21st Century Literature

Outline Week 1-6

Quarter 2
Week 1

Features of 21st Century World Literature

Irony, playfulness and black humor
- are used to treat serious subjects, topics and themes in a playful and humorous way.
Intertextuality
- is the relationship between one text another or one text within literary
history and can be a reference to another literary work, an extended discussion of a work, or
the adoption of a style.
Metafiction
- is about a character who is writing another literary piece –usually done for
emotional distance and to comment on the act of storytelling. There are two types of
metafiction. Fabulation challenges the normal structure of a literary piece. Historiographic
metafiction concerns about works that fictionalize real historical events.
Temporal distortion
- is when the time setting of a story may overlap, repeat, or break into
multiple possibilities.
Magic realism
- uses themes and subjects that are often imaginary and fantastic and with a
certain dream-like quality but are treated as real and factual.
Technoculture
- and hyperreality refer to how people have become flooded with information,
and how technology has become central focus in many lives so much that the understanding
of real or true is doubted.
Paranoia
- the fear that every chaos happening in the world is intentional or caused.

DAVE EGGERS
- (1970- ) is an American writer, editor, and publisher. His works include the memoir, A
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (2000), and the nonfictions What Is the What:
The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng (2006) and Zeitoun (2009). He also wrote
the novels A Hologram for the King (2012), The Circle (2013), Your Fathers, Where Are
They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever? (2014), The Monk of Mokha (2018),
and his latest work, The Parade (2019).

“THE CIRCLE” Summary

The Circle is a novel written by Dave Eggers. Published in 2013, The Circle tells the
story of Mae Holland who is hired to work for the Circle, the world’s most powerful internet
company that links users’ personal emails, social media banking, and purchasing with their
universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and
transparency. The Circle promotes the idea of a transparent society where everyone's actions and
experiences are shared, aiming for a world without secrets. One of the CEOs of the Circle
introduces a new device called See Change. Where ALL THAT HAPPENS MUST BE
KNOWN. Mae becomes entangled in the complex web of The Circle's ideology, facing
dilemmas that challenge her personal values and the consequences of a society where privacy is
sacrificed for the sake of connectivity. She made a project entitled Soul Search. The Circle
advocates for the idea that all information should be public, leading to a society under constant
surveillance. The novel explores themes of corporate power, the dark side of technology, and the
consequences of sacrificing individual privacy in the name of progress.
WEEK 1. 2
Anthology of 21st Century World Literature: Africa
Contemporary African literature has produced many writers of renown including its
Nobel Prize-winners for Literature: John Maxwell Coetzee (South Africa, 2003), Nadine
Gordimer (South Africa, 1991), Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt, 1988), Wole Soyinka
(Nigeria,1986), Claude Simon (Madagascar, 1985), and Albert Camus (Algeria, 1957).
Most African literature is a reflection of social change –cultural and political influences
coupled by awareness of a national identity and modern problems. These literary pieces often
feature any of the following themes: colonialism (the effects of European colonization to
African societies), liberation (the war and conflict for independence), nationalism (the struggle
between Communism and democracy, and the rise of dictatorships), tradition (precolonial
African fables, legends and myths), displacement (the experiences of refugees or those who
have to leave Africa because of war or conflict) and rootlessness (the narratives of Africans who
grow up in a foreign country and their feelings of being foreign to both their adoptive country
and their African heritage).

AMINATTA FORNA
- (1964- ) was born in Glasgow, Scotland but was raised in Sierra Leone in West Africa.
Her published works include the memoir The Devil that Danced on the Water (2002), the novels
Ancestor Stones (2006), The Memory of Love (2010), The Hired Man (2013) and The Angel of
Mexico City (2014). Ancestor Stones was a winner of the 2007 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award
(Debut Fiction) and the 2008 winner of the LiBeraturpreis in Germany. The Memory of Love
won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (Overall Winner, Best Book).
 “Ancestor Stones” Summary

