ENH2125

Empire games: reading sex and race

Offered subject to approval

Maryanne Dever and Denise Cuthbert

6 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Berwick[breve] Prohibitions: WMN3120 and CLS3120

Objectives On successful completion of this subject, students should have developed an understanding of the central debates and issues relating to questions of race and gender in the imperial/colonial domain; an understanding of a series of key texts - literary, historical, filmic - from within the context of historical colonialism; and enhanced skills in research, textual analysis and in the development of argument, both orally and in writing.

Synopsis How do questions of sex and race affect debates in the area of imperialism? Can specific discourses of race and sexuality foster the goals of white supremacy and patriarchy? These are some of the questions this course will address in introducing students to the relationships between sex, race and empire. Empire games: reading sex and race in intended to be interdisciplinary in its approach to the topic, incorporating literary, historical and filmic perspectives. It is designed to be offered to students at second-year level and presupposes no prior knowledge in the areas of postcolonialism or gender theory.

Assessment Short exercise (1200 words): 30%
* Long essay (2500 words): 50%
* seminar participation and paper (equivalent to 800 words): 20%

Required reading

Charlotte Bront` Jane Eyre
Katherine Prichard Coonardoo
Rudyard Kipling Stalky and Co.

Films

King Kong dir. David O Selznick, 1933
Nice Coloured Girls dir. Tracey Moffat, 1987
The Good Woman of Bangkok dir. Dennis O'Rourke, 1991
The Letter dir. William Wyler, 1940
The World of Suzie Wong dir. Richard Quine, 1960
Students will also be required to obtain a reading pack of excerpts at the commencement of the subject from the department.