142148 UE Social Reforms, Nationalist Consciousness and Anti-colonial Activism in Hindi Literature (2020S)

This course introduces students to literary expressions of Hindi writers from India that provide insight into oeuvres of different writers as it emerged in a period of heightened social reforms, nationalist consciousness and anti-colonial activism. We read short stories and excerpts from novels related to our focus. The readings pay particular attention to the condition of peasants, colonial economic exploitation, nationalist consciousness and women’s issues. Our main focus will be on Premchand’s writings. He established the realistic trend in Hindi literature that was previously dominated by themes of adventure and romance and used the novel as a medium for social change.
The class meetings are divided into close reading, discussion and formal lecturing. It is absolutely necessary that all students engage with the weekly reading in order to participate in the class discussions. Regular participation and a sound knowledge of Hindi are strictly demanded for the course. Final examination asks students to respond to questions pertaining to the class readings. The final grade will be calculated as follows: class attendance, reading text preparation and participation 20%, final exam 30%, home works 20%, an essay of 2, 500 words (in Hindi) on a given topic at the end of the semester (30%)