Topics Hindi-Urdu Literature (320-0-20)
Topic
Ghost Stories
Instructors
David Sol Boyk
847/467-0936
1880 Campus Drive, Kresge Hall, Office 4-425
Office Hours: varies by quarter, please contact instructor
Meeting Info
University Library 3722: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
AY 24-25. Bhoot, pret, churail, jinn, betal, dayan—stories from South Asia often feature ghosts, witches, and other supernatural beings. They can be playful and helpful, or menacing and malevolent. They can be figments of the imagination that crumble under the harsh glare of science, or they can be very real. And they can tell us about the fears, desires, and longings of the humans who encounter them.
In this class, we will read stories by Hindi and Urdu writers like Naiyer Masud, Uday Prakash, Qurratulain Hyder, Premchand, Vijaydan Detha, and Phanishwarnath Renu, and watch films like Paheli, Mahal, and Nagin. With the help of scholars of literature, history, and anthropology, we'll think about what and how these texts mean, and about how they have been translated and adapted across languages and media.
All readings will be available in both Hindi (Devanagari) and Urdu (Nastaliq) scripts.
Registration Requirements
Prerequisites: 300-level placement in Hindi-Urdu or instructor permission.
Teaching Method
Seminar
Evaluation Method
Papers and presentations
Class Materials (Required)
None
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for students majoring or minoring in Asian Languages & Cultures until the end of preregistration, after which time enrollment will be open to everyone who has taken the prerequisites, if applicable.
Students must have passed Hindi-Urdu 310 and/or Hindi-Urdu 316 with at least a C- or be placed in according to placement test results or by permission of the instructor.
Add Consent: Instructor Consent Required