1880.10 - Postcolonialism and gender in Scandinavian literature


Course number
1880.10
Title
Postcolonialism and gender in Scandinavian literature
ECTS
10
Purpose
The aim of the course is to study and discuss Faroese and Nordic literature in the 20th century from the perspective of literary theories about post-colonialism.
Content
Theories about post-colonialism stem mainly from English-language literary research and they consider issues of power and textuality in colonies and colonial powers. They focus on, for example, how parts of the culture of the colonial power leave their mark on the colony and feed into resistance against the colonial power. Post-colonialism is a constant process, and is reflected in national symbols and symbolic descriptions of the nation. Gender immediately becomes interesting, these are questions of power, for one, because women suffer double colonisation: women, like men, are subjected to colonial rule; moreover, women are discriminated against because of their gender. However, in literary as in social context gender does not just mean biological sex. Gender is constructed through tradition and imagined descriptions, for example, in poetry. In periods when nationalist movements have peaked, women have generally chosen either to oppose the colonial power or the patriarchy. Challenging both at the same time is rare. What is radical and liberating in one context is oppressive in the other. Nationalist discourse has also proven to be about women, whereas women themselves have a hard time making their voices heard in such discourse. These observations were made by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Partha Chatterjee, respectively. The course will consider how Faroese and other Nordic literature deal with colonialism. We will read excerpts from descriptions of the Faroes by Tomas Tarnovius and Lucas Debes, as well as from a travel journal from a visit to the Shetlands by Christian Pløyen in 1835. We will study poetry and stories by Billa Hansen and Súsanna Helena Patursson from the last quarter of the 19th century in greater detail. The main focus will be on fiction and essays from the Faroes and its neighbouring countries by authors such as: Jóannes Patursson, Heðin Brú, Johanna Maria Skylv Hansen, Oddvør Johansen, Marianna Debes Dahl, Carl Jóhan Jensen and Bergtóra Hanusardóttur. One can hardly discuss postcolonial literature without reference to literature from the English speaking world. We will read excerpts from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys’ The wide Sargasso Sea. We will also discuss some of the theory in the field and the course textbook will be Postkolonialisme, edited by Hans Hauge (Aarhus universitetsforlag 2007).
Learning and teaching approaches
The course is organized into lectures and student presentations, discussions and short written assignments.
Assessment method
Set take-home assignment.
Contact
Malan Marnersdóttir