Referencing Edward Said's observations of the copious "allusions to the facts of empire" in British literature of the nineteenth- and early-twentieth centuries, Dionne Brand has argued that "power relations are embedded in the structure and form of storytelling" that such texts perform. With the goal to study and better understand the "pedagogy of colony" (Brand) embedded in Victorian literature, this seminar invites students to read and discuss selections of nineteenth-century poetry and prose through a postcolonial lens. In this seminar, students will 1) practice close reading narrative texts with an eye to both formal/aesthetic and historical/political aspects; 2) familiarize themselves with key concepts from the fields of postcolonial studies, imperial gothic, Black studies, queer and feminist theory, adaptation studies; 3) develop the ability to critically engage with secondary literature and contemporary debates on the representation and negotiation of Empire in Victorian literature.

This course sets a particular focus on practicing a collaborative and respectful discussion culture as well as developing academic writing skills needed to prepare the term paper. Students are asked to complete the assigned readings, attend class regularly, and actively participate in class discussions.

Kurs im HIS-LSF