"Ancestor Stones" is a compelling novel written by Aminatta Forna. The story is set in West
Africa and revolves around the lives of four women who are half-sisters through their father,
Gibril, a rich businessman with multiple wives.
The novel is divided into four sections, each one giving voice to one of the sisters: Asana, Mary,
Hawa, and Serah. Each sister shares her unique experiences, dreams, hopes, and disappointments
that span several decades, from the colonial period through independence and into the modern
era. Their stories are deeply intertwined with the political, social, and economic transformations
of their country.
Asana, the eldest, is married off at a young age to a wealthy older man. Mary, the second sister,
is sent to Freetown to be educated and later becomes a teacher. Hawa, the third sister, is sent to
live with a distant relative in the city where she becomes a petty trader. Serah, the youngest, is
the only one who remains in the village and ends up marrying a poor farmer.
Despite their different paths, the sisters are united by their shared experiences of hardship,
resilience, and survival. Through their stories, Forna explores themes of family, identity, love,
loss, and the enduring power of the human spirit. The novel is a rich tapestry of African life,
culture, and history, offering a nuanced and deeply moving portrayal of women's lives in a
changing world.

Week 2
Representative Text from Asia

Asian literature encompasses the rich and widely diverse cultural and ethnic heritages found in
such countries as China, India, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and more. Through translation, the
unique cultures of Asia are shared through a larger global audience. Family, migration and life
in the midst of evolving socio-political dynamics are some of the common themes of literary
works produced in the 21st Century so far. The continent has so far produced the following
winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature: Rabindranath Tagore (India, 1913), Yasunari
Kawabata (Japan, 1968), Kenzaburo Oe (Japan, 1994), Gao Xingjian (China, 2000), Mo Yan
(China, 2012) and Kazuo Ishiguro (Japan, 2017).

The Man Asian Literary Prize was an annual literary award from 2007 and 2012, given to the
best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English. It aims “to
significantly raise international awareness and appreciation of Asian literature.”
Bi Feiyu
- The Man Asian Literary Prize was an annual literary award from 2007 and 2012, given to
the best novel by an Asian writer, either written in English or translated into English. It
aims “to significantly raise international awareness and appreciation of Asian literature.”

“THREE SISTERS’’ Summary

The story revolves around the three daughters of the Yu family, who live in a rural
Chinese village. The novel spans several decades, providing a glimpse into the changing socio-
political landscape of China. The three sisters are Yumi, Yuxiu, and Yuyang. Each sister faces
unique challenges and struggles as they navigate through the cultural and historical shifts in
China. The narrative weaves together themes of family, love, and the impact of societal changes
on individual lives. The novel is known for its rich storytelling and insightful exploration of the
human condition against the backdrop of a transforming China

WEEK 2.1
Representative Text from Europe

European literature in the 21st Century feature material concerned with change, cross-
border movements, and the challenges presented by the traumas of the past, consequence of
social and economic failures, and the liberty and prosperity an open, united continent seem to
promise can often simply end in more struggle. Synonymous to Western Literature, many of the
world’s foremost literary artists are from Europe.
The European Union Prize for Literature is a yearly initiative to recognize the best new
and upcoming authors in Europe. Launched in 2009 by the European Commission, the Prize is
open to the 41 countries presently involved in the Creative Europe program. National juries in a
third of the participating countries determine their candidate authors, allowing all countries and
languages in a particular region of Europe to be represented over a three-year cycle.

Benedict Wells
- (1984- ) from Bavaria, Germany, published his first novel Becks letzter Sommer in 2008
which received widespread acclaim and won the Bayerischer Kunstförderpreis that year.
This was followed in 2009 by his second novel, Spinner. His third novel Fast genial
became a 2011 bestseller in Germany. Wells’ fourth novel Vom Ende der Einsamkeit was
published in February 2016. It remained on the German bestseller list for more than 80
weeks and was awarded the European Union Prize for Literature. His books have been
translated into 27 languages.
-

