Srushti chaudhari

This thought provoking task on Foe by J M Coetzee  was assigned by Megha ma'am to enhance our critical thinking. Introduction to Daniel Defoe: Daniel Defoe (1660–1731) was an English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the English novel. His works often explored themes of individualism, survival, and human enterprise, reflecting the socio-economic and colonial contexts of early 18th-century England. Defoe’s narrative style combined realism with imaginative storytelling, creating engaging fictional accounts grounded in everyday experience. Introduction to Robinson Crusoe: Robinson Crusoe (1719) is Defoe’s seminal work, often called the first English novel. It tells the story of Crusoe, an Englishman shipwrecked on a deserted island. Through resourcefulness, faith, and sheer perseverance, Crusoe survives for 28 years, encountering isolation, moral reflection, and ultimately the figure of Friday, a native whom he “civilizes.” The n...

This thought provoking task on  a Film Screening Worksheet: The Reluctant Fundamentalist was assigned by Dr. Dilip Barad to enhance our critical thinking. To know about this  click here .                 Empire, Hybridity, and the World of  The                          Reluctant Fundamentalist A. Pre-Watching Activities: 1. Critical Reading & Reflection: Read excerpts from Ania Loomba on the “New American Empire” and Michael Hardt & Antonio Negri’s Empire . How do these theories reframe globalization beyond the center–margin dichotomy? Ania Loomba’s concept of the “New American Empire” emphasizes that modern imperial power is not just territorial or military , but also economic, cultural, and ideological. It functions through networks, institutions, and global systems , rather than directly controlling colonies as in classical imperialism. Similarly, M...

This thought provoking task on Franz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth  was assigned by Megha ma'am to enhance our critical thinking. Introduction to the Author: Frantz Fanon Frantz Fanon (1925–1961) was a psychiatrist, philosopher, and revolutionary writer from Martinique, a French colony in the Caribbean. Trained in medicine and psychiatry in France, Fanon later worked in Algeria, where he witnessed firsthand the brutality of French colonialism. His experience treating both French soldiers and Algerian patients suffering from trauma led him to explore the deep psychological effects of racism, oppression, and dehumanization . Fanon’s works, including Black Skin, White Masks (1952) and The Wretched of the Earth (1961), fuse psychology, Marxism, and anti-colonial thought to explain how colonial power operates not only through political domination but also through mental and emotional control . His writings inspired numerous independence movements across Africa, Asia, and...

This thought provoking task on Jean Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea  was assigned by Prakruti ma'am to enhance our critical thinking. Introduction to the Author: Jean Rhys Jean Rhys (1890–1979) was a Dominican-born British novelist and short story writer whose works explore themes of alienation, identity, gender inequality, and colonial displacement . Born as Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams in Roseau, Dominica, Rhys was of Creole descent — her father was a Welsh doctor, and her mother was a white Creole of Scottish origin. This mixed cultural background deeply shaped her sense of belonging and became a central influence in her writing. Growing up in the Caribbean, Rhys experienced the racial and social tensions of colonial life firsthand. She often felt out of place — not fully accepted by the black Caribbean community or the white Europeans. This sense of cultural in-betweenness later became one of the most significant themes in her novels. In 1907, she moved to England for her ed...