The period after WWII witnessed a wave of immigrants who came to Britain from formerly colonized countries, particularly from the Caribbean, India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Ghana. Since the early 1950s, many of these immigrants have dealt with issues of race and racism, a work force in flux, shifting gender and sexual roles, right-wing policies, anti-immigrant sentiments, the pull and contradictions of homeland cultures and customs, etc. These negotiations are articulated through a strong genre in British fiction known as Black British writing. Such works of fiction have helped to create a new British experience, as well as innovative theories of understanding culture itself. This reading-intensive course will focus on the above issues through an examination of literature and film thru the lens of postcolonial studies. We will begin the course by learning about the complexities of various colonial discourses and postcolonial theories, and use our insights to read fiction with attention to cultural and historical nuance.

Texts:

• Andrea Levy. Small Island.
• Hanif Kureishi. The Buddha of Suburbia.
• John McLeod. Beginning Postcolonialism.