“ THE END OF LONELINESS’’ SUMMARY

The story follows the life of protagonist Jules Moreau, who, after a tragic accident,
reflects on his past and the relationships he had with his siblings, Marty and Liz. The narrative
unfolds in a non-linear fashion, jumping between different periods of Jules' life. It explores
themes of love, loss, and the impact of childhood experiences on adult life. The novel delves into
the complexities of human connections and the ways in which individuals cope with emotional
scars. As Jules navigates through his memories and experiences, the novel paints a poignant
picture of the fragility of life and the search for meaning and connection. The prose is reflective
and emotionally resonant, offering readers a contemplative journey through the protagonist's life.
 WEEK 3
Representative Text from North America

Gothic-themed stories appeal to readers by exploring human psychology, fear, death, and
imagination incorporating psychology into their themes, making the supernatural more
believable and realistic. Choice of words, sentence structure and symbols are also used to make
gothic theme/style to be more felt and understood by the reader.
Some Elements of Gothic Literature
o Mystery and Fear. As it involves subjects beyond scientific understanding, Gothic
literature
evokes feelings of suspense and fear.
o Atmosphere and Setting. The physical location of a scene, as the atmosphere and
environment
of a Gothic story contributes greatly to the feeling of fear and uneasiness.
o Emotional Distress. Highly-charged emotion is used to convey a thought, and
melodramatic
and impassioned language to convey the panic and terror felt by its characters.
o Nightmares. Most Gothic stories incorporate nightmares to depict visions of fear and
death.
 Stephen E. King
- made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In 1973,
Doubleday & Co. accepted the novel Carrie for publication. He has since published over
50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient
of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the
American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

“DOCTOR SLEEP’’ SUMMARY

 WEEK 3.2
Representative Text from Latin America
Latin American literature encompasses literary pieces in Spanish, Portuguese, English and
indigenous languages from Central and South America and even Latinos based in the US. It rose
to global prominence in the second half of the 20th Century due in part to the success of magic
realism, which originated from the continent. Nobel Prize for Literature winners from this region
include: Gabriela Mistral (Chile, 1945), Miguel Angel Asturias (Guatemala, 1967), Pablo Neruda
(Chile, 1971), Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia, 1982), Octavio Paz (Mexico, 1990) and Mario
Vargas Llosa (Peru, 2010).
Stages of Contemporary Latin American Literature
o Modernismo. (late 19th Century) The first truly Latin American literature pieces were
produced during this period, in that national differences were no longer so much at issue.
o Indigenismo. (early 20th Century) A movement dedicated to representing indigenous
culture and the injustices suffered by indigenous communities.
o Vanguardia. The use of new and daring themes and experimental literary forms.
o The Boom. (after World War II) Literary pieces with unique narration were released.
Magic realism was born during this period.
o Post-Boom/Contemporary. Writers explored themes of social realism through subjects
based on current social and political issues in Latin America. Feminism also emphasized as female
major characters became more common. Other authors utilized subjects from the continent’s rich
pre-colonial history.
Laura V. Esquivel
- (1950- ), although trained as a teacher, is a Mexican novelist, screenwriter and a politician.
Her works include the novels Como agua para chocolate (1989), La ley del amor (1995),
Tan veloz como el deseo (2001), Malinche: novela (2006), A Lupita le gusta planchar
(2014) and El diario de Tita (2016). She also founded a children’s theater workshop and
wrote and produced dramas forchildren.

“ MALINCHE” Summary

"Malinche," also known as "Malintzin" or "La Malinche," is a historical novel written by

