For the second essay you will craft a comparative analysis of two works we have read thus far in class. Please select one of the topics from the prompts below.
1) Domination, Conquest, and Colonization. Compare/contrast the hierarchies of colonial domination in two texts. Specifically, go beyond the typical racial tropes employed and meditate in the roles that gender and sexuality play. Are there instances where the colonizer is described masculine and the colonized (people, land, etc.) feminine? How do you interpret these instances? What role do these instances play in how colonialism is understood?
2) (Un)covering histories. From Achebe writing on the colonization of Africa to Neruda writing on the Haitian Revolution, many of the texts we have read thus far take up the task of rewriting or recasting histories that fall outside of dominant narratives. Select two texts and compare/contrast their approaches. Why histories are being addressed? Why is their being rewritten important? How do these texts change history itself?
The first draft will be workshopped in class on Monday, November 2. You must bring a complete daft (i.e. 2-3 pages, 2 critical sources, etc) to workshop that day. The final revised draft is due on Monday, November 9.