Course code:

HS4110

Level:

MA - Intermediate/Advanced

Class size limit:

15

Meets the following requirements:

  • HS - Human Studies

Lab fee:

0

Typically offered:

Upon occasion

“For him it meant that everything which existed was interconnected: the trees, the sky, the weather, people, poetry, science, nature. He hunted down facts in the way a magpie collects shiny things. Yet when he strung them all together, somehow they did become stories—of a kind.” — Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide

Amitav Ghosh uses the words above to describe one of his characters, but the same words could be used for him. A prominent postcolonial writer in English with a background in social anthropology, Amitav Ghosh has long written about the world’s interconnectedness in both his fiction and nonfiction. His works are not just stories but reflections on how the past shapes the present and the future and how memories of the past, long forgotten, can teach us how to deal with the issues that plague us now, like climate change.

This course, then, will be a deep dive into his magnum opus, the Ibis trilogy: The Sea of Poppies (2008), The River of Smoke (2011), and The Flood of Fire (2015). As we set sail on the Indian Ocean, journeying alongside the crew of Ibis, we will explore the intricate web of connections brought forward by the themes of subalternity, colonialization, trade, wars, and the environment. While our focus will be on the novels, we will also look at some of the author’s nonfictional work, like Smoke and Ashes: Opium’s Hidden Histories (2023), which will provide an understanding of the context but also the depth of his research that culminated into three key pieces of literature.

This will be a reading-intensive class appropriate for students interested in fiction, history, and languages (some languages that appear are Bengali, Hindi, Bhojpuri, Persian, Cantonese, Chinese Pidgin, and Mauritian Creole). A background in literary/critical theory and familiarity with Ghosh’s other works will be helpful, though not required. You will be evaluated through class discussions and written assignments such as short responses, an oral presentation, a 10-12 page critical analysis paper, and a multimodal project.

Prerequisites:

None. 

Always visit the Registrar's Office for the official course catalog and schedules.