South Asian 131: Introduction to Contemporary Tamil Literature

South Asian 131: Introduction to Contemporary Tamil Literature

Offered completely in English translation, this course aims to introduce modern literatures in the Tamil language written in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia and other Tamil diasporic spaces. During the course, students will encounter a wide variety of literary aesthetic practices that shape contemporary Tamil literary histories and their interactions with the larger national literary discourses that shape South and South East Asia. Through critical reading and analysis from mid-19thcentury to the present historical moment, students will discover how literature is closely linked to the creation and evolution of global Tamil history, culture and identity. Course Objectives •Learning the complexities of Tamil ethnic identity through literature •An understanding of Tamil literature’s social, historical, local and global contexts •Learning to read primary and secondary texts critically in order to analyse the distinctive literary strategies and devices deployed in these texts •Demonstrate an ability to produce critical accounts of literature, paying attention to both formal and contextual issues. •Performing individual presentations and leading the seminar discussion.