Polit of Africa: FictionFilm

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

In this course, we will take a look at the politics of Africa through the lens of fiction and film. Our discussions will focus on the transformative historical and political moments that have shaped the African continent over the course of the last two centuries. We will begin by reading Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a fictional narrative written in the heydays of European colonialism, as a means to understand the profound and inescapable effects of colonization. We will also explore fictional accounts of Apartheid in South Africa, the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya, and the Biafran War in Nigeria, among others, in order to understand the close and inextricable links between literature and politics in Africa. The enormous impact of iconic political figures such as Nelson Mandela and Seretse Khama on fiction and film will also be considered.