Reading and composition in connection with eastern and western representations of India, and other Asian cultures, in great works of modern literature. Satisfies the second half of the reading and composition requirement.

The detective is a curious character in Bengali Literature. From its origins in late 19th and early 20th century London, the detective novel soon migrated to become a major genre in Bengal in the early 20th century Bengal. Calcutta, the major metropolis of British India, remains the epicentre of Detective Novels not just in Bengal but in larger South Asian Literature. In post-colonial India, the detective novel becomes a major form of entertainment that is able to penetrate audiences of all kinds. In the 21st century, there is a renewed zeal for the same within newer audio-visual mediums and it has increasingly become one of the most marketable genres. In this course, we will take a sneak peek into this oeuvre of literature and cinema. Our aim is to see what is unique ‘bengali’ about these detectives and how they are set apart from detectives in other parts of the world. We will also try to analyse the reasons for the genre’s ever-growing popularity and its cultural positioning in modern West Bengal The syllabus is divided into four modules. The first module will focus on introducing the idea of colonial and post-colonial literature and thinking about what the detective novel means in this context. We will be reading critical texts and early detective literature. The next two sections will focus on two specific detectives: Byomkesh Bakshi and Feluda. They both are major cultural actors in the context of modern Bengal, and therefore we both read books and see films. In the fourth section, we will be looking at newer detectives and mysteries, and how the phenomena have evolved in post-liberalised modernity.

Requisites

• Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature and Composition. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills