The Affectivities of (Mis)Recognition in the Global Anglophone Novel
Loading...
Date
2024-12-19
Authors
Sindhu, Devina
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This dissertation explores the intersection of affect studies and decolonial reading methodologies through an examination of three post-1945 Global Anglophone novels written by women from diverse contexts in the English-speaking world: Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss (2005), Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye (1970), and Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy (1990). Byfocusing on the emotional dynamics within these texts, the project demonstrates how affective experiences foster a self-interrogative process in readers that aligns with the transformative goals of decolonial scholarship. Through close readings, the dissertation reveals that these novels engage in decolonial pedagogical practices, utilizing narrative perspectives and emotional intensity to respond critically to AmeriEurocentric cultural legacies. By uniting texts under the Global Anglophone framework, this analysis shifts away from traditional, historically rooted, and disciplinary-focused analyses that can often rely on formulaic reading practices. Instead, it highlights the archival and methodological potential of the Global Anglophone to facilitate self-interrogation essential for envisioning a reformed future. The dissertation aims to elucidate how specific texts from the Global Anglophone highlight and pedagogically address the tensions and strained intersubjective dynamics influenced by white supremacy, illustrating how these politicized encounters generate an excess of emotionality that remains largely unrecognized by dominant groups within these interactions.
Description
Keywords
affect studies, decolonial literature, global anglophone, post-1945 literature, postcolonial studies, reader response theory