Christine Rezk

Email: christine.rezk@wright.edu
Office Location: Millet Hall 482
Office hours: TH 2:00-3:20
Colonial/ Postcolonial Literature

Required Texts:

Frederick Lugard, The Value of British Rule in the Tropics to British Democracy and
the Native Races (course documents)
The Letter of Christopher Columbus to Queen Isabella (course documents)
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Ismat Chugtai, The Quilt and Other Stories (course docments)
J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace
Excerpts from Edward Saids Orientalism (course documents)
Nawal El Saadawi, Memoirs of a Woman Doctor
Randa Jarrar, A Map of Home
Junot Piaz, This is How You Lose Her

Course Description:
A study of Postcolonial literature in the twentieth century by authors from postcolonial contexts
(Nigeria, South Africa, India, Egypt and Palestine). These texts will be examined in their
historical contexts, with due emphasis upon their interrelations. The themes and issues to be
pursued include:
language
identity
gender
race
diaspora

Course Requirements:

Participation: This course will be conducted as a discussion group with occasional lecture.
Hence, students are expected to participate regularly and actively. 15% of the final grade is based
on participation.

Attendance: You are allowed up to four excused/unexcused absences. Chronic lateness and
excessive absence will result in a lowered course grade. Students who miss more than six
classes will fail the course.

Conferences: If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please come and see me during
the office hours posted at the top of this page. If you are unavailable during office hours, we can
schedule an appointment.

Quizzes: There will be a short reading quiz on each of the books. These will consist of short
answer questions. Reading quizzes will total 25% of the final grade.

Response Paper: Each student is required to write one short response paper (one and a half to
two double-spaced pages) addressing some of the issues that the texts discuss. The student
should be ready to talk about their responses in class. The response can be an insightful and
intriguing observation about the literature and often the most compelling observations come in
the form of questions! As much as possible, use a detail from the text to reinforce your
observation. This is not about finding the final word on the text. Rather, the response topic is a
starting point for the class to interrogate aspects of the literature, thus informing and enriching
our experience of the work.

Helpful Questions for Choosing a Good Response Topic:

What seemed to you an important aspect of your reading?
What questions or problems occurred to you as you read the text?
What baffled or bothered you? What seemed troublesome?
What was uncovered that perhaps had not been clear before?
What most struck you about a specific tone or word use?
Is there some aspect of previous discussions, or even previously discussed fiction, that
connects with what you are currently reading?

The response paper accounts for 20% of the total grade.

Essay: You will be required to write a research paper to fulfill your writing requirement. This
paper will be 6-8 pages long. Your essay counts for 40% of the final grade. The Deadline for
submitting your essay is Tuesday, December 9 at 12 p.m.

Please remember that this class is part of the Integrated Writing Program. Students who are
enrolled in the program should be able to produce writing that:

Demonstrates their understanding of course content,
Is appropriate for the audience and purpose of a particular writing task,
Demonstrates the degree of mastery of disciplinary writing conventions appropriate to the course
(including documentation conventions), and
Shows competency in standard edited American English.

Course Grade Breakdown:
Participation 15%
Quizzes 25%
Response Papers 20%
Essay 40%

Classroom Expectations:
Unless otherwise directed, please refrain from using electronic devices during class.
Late work will not be accepted unless you contact me prior to the deadline.
Do not plagiarize. In the English program, the penalty for plagiarism is an automatic F
for the course and a letter detailing the offense in your permanent file.
Course Schedule:
Tuesday, August 26
Introduction
Thursday, August 28
The letter of Christopher Columbus on the discovery of America (course documents)
The value of British rule in the tropics to British democracy and the native races /
Frederick Lugard (course documents)
Tuesday, September 2
Things Fall Apart

Thursday, September 4
Things Fall Apart
Tuesday, September 9
Things Fall Apart

Thursday, September 11
Things Fall Apart
Quiz on Things Fall Apart

Tuesday, September 16
Disgrace
Thursday, September 18
Disgrace
Tuesday, September 23
Class is cancelled
Thursday, October 25
Class is cancelled
Tuesday, September 30
Disgrace
Thursday, October 2
Quiz on Disgrace
Selection of stories from The Quilt and Other Stories
Tuesday, October 7
Quiz on The Quilt and Other Stories
Deconstruction Theory (You dont need to prepare anything for this class)
Thursday, October 9
Excerpts from Orientalism
Tuesday, October 14
Excerpts from Orientalism
Thursday, October 16
Memoirs of a Woman Doctor (chapter 1-chapter 3)
Tuesday, October 21
Memoirs of a Woman Doctor (chapter 4-chapter end of the book)
Thursday, October 23
A Map of Home
Quiz on Memoirs of a Woman Doctor
Tuesday, October 28
A Map of Home
Thursday, October 30
A Map of Home
Quiz on A Map of Home
Tuesday, November 4
Class is cancelled. We are having individual conferences instead.
Thursday, November 6
Class is cancelled. We are having individual conferences instead.
Tuesday, November 11
Veterans Day holiday; University closed
Thursday, November 13
Screening of a film
Tuesday, November 18
Screening and discussion of film
Thursday, November 20
MlA and research writing revision
Tuesday, November 24
This is How you Lose Her
Thursday, November 27
Thanksgiving holiday; University closed
Tuesday, December 2
Presentations
Thursday, December 7
Presentations