Mexican author Laura Esquivel. The novel explores the life of Malinalli, a Nahua woman who
played a crucial role as an interpreter and advisor during the Spanish conquest of the Aztec
Empire in the early 16th century.
Malinalli, also known as Malinche or La Malinche, is often considered a controversial
figure in Mexican history. She was given to Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés as a slave and
became a key intermediary between the Spanish and the indigenous peoples. Her role in
facilitating communication and negotiation had a significant impact on the outcome of the
conquest.
The novel delves into Malinalli's experiences, struggles, and the complexities of her
position as an intermediary between two worlds. It addresses themes of cultural identity, power
dynamics, and the consequences of historical encounters. Esquivel's narrative provides a unique
perspective on the events surrounding the Spanish conquest, offering readers a thought-
provoking exploration of Malinalli's life and the broader historical conte
 WEEK 4
Literature of War or Conflict
The literature of war has existed since the first literary texts were written. Homer’s The
Iliad and The Odyssey reflect a culture of war as does Virgil’s The Aeneid, the Hebrew Bible,
and the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh. These literary works and many others that span the centuries
since the classical era remind us that war is a constant in society and a topic that will continue to
be written about even in the 21st Century. The literature of war takes a wide variety of
approaches in its efforts to comprehend the war experience and encompasses a number of genres,
including poetry, drama, short stories, novels, journals, diaries, oral histories, memoirs, and
letters.
Literary meaning is not only achieved in depicted events but also, and more importantly,
in the interpretation of depicted events: in the author’s treatment of the depicted events; the
reader’s response to both the depicted events and the author’s treatment; and the author’s
anticipation of the reader’s responses.

Ali Ahmad Said Esber

- also known by the pen name Adonis is a France-based Syrian poet, essayist and
translator. He is the world-renowned author of numerous collections of poetry,
including Adonis: Selected Poems (2010, translated by Khaled Mattawa), Mihyar of Damascus:
His Songs (2008), If Only the Sea Could Sleep (2002), and The Blood of Adonis (1971), which
won the International Poetry Forum’s Syria-Lebanon Award, and the influential An Introduction
to Arab Poetics (2003). Adonis won the first ever International Nâzim Hikmet Poetry Award, the
Norwegian Academy for Literature and Freedom of Expression’s Bjørnson Prize, the Highest
Award of the International Poem Biennial in Brussels, Belgium and the Syria-Lebanon Best Poet
Award.
 “DESSERT’’ POEM

The cities dissolve, and the earth is a cart loaded with dust
Only poetry knows how to pair itself to this space.
No road to this house, a siege,
and his house is graveyard.
From a distance, above his house
a perplexed moon dangles
from threads of dust.
I said: this is the way home, he said: No
you can’t pass, and aimed his bullet at me.
Very well then, friends and their homes
in all of Beirut’s are my companions.
Road for blood now—
Blood about which a boy talked
whispered to his friends:
nothing remains in the sky now
except holes called “stars.”
The city’s voice was too tender, even the winds
would not tune its strings—
The city’s face beamed
like a child arranging his dreams for nightfall
bidding the morning to sit beside him on his chair.
They found people in bags:
a person without a head
a person without hands, or tongue
a person choked to death
and the rest had no shapes and no names.
—Are you mad? Please
don’t write about these things.
 A page in a book
bombs mirror themselves inside of it
prophecies and dust-proverbs mirror themselves inside of it
cloisters mirror themselves inside of it, a carpet made of the alphabet
disentangles thread by thread
falls on the face of the city, slipping out of the needles of memory.
A murderer in the city’s air, swimming through its wound—
its wound is a fall
that trembled to its name—to the hemorrhage of its name
and all that surrounds us—
houses left their walls behind
and I am no longer I.

WEEK 4.2
Postcolonial Literature
Terms in Postcolonialism
• Colonialism – The subjugation/subjection of one culture by another. It may involve military
conquest but extends to the imposition of the colonizer’s values and customs on those of the
colonized peoples.
• Third World – Developing nations, many of which were dominated by the British Empire
through colonialism. They have an indigenous population once ruled by white European
oppressors and white colonial settlers and their descendants.
• First World – Countries characterized by industrialization, democracy, wealth and similar
cultural assumptions and beliefs, such as the US and Europe.
• Cultural Colonization – The imposition of beliefs and social practices of the dominant power
on the subjugated one, resulting in loss or change of the native culture.
• Eurocentrism – The assumption that European ideals and experiences are the standard by
which all other cultures are to be measured and judged inferior.
• Mimicry – Imitation of the dress, manners, and language of the colonizer (dominant) culture
by the colonized (oppressed one).
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- (1977- ) Born in Nigeria, her work has been translated into over thirty languages and has
appeared in various publications. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the
Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; Half of a Yellow Sun,
which won the Orange Prize and was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and a New
York Times Notable Book; and Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award
and was named one of The New York Times Top Ten Best Books of 2013. Her most recent
creation is the book, Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions, was
published in March 2017.

