Comics and decolonization

Teacher(s)

Bragard Véronique;

Language

English

Prerequisites

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

Main themes

The lecturer will have a choice between one or several authors of the Older Period (the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century - e.g. William Shakespeare), or a more recent writer (e.g. T.S. Eliot, Toni Morrison, Caryl Phillips). The course will examine how the literary perception of this writer has changed in the course of time, and how his or her impact on literature and society has likewise developed.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	The aim of this course is to help the student acquire a scholarly method to read and examine literary texts written by one or several authors, to analyze their impact, and to situate these texts in their historical, sociological and generic context. At the end of the course, the students will be able to read and write research papers in the field by relying on the literary and scholarly knowledge they have acquired. The course is also indirectly meant to increase the students' lexical skills. Their analyses will therefore have to reflect a command of the English language that corresponds to their level (Masters), as well as a good grasp of the various cultural concepts discussed in the course.

Content

This course introduces students to the comics medium and encourages them to develop an understanding of comics and graphic novels through critical analysis, comics theory, and postcolonial studies. First, it examines how comics work (linearity/tabularity/sequence/panel/color..), how to close-read the comics page and how certain elements relate to literary tropes. The second part of the class compares a number of comics adaptations and the texts they are based on. Starting from Baetens’ observation that adaptation involves accepting to move away from the model (Baetens 2020 :188), we discuss the way adaptations offer new interpretations of the original texts. The third part of the class examines several comics with particular attention to (de)colonial aspects. After a historical, anthropological and sociological contextualization of the Congolese situation, and an introduction to postcolonial studies (Fanon, Césaire, Mudimbé, Mbembe, a.o.), we analyze how recent comics engage with colonial history and forms of coloniality. Beyond studying the engagement of comics with issues of caricature, stereotype and representation, we discuss the decolonial gestures at work at the core of these creative works. 

Teaching methods

Interactive lectures. Students actively participate in the seminar.
Term paper and in-class presentations.

Evaluation methods

Oral and/or written exam. When the course is organized as a seminar, active participation (oral presentation, discussions, term paper) is taken into account.

Other information

Teaching material : Secondary literature linked to the topic of the course, In-class paragraphs and presentations.

Faculty or entity

ELAL