Postcolonial Pacific Writing (U02769)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : LLC-4-U02769

This course will explore a range of colonial and postcolonial writing of the Pacific region. We will begin by considering Euro-American discursive representations of Pacific peoples, focusing in particular on the Pacific writings of Herman Melville, Robert Louis Stevenson and Jack London, before examining a variety of poetry and prose by indigenous writers of the Pacific region. Particular areas of interest will include the following: dominant tropes in Euro-American discursive representations of Pacific Islanders since the late eighteenth century; representations of the 'Polynesian body' in literature, film and advertising; the impact of colonialism and neo-colonialism upon the indigenous cultures and literatures of the South Pacific; gender and sexuality in Pacific writing; and the relationship between 'oral' and 'written' modes of expression in indigenous Pacific writing.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Passes in Enlgish or Scottish Literature 1, and English or Scottish or American Literature 2, with a mark of 50 or above at the first attempt in the second year course. Passes in third year courses in the subject area amounting to at least 40 credits.

? Special Arrangements for Entry : Numbers are limited to 15, with priority given to students taking degrees involving English or Scottish Literature and Visiting Students placed by the Admissions Office. Students not in these categories need the written approval of the Head of English Literature before enrolling. In the case of excess applications places will be decided by ballot.

? Costs : Essential course texts.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

English Literature, (School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, Schedule G)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

? Other Required Attendance : 1 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will learn to analyse selected texts within both 'global' and 'local' cultural and theoretical frameworks, investigating ways in which Pacific writing and criticism intersect with international postcolonial writing and theory. They will be able to evaluate how these texts are inflected by the unique cultural politics of the Pacific region.