“HALF OF A YELLOW SUN”

 WEEK 5
Intertextuality
Intertextuality is the shaping of a text’s meaning by another text. It is a literary device
that creates an interrelationship between texts and generates related understanding in separate
works. These references are made to influence the reader and add layers of depth to a text, based
on the readers’ prior knowledge and understanding. Examples of intertextuality are an author’s
borrowing and transformation of a prior text, and a reader’s referencing of one text in reading
another.
Intertextual Figures
• Allusion – A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing, or idea of historical,
cultural, literary, or political significance.
• Quotation – A reference to a statement of other persons, usually well-known or experts
on a field or discipline. At times, the reference is without mention of the person from whom the
quotation is quoted, when the statement is popular one. This device is often used in nonfiction
than in fiction.
• Parody – A parody imitates or mocks another serious work or type of literature. Like
caricature in art, parody in literature mimics a subject or a style. The purpose of a parody
may be to ridicule through broad humor. On the other hand, a parody may broaden
understanding or add insight to the original work.
• Pastiche – A pastiche is written in tribute to a work of literature. It imitates the style or
character of another work. The imitation may be comical.
 Joanne Rowling
- or J.K. Rowling is best known for
writing the Harry Potter fantasy series, which has won multiple
awards and sold more than 500 million copies. Harry Potter and
the Sorcerer's Stone, was published in 1997 with six sequels, of
which the last, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was
released in 2007. Since then, Rowling has written five books for
adult readers: The Casual Vacancy (2012) and—under the
pseudonym Robert Galbraith—the crime fiction Cormoran Strike
series, which consists of The Cuckoo's Calling (2013), The
Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil (2015), and Lethal White (2018).

“The Tales of Beedle the Bard”

n "The Tales of Three Brothers," three wizard brothers come across a treacherous river.
Using their magical abilities, they craft a bridge to cross it. Death, impressed by their cleverness,
offers each brother a reward. The first brother chooses the Elder Wand, a powerful and
unbeatable wand. The second brother asks for the Resurrection Stone, which can bring back the
dead. The third brother, wise and humble, requests the Invisibility Cloak, which can conceal the
wearer from Death.
As the story unfolds, the first two brothers face tragic fates due to their choices, while the
third brother lives a long and fulfilling life, ultimately greeting Death as an old friend.
WEEK 5.2
Dystopian Fiction
Speculative fiction includes tales that bring the readers out of their ordinary lives and
make them feel as if they are living in a different reality. And yet, in the end, these stories tell
something about the realities of life, and they are often filled with social commentary. One
subtype of speculative fiction is dystopian fiction. Dystopian fiction is used to explore social and
political systems in a society characterized by poverty, and oppression that is dehumanizing and
frightening. Dystopian fiction then can be used to educate and warn about the dangers of these
structures. A dystopia is an antonym of a utopia, which is a perfect society.

Five Characteristics of Dystopian Fiction

o Government Control. The government plays a big role in dystopian literature. There is
either no government or an oppressive ruling institution or class.
o Technological Control. Science and technology in dystopian stories go beyond its use
to improve life. Technology is often depicted as a controlling, omnipresent force and is often
used to instil fear among the population.
o Environmental Disaster. Dystopian novels often have settings that are inhabitable, in
ruins, or are preparing for destruction.
o Survival. Dystopian world in ruins and with an oppressive system often leave its
inhabitants to fight for survival.
o Loss of Individualism. The needs of society are pitted against individual needs.
Dystopian futures warn about the dangers of conformity.

Margaret Eleanor Atwood

- (1939- ) is the author of more than 50 books
 of fiction, poetry, critical essays, and graphic novels. Her latest novel,
The Testaments, is a co-winner of the 2019 Booker Prize. It is the long-
awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). Her other works of
fiction include Cat’s Eye, finalist for the 1989 Booker Prize; Alias
Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and Premio Mondello in
Italy; The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; The
MaddAddam Trilogy; and Hag Seed. She is the recipient of numerous
awards, including the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, The Franz
Kafka International Literary Prize, and the PEN Center USA Lifetime
Achievement Award.

