Intro to Comp Lit

What can literature tell us about lives shaped by war and displacement? Over the course of the semester, we will approach this question through a comparative analysis of literary texts that foreground refugee experience. We will read several novels and short stories written by Vietnamese diasporic authors, as well as texts addressing the experiences of refugees in African and global contexts. In our discussions, we will consider several interrelated topics: how do refugee writers render into narrative profound historical ruptures and geographic displacements?