Francophone Indian Ocean Literature and Cultural History

This course introduces francophone literary works from the Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Mauritius & the Mascarenes, and the Comoros Archipelago) as a vital branch of transoceanic Francophone Studies of the Global South. Focusing primarily on 21st century literature and culture, students will investigate the entangled histories of European imperialism, Black slavery, South Asian indenture, and East Asian commerce that fuel the crucible of contemporary Indian Ocean creolization. This course responds to a need to situate Indian Ocean literature in global debates in world literature, critical race studies, human rights, militarization, queer and trans studies, ecocriticism, multispecies feminism, and migration.