CMLIT 3Introduction to African Literatures

3 credits · Comparative Literature · Penn State

Comparative analysis of drama, essay, novel, poetry, and stories from traditional oral forms to contemporary expressions of African literary styles. CMLIT 3 Introduction to African Literatures (3) (GH;IL)(BA) This course meets the Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. CMLIT 3 , Introduction to African Literatures, provides an introduction to the wonderful variety of African literary production, from early oral epic traditions, through the colonial/post-colonial period, to recent Nobel Prize winning authors. We will read texts written in English or translated into English from French or African languages, including several recorded from the oral tradition, as well as some texts from the African Diaspora. These literatures come from different geographic and cultural areas of Africa, and are composed in a variety of forms (novel, drama, epic, poetry), and range in date from 2,000 BCE to the colonial period to the modern national era. The focus of the course, however, is on the 20th century. We will also consider the ways in which history, culture and geography impact literary production. African literary and cultural influences on Western traditions may also be explored. Students will be evaluated on some or all of the following: short answer/essay exams, in -class discussion and group work, written assignments, collaborative presentations, and a final comprehensive exam/essay. Writing and speaking will always be included. This course fulfills a requirement for the Comparative Literature major and the World Literature minor. This course also fulfills the General Education Humanities requirement and the Bachelor of Arts Humanities and Other Cultures requirement. It also satisfies the United States and International Competence requirement.