The years following independence from Britain in the 1960's saw an explosion of exciting writing from the English-speaking nations of the Caribbean. Many writers turned to West Indian folk culture while others looked to African roots or even used conventional Western forms to express concerns of race, identity, sexism, and colonialism. In this course we'll be reading and discussing some great stories, poems, and memoirs by folks like Jamaica Kincaid from Antigua, Derek Walcott from St. Lucia, Merle Hodge of Trinidad, Paule Marshall and George Lamming of Barbados, and many more. Please note that this course has a D2 designation which means that it is will help you fulfill the diversity requirement.

Learning objectives You will be able to-- Identify the cultural and historical context of selected works of fiction and poetry. Understand the role that the history of slavery continues to play in contemporary life. Characterize the influences of colonialism, post-colonialism, and neo-colonialism on the literature. Locate in the literature instances of identity crisis and rootlessness. Point out the effects of prejudice, discrimination and oppression on literary expression. Use critical approaches to achieve deeper understanding of selected works. Discuss the ways in which the literature illuminates the interaction between individuals and society. Coursework Expectations-- Plan to spend at least 2 to 6 hours on each assignment. Some will require less, some perhaps more. Read the assigned text, articles, or websites for each lesson. Respond to each reading assignment in a reflective journal write and/or a posting to the discussion board. Participate actively in all discussions. Submit a reading response (RR) essay following the guidelines at the conclusion of each module. At the end of the course, submit a final essay, following the guidelines given in Module 5.

Your course grade will be based on your journal writes, your contributions to the discussion board, and your reading response essays.