Women, Literature and Identity in Africa

This course is an exploration of French literary and cultural productions by and about African women. It will determine the ways in which writers and filmmakers from various parts of the continent represent female identities and examine the historical, political, social and cultural determinants of their subjectivities. The course will explore the strategies used to overcome various challenges relating to gender in their respective societies as well as the way fiction serves as a tool for social subversion or transformation. Among the themes to be treated are identity, power, resistance, language, the body and sexuality. By the end of this seminar, students should be able to 1) identify the historical and political context surrounding the birth of African female writing; 2) describe specific issues central to African women writing; 3) define the avenues used by female protagonists to empower themselves in generally conservative societies.

Required texts:
Marima BÂ, Une si longue lettre, ISBN 2842612892
Calixthe BEYALA, C’est le soleil qui m’a brûlée, ISBN 2290025127
Malika MOKEDEM, Des rêves et des assassin, ISBN 2246514819