LI 2230 - Fall 2026 - Sevin

People move across the world for countless reasons: because of economic necessity, political upheaval, displacement, war, and environmental crisis; or, for the pursuit of opportunities to study, work, rest, and travel. Whatever the cause and the motive, movement reshapes subjectivity, society, culture, and the environments through which it occurs.

This course surveys contemporary novels from around the globe that center on different forms of movement. Framing our discussions with core theoretical concepts such as Homi Bhabha’s identity and hybridity, we will consider how literature renders visible the stakes of movement across borders, languages, and worlds.

Throughout the semester, we will ask: How do power and precarity shape who can move and who is compelled to stay? How does movement transform the self and the communities we inhabit? How do narratives themselves structure and give meaning to stories of mobility?

Tentative readings include Exit West (2017) by Mohsin Hamid, The Pickup (2001) by Nadine Gordimer, A Long Way from Douala (2016) by Max Lobe, The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019) by Christy Lefteri, and The Feast of the Goat (2000) by Mario Vargas Llosa.