Inspiring Empathy: Story Exchange and the Postcolonial Novel
Keywords:
postcolonial novels, empathy, story exchangeAbstract
Reading the postcolonial novel Nervous Conditions by TsiTsi Dangarembga, my English majors explored characters who experience a double bind as they navigate two conflicting cultures, in this case, British colonial rule and their native Shona traditions. My course incorporated an experiential and reflective learning component by asking students to pair with our international students on campus to share stories of assimilation and conflict from their past. The course required a final portfolio of reflective writing asking students to integrate characters' experiences from the novel as well as those discussed in the story exchange. The course was modeled on the Narrative 4 project implemented across the nation and beyond to help inspire empathy among people who have experienced conflict.
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