ENGLISH 127a
The Novel in India
Fall 2016
Tuesdays/Fridays 11am-12:20pm
Professor Ulka Anjaria
Phone: (781) 736-2162
Email:
Office Hours: Thursdays 11:30-1:30 and by appointment
Office: Rabb 239
This course will provide the theoretical and historical tools to study the Indian novel from some of its earliest instances in the late nineteenth century to its newest examples in the twenty-first. We will approach the novel both thematically (in terms of colonialism, nationalism, etc.) as well as formally (i.e., why a novel? what does the novel do that other genres cannot?) in order to highlight the uniqueness and continuities of the genre in the Indian context. Alongside novels written in English as well as in other Indian languages, we will read important texts from the large body of scholarship on the novel, such as writings by Lukács, Bakhtin, Barthes, and others. The primary goals of the class are to offer a taste of the rich diversity of the Indian novel; to interrogate the genre in relation to the large-scale political, social and economic shifts India has undergone since the late nineteenth century; and to try to understand the usefulness of seemingly universal concepts such as “realism” and “the novel” outside of the provinces of their invention.
By the end of the course, students should have the following skills:
v familiarity with a range of Indian novels and their authors;
v a basic sense of the field of novel theory and its applicability and limitations to studies of the non-western novel;
v the ability to recognize the value of fictional representations in understanding the politics, history and culture of India;
v the ability to undertake an extended close reading of a passage;
v the ability to write clearly and critically about literature;
v an increased understanding of and respect for cultural traditions other than their own.
Required Texts, available at Brandeis bookstore. No e-books please:
The White Tiger, Arvind Adiga
Six Acres and a Third, Fakir Mohan Senapati
Kanthapura, Raja Rao
Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
Family Matters, Rohinton Mistry
The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma, Ratika Kapur
Course reader (available in class)
Course Requirements:
1) Attendance at all course sessions. As in any English seminar, class discussion is the primary means of developing your ideas. For this reason, attendance in class is mandatory. Please complete the required readings before the date listed on the syllabus. A perfect attendance grade means not only showing up, but bringing with you all the required reading in print form (this means bringing your copy of the novel and/or the course reader with you every day) and engaging with the material during class.
In order to retain the intimacy of the classroom setting, laptop computers will not be allowed unless a special request is made. Misuse of this exception will result in its revocation. Use of cell phones in class for talking, texting or reading/writing email is also prohibited. If you text in class, it will be counted against your attendance grade for that day.
You are responsible for all the material covered in missed classes. Three unexcused absences will be taken as grounds for failing the course. If you miss more than 2 classes you must meet with the instructor and find a way to prove your continued engagement with the class (i.e. response papers on missed classes, etc.).
Religious Exemptions: Please inform the instructor as early as possible about any anticipated absences due to religious holidays, and be prepared to make up the work missed on those days. For a full description of Brandeis’s regulations governing coursework and religious observance, please see http://www.brandeis.edu/das/downloads/AcademicCourseworkandReligiousObservations.pdf.
Athletic Exemptions: Participation in an intercollegiate sport must be documented in a letter from the Athletic Director and presented to the instructor at the beginning of the semester, accompanied by a schedule for the season. Class sessions missed due to travel for athletic events should be made up in consultation with the instructor. For the full guidelines on conflicts between coursework and intercollegiate athletic competition, please see http://www.brandeis.edu/das/downloads/GuidelinesforAthletes.pdf.
2) Participation in class discussion is expected and will comprise a significant percentage of your final grade. The course size and seminar setting are ideal environments for us to learn from each other. Your participation grade will depend on the consistency of your participation and on the quality and insight of your comments. If you are shy or not comfortable talking in class, please come see me individually to discuss the course material, in order to ensure a strong participation grade. It is essential that all students come to class and be engaged with the material at all times.
3) Close Reading Papers
You will be asked to write two short papers throughout the semester which will involve a close reading of a passage of your choice. These papers will be 4 pages long and will allow you to develop your close reading and analytic writing skills. All papers should be uploaded to LATTE by the date and time listed on the syllabus. Late papers will be graded down 2 points per day late.
4) Midterm and Final Exams
There will be two exams this semester, a midterm and a final. The midterm will be held during class period and the final exam will be held during finals week. They will test your reading skills, your knowledge of our course texts, and your ability to synthesize the course material. More information and exam format will be distributed during the semester.
