Paper II: Twentieth-Century Indian Writing

Covering a range of genres such as the novel, drama, short story and poetry, this course aims to introduce students to the diversity and quality of literature produced in India in the last century. Moving from early twentieth century nationalism to late twentieth century globalitarianism, the course addresses contexts critical to the shaping of modern India and the identity of its people. The prescribed texts are united by themes common to the literature of this period such as the various partitions, urbanisation and alienation, tradition versus modernity, creative construction of a literary identity, language politics, colonial and post-colonial selves, and modern uses of ancient myths. Most of these works are in various Indian languages and read in translation. Some are originally written in English.

Prospective students are expected to be aware of and alert to the historical context of this period, and sensitive to the literature produced in India in general. They should also be familiar with the various formal structures utilized in different genres. Although most of the works are read in translation, some familiarity with the Indian languages (such as Hindi, Bangla and Telugu), will be a plus.