal Farm
T 9/9 Tecumtha (“Tecumseh”), speech to William H. Harrison
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Cove/8286/harrison.html
Tecumtha, Letter to William H. Harrison
http://www.jmu.edu/madison/tecumseh/letterharrison.htm
Hinmahtoo Yahlatkekeht (“Chief Joseph”), Surrender speech
http://glenavalon.com/fightnomore.html
*Tecumtha, For a Pan-Indian Alliance
http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Cove/8286/history4.html
Th 9/11 Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”
http://douglass.speech.nwu.edu/doug_a10.htm
Thomas Jefferson, the original draft of the “Declaration of Independence”:
http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/AMERICA/DECLAR.HTM
Jefferson on slavery: http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/tj3/writings/slavery.htm
Thomas Paine on slavery: http://scican.net/~jsnider/afrslaveryinus.html
T 9/16 Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden”
http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/kipling.html
Sixto Lopez and Thomas Patterson, “The Filipinos Will Not ‘Take Up the White Man’s Burden’”: http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/lopez_wmb.html
Th 9/18 Martin Luther King, Jr., “BeyondVietnam”:
http://www.illuminingtalks.org/humanitarian/martin_luther_king/beyondvietnam
*Michael Ignatieff, “The Burden”: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/bush/burden.htm
T 9/23 Debate: The Price of Progress
Due: Paper #1 (1-2 pages)
Th 9/25 NO CLASS – Atlantic Avenue field trip
T 9/29 Chinua
Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Th 10/2 Achebe, Things Fall Apart
T 10/7 Nadine Gordimer, “Africa Emergent” (Other Voices)
Th 10/9 Khushwant Singh, “The Wog” (Other Voices)
T 10/14 NO CLASS – Monday Classes
Th 10/16 George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant”: http://www.k-1.com/Orwell/shoot.htm
T 10/21 Zee
Edgell, Beka Lamb (Chapters 1-14)
Th 10/23 Edgell, Beka Lamb (Chapters 15-26)
Due: Paper #2 (2-3
pages)
T 10/28 Ama Ata Aidoo, “For Whom Things Did Not Change” (handout)
Th 10/30 Bessie Head, “The Collector of Treasures” (Other Voices)
T 11/4 Mahasweta Devi, “Dhowli” (Other Voices)
Th 11/6 Hanif Kureishi, “My Son the Fanatic” (handout)
T 11/11 Jamaica Kincaid, A Small Place
Th 11/13 OPEN DATE
T 11/18 NO CLASS – Greenwich Village field trip
Th 11/20 Film: Stephanie Black, Life and Debt
*“National Security Strategy of the United States”: http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/nss.html
Due: Paper #3 (4-5
pages)
Th 11/27 NO CLASS – Thanksgiving holiday