WEEK 6
Science Fiction
Science fiction, often called “sci-fi,” is a genre of fiction literature whose content is
imaginative, but based in science. It relies heavily on scientific facts, theories, and principles as
support for its settings, characters, themes, and plot-lines, which is what makes it different from
fantasy. There are two types of this genre: hard science fiction and soft science fiction. Hard
science fiction is based on scientific facts and principles, and is focused on natural sciences like
physics, astronomy, chemistry, astrophysics, etc. Often, hard science fiction is authored by real
scientists, and has been known for making both accurate and inaccurate predictions of future
events. Soft science fiction is focused on social sciences, like anthropology, sociology,
psychology, and politics—or sciences involving human behavior. Soft sci-fi stories mainly
address the possible scientific consequences of human behavior.
 Kazuo Ishiguro
- (1954- ) was born in Nagasaki, Japan but is based in the
United Kingdom. In 1981 three of his short stories were published in
Introductions 7: Stories by New Writers. His novels include A Pale View
of Hills (1982), Artist of the Floating World (1986), The Remains of the
Day (1989) which was awarded the Booker Prize for Fiction, The
Unconsoled (1995), When We Were Orphans (2000), Never Let Me
Go (2005), and The Buried Giant (2015). In 2009, his first short story
collection, Noctures: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, was published.
His work has been translated into over 30 languages. In 2017 he won the
Nobel Prize for Literature.

“NEVER LET ME GO”

Never Let Me Go is a 2005 dystopian novel by British author Kazuo Ishiguro and was shortlisted
for the 2005 Booker Prize. The novel is set in England in the late 1990s, where clones are born to
be organ donors until their last donation or the ‘completion,’ where they must die. Kathy H. and
Tommy are two clones who have heard rumors that it is possible to delay the completion for
several years if they can prove that they are truly in love with each other. They want to apply for
this and turn to Miss Emily, the former head teacher of Hail sham, the boarding school where
they both grew up.
As the narrative unfolds, it becomes apparent that Hail sham is not an ordinary school, and the
students are not typical children. The novel explores the lives of Kathy and her friends, Ruth and
Tommy, who grow up at Hail sham and eventually discover the grim truth about their existence.
It is revealed that they are clones, created for the sole purpose of providing organ donations.. The
novel delves into themes of identity, humanity, the ethics of cloning and organ harvesting, and
the acceptance of one's predeterM

WEEK 6.2
Feminist Reading of Literature
A feminist reading is concerned with the ways women or womanhood is portrayed in a
literary text. Feminism is thought to have three waves. The First Wave is concerned with women
being equal to men, and studies works written by both men and women. The Second Wave
promotes the idea that women do not need men and so therefore, emphasizes women’s
liberation; it also only focused on works by women authors. The Third Wave examines works by
both men and women writers, and on the other hand goes beyond biology, arguing that whoever
is marginalized or discriminated is the ‘woman.’ The respect for Sexual Orientation Gender
Identity and Expression (SOGIE) is under the Third Wave.
- Arundhathi Subramaniam
(1973- ) is a widely translated, anthologized
Indian poet; her volume of poetry, When God is a Traveller (2014) was
the Season Choice of the Poetry Book Society, shortlisted for the T.S.
Eliot Prize. Her poetry has been published in various international
journals and anthologies, including Reasons for Belonging: Fourteen
Contemporary Poets; Sixty Indian Poets, Both Sides of the Sky, We Speak
in Changing Languages, Fulcrum No 4: An Annual of Poetry and
Aesthetics, The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Indian Poets, Anthology
of Contemporary Indian Poetry, The Dance of the Peacock: An
Anthology of English Poetry from India, and Atlas: New Writing. She has
worked as Head of Dance at the National Center for the Performing Arts
in Mumbai, India.