Plagiarism will be treated as a serious offense and will be penalized. All references must be fully cited. If you are unclear about what constitutes plagiarism, or unsure of how to cite your sources appropriately, please consult with me, or with the “Citing Sources” information on the following Brandeis webpage: http://lts.brandeis.edu/research/index.html
Grading:
Attendance: 10%
Participation: 10%
Short Papers: 25%
Midterm Exam: 25%
Final Exam: 30%
NOTE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS:
The attendance, participation and short paper requirements are the same. Graduate students do not have to complete the midterm and final exams. Instead, you will write a final paper of 15-20 pages, which should demonstrate scholarly engagement with the course texts at a level commensurate with the degree sought (MA or PhD). Graduate students should meet with me individually at the beginning of the semester to discuss their individual goals for the course.
If you are a student who needs academic accommodations because of a documented disability you should contact me, and present your letter of accommodation, as soon as possible. If you have questions about documenting a disability or requesting academic accommodations you should contact Beth Rodgers-Kay in Academic Services at 6-3470. Letters of accommodations should be presented at the start of the semester to ensure provision of accommodations. Accommodations cannot be granted retroactively.
Course schedule:
*Note: This schedule is subject to change during the course of the semester, so please bring your copy of the syllabus to class every day.
August 26- introduction to course
Module I: What is a Novel?
August 30- Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger (pp. 1-95); M.M. Bakhtin, from “Discourse in the Novel” (pp. 261-3, 292-4, 298-300)
September 2- The White Tiger (pp. 97-189); M.M. Bakhtin, from Rabelais and His World (pp. 10-11, 24-27)
September 6- The White Tiger (pp. 191-276); Roland Barthes, from Writing Degree Zero (pp. 29-33); Elizabeth Deeds Ermarth, from Realism and Consensus (pp. 51-54)
September 9- Fakir Mohan Senapati, Six Acres and a Third (pp. 35-96)
September 13- Six Acres and a Third (pp. 97-150); Elizabeth Deeds Ermarth, from Realism and Consensus (pp. 38-41)
Extra Credit: Naresh Fernandes, journalist, writer and editor of Scroll.in will be giving the Soli Sorabjee Lecture at 4pm on September 13. Write a short reponse relating the lecture to our class themes and you will get extra credit on the midterm exam.
September 16- Six Acres and a Third (pp. 151-217); Satya Mohanty, from Introduction to Six Acres and a Third (pp. 15-23); Lal Behari Day, “Premises What the Reader Is to Expect” (pp. 5-7)
Module II: National Allegory
September 20- Raja Rao, Kanthapura (Foreword and pp. 1-80); Fredric Jameson, from “Third-World Literature in the Era of Multinational Capitalism” (pp. 65-67 and 69)
September 23- Kanthapura (pp. 81-182); Ian Watt, from The Rise of the Novel (pp. 82-85)
CLOSE READING 1 DUE September 25, 5PM
September 27- Salman Rushdie, Midnight’s Children (pp. 3-85)
September 30- Midnight’s Children (pp. 86-169)
October 4- NO CLASS
October 7- Midnight’s Children (pp. 170-271); Kumkum Sangari, from “Politics of the Possible” (pp. 162-5)
October 11- Midnight’s Children (pp. 272-350)
October 14- Midnight’s Children (pp. 351-441); Linda Hutcheon, from Politics of Postmodernism (pp. 50-51, 53-54, 57-59)
October 18- Midnight’s Children (pp. 442-533)
October 21- IN-CLASS MIDTERM EXAM
October 25- NO CLASS
October 28- Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things (pp. 3-117)
November 1- The God of Small Things (pp. 118-216); Benedict Anderson, from Imagined Communities (pp. 22-28)
November 4- The God of Small Things (pp. 217-321)
Module III: Postcolonial Realism
November 8- Rohinton Mistry, Family Matters (pp. 3-117)
November 11- Family Matters (pp. 118-221)
November 15- Family Matters (pp. 222-320); Georg Lukács, from Theory of the Novel (pp. 29-31, 60-62, 65-67, 88-89, 92-93)
November 18- Family Matters (pp. 321-434)
CLOSE READING 2 DUE November 20, 5PM
Module IV: The Indian Novel’s Futures
November 22- Ratika Kapur, The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma (pp. TBA)
November 25- NO CLASS
November 29- The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma (pp. TBA)
December 2- R. Raj Rao, from The Boyfriend (pp. 1-23); Sarnath Banerjee, from Corridor (pp. 1-27); Anuja Chauhan, from Battle for Bittora (pp. 1-25); Chetan Bhagat, from Half Girlfriend (pp. 1-23); Manil Suri, from The City of Devi (pp. 1-23); Ashok Banker, Prince of Ayodhya (pp. 1-18)
December 6- Final exam review in class
FINAL EXAM DATE TBA
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