This course aims to introduce students to a wide range of texts
by writers who have responded to human rights violations around
the globe. At the end of the course, students, having read a
substantial body of literature, will be able to discuss the
assigned works (orally and in writing) with a considerable degree
of critical sophistication. More specifically, the objectives
will include the following:
• To develop a vocabulary of key concepts in literary studies 
• To learn about the history of human rights and the forces that
shape international standards
• To consider the ways in which cultural backgrounds alter the
understanding of human rights
• To analyze the role of cultural forms in discussions of social
justice
• To acquire intercultural and international context by making
connections between literary works
• To evaluate the role of transnational institutions such as the
United Nations and the Human Rights Watch
• To read critically and write analytically

The choice and sequence of topics will vary from instructor to
instructor and semester to semester. The literature will be read
outside of class and discussed in class, examined individually
and comparatively in the context of the times and the
circumstances of their composition. Periodically during the
semester, students will perform a number of graded tasks,
including some combination of tests and out-of-class papers.
Works to be studied may include the following: 
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Half of a Yellow Sun. 
Michael Ondaatje, Anil’s Ghost. 
Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance. 
Mulk Raj Anand, Untouchable. 
Nadine Gordimer, My Son’s Story. 
Edwidge Danticat, Farming of Bones. 
Fadia Faqir, Pillars of Salt.