Decolonization: Literatures and Textual Arts

Teacher(s)

De Taeye Lieselot (compensates Vanasten Stéphanie); Vanasten Stéphanie;

Language

Dutch

Prerequisites

An introductory knowledge of Dutch literature and a good proficiency in Dutch (advanced level, B2 + of the Common European reference framework)

Main themes

In-depth study of a literary and cultural comparative corpus related to postcolonial societies.
Critical analysis of issues connected with Memory and Colonial Past, in particular the transnational narration of memories. Special attention will be paid to the contribution of literary and artistic productions, through the (re)negotiation of intergroup relations, to a dynamic construction of collective identities.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
.	At the end of the course, students will be able to: develop the necessary methodological competences for the in-depth study of literary and artistic productions related to the colonial past; deepen their literary and cultural knowledge; develop a critical approach in order to interpret the studied texts and to integrate the sociocultural and postcolonial context in this heuristic approach; critically interpret texts and integrate the sociocultural context in this heuristic approach; read and write scholarly essays in the domain studied.

Content

The course deals with the representation of the Belgian colonial past in Dutch-language literary texts. This colonial history has given rise to an important Dutch-language literary production from the end of the 19thcentury onward. We will try to understand how different authors, from the colonial and post-independence period until today, write the Congo and to the development of which memory/ies their texts contribute. Starting from a delimited but representative corpus, we will examine how these literary texts are related to a specific process of fictionalisation and defictionalisation. We will also examine how these texts deal with societal and ideological problems, because these issues often underlie the writing process.

Teaching methods

Lectures supported by audio-visual materials and combined with interactive activities. The students are expected to do some preparatory reading and research in order to take part in the discussion. If possible, the course will be organised as a seminar.

Evaluation methods

Continuous assessment. Active participation in the course or seminar (oral presentation, discussions and workshops) is required : 20 %. If you do not attend the course, you lose 20% of your final mark.
Group presentation of an original analysis + discussion with the other students and teacher : 30 %.
Essay based on the presentation : 40 %.
Oral exam based on the essay : 10%.

Other information

Teaching material : Texts, handouts, documents on Moodle.

Bibliography

Bibliographie primaire (extraits)
Cyriel Buysse – De zwarte kost (1898)
Gerard Walschap – Oproer in Kongo (1953)
Aimé Césaire – Une Saison au Congo (1966)
Jef Geeraerts – Gangreen I. Black Venus (1968)
Hugo Claus – Het leven en de werken van Leopold II (1970)
Sony Labou Tansi – La vie et demie (1979)
David Van Reybrouck – Congo (2010)
Koen Peeters – De mensengenezer (2017)
Astrid Roemer – Gebroken wit (2019)
Nadia Nsayi – Dochter van de dekolonisatie (2020)
Bibliographie secondaire
Boehmer, E. & De Mul, S. (ed.), The Postcolonial Low Countries: Literature, Colonialism, and Multiculturalism, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2012.
Dewulf, J. & Renders, L., ‘Introduction’, in: The Congo in Flemish Literature. An Anthology of Flemish Prose on the Congo, 1870s - 1990s, Leuven: Leuven University Press, 2020.
Herman, L. & Vervaeck, B., ‘Postcolonial Narratology’, in: Handbook of Narrative Analysis, Lincoln: Nebraska Press, 2019, pp. 246-254.
Mudimbe, V.Y., The Invention of Africa. Gnosis Philosophy, and the Order of Knowledge, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988.

Faculty or entity

ELAL