Images of Africa in Literature and Art, C. 1800 to Present Day

3 units

This course examines representations of Africa, African peoples, and African cultures from the early nineteenth-century to the present day. Drawing on a wide variety of African and colonial source materials-including novels, photographs, art, advertising, and movies-we will critically explore the ways in which historical developments and cultural products helped to shape conceptions of African identities and ethnicities. Among other issues, we will address the legacy of the slave trade; gender and the construction of cultural traditions; colonial society, nationalist resistance, and the rise of pan-Africanism; and South African Apartheid. Emphasis will be placed on critical engagement with the source materials through written assignments and participation in class discussion. Freshmen only.