Power and Protest in South African Literature
This 6-week course introduces students to key voices in the relationship between South African literature and South African politics. How did writers living under the oppressive, violent system of apartheid (1948-1990) use literature to subvert, critique and challenge the state? What literary strategies were used to turn poetry into a “weapon of struggle?” And how did writers respond when the struggle for freedom was won, and literature no longer needed to function as a “weapon?” In exploring these questions students will encounter a selection of poetry and short stories from a wide range of South African writers, including Chris van Wyk, Mongane Wally Serote, Zoë Wicomb, Ivan Vladislavić, Gabeba Baderoon and Pravasan Pillay.
Our meetings will involve a combination of lectures, seminar-style discussions, and in-class writing activities. Over the course of the semester students will refine their close reading skills, learn to identify and analyze literary techniques in prose and poetry, and develop their argumentation skills through a focus on the essay.