Narratives of Mobility in Contemporary Hindi Literature (Masters)
- Module Code:
- 15PSAH006
- Credits:
- 15
- Taught in:
- Term 2
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
By the end of the module students will have gained direct acquaintance with some of the most significant authors and works of post-1947 Hindi literature, learnt to apply techniques of textual analysis, and reflected upon the strategies needed in order to use literary texts in order to consider broader cultural, social and political questions.
Workload
A total of 10 weeks teaching with 2 hours classroom contact per week consisting of 1 hour lecture and 1 hour seminar.
Scope and syllabus
Post-1947 Hindi literature is full of narratives of mobility, change and transformation. While the conventional account speaks of a single journey into modernity, in the shape of alienated individuals, nuclear families and urban anomy (e.g. G. Roadarmel, ‘The Theme of Alienation in the Hindi Short Story’, and Death in Delhi), the reality thrown up by literature appears much more complex, ambivalent and messy. Whether it is the conflicting pulls of old and new gender identities, or the relationship between village and city and region and nation, or the tension between lower caste origin and middle class identity, contemporary Hindi literature offers a vivid picture of how change actually takes place in contemporary India.
The module will consist of seminars during which we will analyse and discuss sample texts in Hindi (stories or chapters from novels), in the light of secondary literature on social transformation. Genres discussed will include regionalist writing, popular fiction, women’s writing and Dalit autobiographies.
Method of assessment
An essay of 4,000 to be submitted on day 1, week 1, in the term following teaching (80%); a 20 minute oral presentation (20%).