This course is an introduction to a wide range of writings produced in different nations, languages and cultural contexts. While this course cannot claim to cover all literary traditions from all time periods, it does try to introduce the learners to representative texts that are available in English language. The objective of the course is to focus on learning how great writings can intervene and engage with global cultures while remaining rooted and situated in their specific, local contexts. These discussions need to be seen as ‘entry points’ that would enable to learners to explore world literatures.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: None
CORE/ELECTIVE: Elective
UG/PG: UG/PG
PREREQUISITES: None
INDUSTRY SUPPORT: None
1164 students have enrolled already!!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Merin Simi Raj teaches in the Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras. She has offered NPTEL courses namely, History of English Language and Literature; Postmodernism in Literature and Indian Fiction in English. Her other research and teaching interests are: Literary Criticism and theory; Anglo-Indian Studies and Literary historiography Studies.
COURSE LAYOUT:
Week 1 : Introduction Week 2 : Classics:Beowulf, Don Quixote, Arabian Nights Week 3 : Indian literature:Kalidasa, Tagore, Rushdie, Kamala Das Week 4 : Literature in translation:Akutagawa’s In a Grove Borges’ Garden of Forking Paths Manto’s Toba Tek Singh Week 5 : Short stories and excerpts from novels: Marquez, Borges, Calvino, Flaubert, Tolstoy Week 6 : Poetry Dover Beach, Wasteland, Song of Lawino Week 7 : Drama Ibsen’s Doll’s House Shakespeare’s Othello Week 8 : African-American literature,Toni Morrison,Achebe’s Things Fall Apart,Everyday Use by Alice Walker Week 9 : English and American literature:,Arnold’s Dover Beach,Eliot’s Wasteland,Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily Week 10 : Women writers:lGilman’s Yellow Wallpaper,Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko Week 11 : Prose (non-fiction) and critical theory:,Aristotle’s Poetics,Barthes’ Death of the author,Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own ,Kolodny’s Dancing through the minefield Week 12 : Contemporary writers and new genres
SUGGESTED READING MATERIALS:
• The Routledge Concise History of World Literature by Theo D’haen.World Literature: A Reader edited by Theo D’hael et al. What is World Literature by David Damrosch.
CERTIFICATION EXAM :
The exam is optional for a fee.
Date and Time of Exams: April 27 2019 (Saturday) Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published.
CERTIFICATION:
Final score will be calculated as : 25% assignment score + 75% final exam score
25% assignment score is calculated as 25% of average of Best 8 out of 12 assignments
E-Certificate will be given to those who register and write the exam and score greater than or equal to 40% final score. Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IITMadras.It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.
