This course will
study a substantial body of the plays, poetry, essays, criticism, and memoirs
of Noble Laureate Akinwande
Oluwole “Wole” Soyinka (b. 1934) in relation to their various literary, historical, and
cultural contexts in Nigeria, Africa, Europe, and Great Britain. Born in Nigeria of
Yoruba parents, educated in Great Britain under the mentorship of Shakespeare
scholar and dramatist G. Wilson Knight, Soyinka, whose work draws on European
and British avant-garde dramatic theory, Yoruba mythology and oral traditions,
and the history and politics of colonial and post-independence Africa, has been
and remains a major influence in contemporary and postcolonial literature and
theory. Imprisoned, exiled, and sentenced to death in absentia by various
Nigerian regimes, Soyinka is a writer whose work and life epitomizes the power
of literature to transform social conditions. We will read, analyze, and
discuss major works of Soyinka, as well as critical articles on his works, in
terms of these various contexts.
REQUIRED TEXTS (will be available at Revolution Books):
Soyinka,
Collected Plays: Vol. 1
—–,
Death and the King’s Horseman (Norton
Critical Edition)
—–,
Opera Wonyosi
—–,
Idanre
—–,
A Shuttle in the Crypt
—–, Ake: The Years of Childhood
—–,
You Must Set Forth at Dawn
—–,
Myth, Literature, and the African World
A Course Reader,
which includes additional works by Soyinka as well as criticism and
supplementary materials.
REQUIREMENTS:
Homework: For each day’s reading assignment, a
written, informal response of one page (300-400 words) is required. The
response will either be based on study questions or will be a closer reading of
a particular passage. These will be graded credit/no credit/extra credit,
depending on whether they meet, fall short of, or exceed the basic
requirements.
Discussion Leading: Students will be responsible for two
discussions on assigned primary and secondary texts. These will be done in
groups of three. Students will prepare a set of open-ended discussion
questions.
Literary Essays: Students are required to write two 4-5 page
literary essays on the works read in class, using the assigned secondary source
material.
Research Paper: Students will read a work by Soyinka
that has not been assigned in class, conduct research on it, and write a 8-10
page research paper.
Presentations: Students will give two formal class
presentations.
- A report on a work by Soyinka that is not read in class, as well as its
critical reception - A presentation on their final research paper.
Final Examination: According to University policy, “final
examinations are required in all
undergraduate courses. . .
and must be taken during the scheduled examination period.” The
final exam for this course will
consist of objective answers (matching and identification) and essay questions.