What does modernist literature look like in a global context? Informed by postcolonial, transnational and planetary approaches, we explore the idea of modernism as a network of artistic, cultural and intellectual exchange that crosses geographical and temporal boundaries. Students will learn about writing from all corners of the world that is both experimental in style and radical in content. Decentring and decolonising the canon of modernism so that it attends to texts from the Americas to Australasia, Africa to Asia, the module will also shed light on European modernism’s fraught relationship to Empire and histories of imperialism. A range of forms will be examined, including poetry, novels, short stories and essays, as well as the aesthetic, cultural and political contexts in which multiple modernisms emerged and grew in influence. In doing so, students will be introduced to the key critical debates on global modernisms, featuring discussion of topics as diverse as race, gender, class and the environment.
Seminars: 32 hours
1,000 words Critical Journal. Assessment Details: Reflections on critical debates relating to topics discussed on the module worth 25%.
3,000 words Essay. Assessment Details: Essay on a topic chosen by student worth 75%.
Reassessment Method: Single instrument100% written assessment (4,000 words)
On successfully completing the module, students will be able to:
1) identify and analyse the stylistic components and thematic content of different forms of modernism
2) apply close reading techniques to modernist texts and make productive comparisons between them
3) contribute to debates about how modernism has developed across different geographical locations and cultural traditions.
4) critically situate modernist texts in relation to key artistic, cultural and political contexts of the twentieth century
5) construct clear, organised and well-substantiated arguments about modernism in relation to postcolonial and transnational critical frameworks.
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