WorldLit

• Engels
• HBO
• Studiejaar 2

Peer teaching

The Martians Claim Canada

Telephone Conversation

Amber Heijmen

Aspen Dokter

Karin Wansink

Leander IJzelenberg

Roel van de Mond

Tim Brinkman

Tobias Heijenk

Today's programme

Learning objectives

The concept of Other

Other linked to The Martians Claim Canada

Other linked to Telephone conversation

Q&A

Learning objectives

At the end of this lesson:

You can give your own definition of the concept of Other.

You can point out the use of Other in a text.

"Other"

                          Other

"Other is everything the self is not."

Examples of "Other"

The Martians Claim Canada

Written by Margaret Atwood

Novelist, teacher, activist & inventor

Variety of themes

Robotic writing

Other in The Martians Claim Canada

What did you think the text would be about?

  

Why were the Martians hesitant to trust the mushroom?

Why do the Martians claim Canada?

Who is the "Other" in this text?

What is the main theme of the text?

1. Political correctness
2. Colonialism
3. Entertainment
4. History

What do you know about colonialism?

At the end of the text, the Martians plan on claiming Canada after first discarding the idea of colonialism. Many countries that were once conquered themselves, didn't think twice about ruling or conquering another country. 

Why do you think that is?

Telephone Conversation

Written by Wole Soyinka in 1963

Nigerian playwright, novelist & poet

Essayist in the English language

1986 Nobel Prize in Literature

"Other" in Telephone Conversation

Exmples of Other in the text

Language use

The landlady swore she lived

Off premises.

Voice, when it came,

Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped.

Language use

"HOW DARK?" . . . I had not misheard . . . "ARE YOU LIGHT

OR VERY DARK?"

It was real! Shamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

Pushed dumbfounded to beg simplification.

Language use

"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.

"You mean--like plain or milk chocolate?"

Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light

Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,

I chose. "West African sepia"--and as afterthought,

"Down in my passport."

Language use

"Not altogether.

Facially, I am brunette, but, madam, you should see

The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet

Are a peroxide blond. Friction, caused--

Foolishly, madam--by sitting down, has turned

My bottom raven black--One moment, madam!"--sensing

Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap

About my ears--"Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn't you rather

See for yourself?"

Any questions?

Learning objectives

Can you give your own definition of the concept of Other?

  

Can you point out the use of Other in a text?

Thank you!

We can't think of Other things to say