GLITS 313 C: Literature Across Places

A station near Delhi, 1947 (from Time magazine, source)

S ASIA 498A/GLITS 313C

Partition Literature and Film

Spring 2026

Link to Course Schedule

Instructor:  Prof. Jennifer Dubrow, Associate Professor, Asian Languages and Literature (she/hers)

Email: jdubrow@uw.edu 

Office: M212 Gowen Hall (note: on the mezzanine level, above the 2nd floor)

Grader (for Short Response and Final Project): Eugenio Quantro-Plaga, Ph.D. Candidate in Anthropology

Office Hours: F 4-5 PM, on Zoom: https://washington.zoom.us/j/97695934856

Class Times and Place: TTh 2:30-4:20 PM, in 156 Savery Hall

Course Description:

This course studies literature and film associated with the 1947 Partition of British India into the modern nations of India and Pakistan, which produced a mass migration of 15 million people. We will study key artistic works that engage with the Partition and its enduring legacy. We will read a selection of short stories, poetry, and graphic novels, and watch 2 films and a TV series (Ms. Marvel) to consider: what literary and artistic techniques have been used to imagine and represent this historical moment? How does art engage with trauma? What are connections between Partition and more recent events, and how have these connections been explored in literature and film? We will also explore recent works (Bheed, Ms. Marvel) that examine Partition through other modes (Covid; the superhero narrative).

This course is open to all students interested in South Asian literature and film. There are no prerequisites, though any introductory course on South Asian literature (such as S ASIA 206) or film will be helpful. Please note that much of the content will be disturbing (featuring violence and sexual assault). If you have advanced Hindi or Urdu proficiency, much of our readings will be available in their original language (marked with H or U on the course schedule). 

Course Goals:

• • Become familiar with historical circumstances of the Partition of British India and its representations in literature and film
  • Examine how different modes (realist, non-realist, satirical, symbolic) and media (short story, graphic novel, film) produce various experiences of Partition
  • Develop skills to analyze and interpret works of literature and visual media
  • Learn how to use evidence from primary texts to make original debatable arguments about those texts
  • Relate individual artistic works to larger historical, cultural, political, and artistic contexts
  • Engage with multi-modal responses to Partition through a creative final project that imitates or analyzes aspects of the texts we read (for graduate students: produce a conference-length analytical paper on themes related to the course)

Assignments and Grading:

The final grade in S ASIA 498A/GLITS 313C will be comprised of the following factors:

• Weekly short in-class writing assignments (of 1-2 paragraphs each), where you will reflect on the readings and class discussions for that week (20%). Will usually be given during Thursday's class in Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8. 2 grades will be dropped (in other words, if you miss class or can't submit it, there's no penalty).
  • For graduate students: Your in-class assignments will be worth 10% of your final grade. The other 10% will consist of preparing a short presentation on and then leading class discussion once during Weeks 7-9 [we will have a sign-up sheet for you to choose a session].
• Short response (1-2 pages double-spaced) on readings from Weeks 1-4 (15%), due Monday, May 4 at 11:59 PM, using Google doc uploaded to the Google Drive folder I assign to you.
• Proposal for final project (10%, credit/no credit), due Sunday, May 18 at 11:59 PM
• Oral presentation of final project in class (15%), due either Tuesday or Thursday class in Week 10, sign-up sheet for slots.
• Final project (for graduate students: conference paper, 10-12 pages double-spaced): Students will develop individual final projects that respond to selected readings through video essay, manga/graphic novel, oral history project, short story, or written analytical essay, due Tuesday June 19 by 11:59 PM (20%)
• Participation in class, which includes asking questions, bringing passages for discussion, and thoughtful and respectful engagement in class discussions. (20%)

Policy on Late Assignments:

For the short response: If you find you are unable to make a deadline for the Short Response, email me and propose a new deadline. I can usually grant an extension of 24 or 48 hours. I cannot accept a short response more than 5 days late (the time listed for "Available until" on the assignment). After that you will receive a zero.

For the final project: Because this is spring quarter, we have very tight deadlines by which to grade your project and then submit the final grade for the course. The latest a final project can be accepted is 1 day after the deadline, Wednesday, June 10 at 11:59 PM. After that time, the only way I can accept a late project is if we agree that you will not receive your final course grade until after the quarter is over. Please note that if you are graduating, you will not receive credit for the course until after graduation. You will have to check with your advisor to make sure this will not prevent you from graduating. If we agree on this, you will receive a X (no grade now) for the course until your project is submitted. Because I will be offline for the summer, the absolute latest I can accept a final project for this course is Thursday, June 18 by 11:59 PM. If your final project is not turned in by that date, you will receive a 0 for the final project and I will calculate your final grade for the course with that 0 for the final project.

Policy on using AI tools for this class:

The AI policy for this course is: No use of any AI tool, including Chat GPT or other LLM (Claude, Gemini, etc), is allowed in this course. Our goal in the Humanities is to develop critical thinking skills to analyze and interpret works of art. Using AI tools to summarize readings or discussions, look up external sources, prompt questions, or to develop your own ideas on these works hinders the development of your own skills. Any assignment that has been found to use AI will be given a 0. AI tools are particularly unhelpful for the Humanities, as they summarize existing arguments, whereas our goal is to develop new, original arguments. Besides their enormous energy usage, LLMs rely on stolen information that has often been scraped without permission or compensation to the authors.

Student Responsibilities:

• Complete assigned readings by the dates specified.
• Bring your copy of the reading to use during class sessions.
• Find out from another student what was covered in class if you have to miss a class.
• Arrive in class on time so that other students are not disturbed;
• Be mindful of electronics usage during class and do not use them to surf the internet, read email, or engage in activities unrelated to class.
• Come to my office hour if you are struggling, have questions, or want to know how you can do better.

Respectful and Safe Environment in Class: 

Much of the content of this course will be disturbing. We will be discussing: sexual assault, violence against women, murder, abuse, violence, and suffering. It is important that you have good resources for yourself to support you as you go through this course. If at any time during class you need to step out and take a break, please do so. You are welcome to discuss the readings and viewings with me during my weekly office hour or another time. For Mental Health resources, see this helpful page. A nice overview of resources available for students at the UW is: https://wellbeing.uw.edu/.

Some of us may also have family histories of Partition violence or other similarly traumatic events. Please be respectful of diverse emotions, viewpoints, and experiences in class and online. We will operate on the premise that Partition violence did occur, and was perpetrated by and against many people belonging to multiple kinds of backgrounds, ethnicities, religious groups, etc. No one community is responsible for Partition or Partition violence.

Course Policies:

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:

The University takes academic integrity very seriously. Behaving with integrity is part of our responsibility to our shared learning community. If you’re uncertain about if something is academic misconduct, ask me. I am willing to discuss questions you might have.

Acts of academic misconduct may include but are not limited to:

• Cheating (working collaboratively on quizzes/exams and discussion submissions, sharing answers, and previewing quizzes/exams)
• Plagiarism (using in your own work the creations, ideas, words, inventions, or work of someone else without formally acknowledging them through the use of quotation marks, footnotes, bibliography, or other reference)
• Unauthorized collaboration (working with each other on assignments)

Concerns about these or other behaviors prohibited by the Student Conduct Code will be referred for investigation and adjudication by (include information for specific campus office).

Students found to have engaged in academic misconduct may receive a zero on the assignment (or other possible outcome).

Student Conduct:

The University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-121) defines prohibited academic and behavioral conduct and describes how the University holds students accountable as they pursue their academic goals. Allegations of misconduct by students may be referred to the appropriate campus office for investigation and resolution. More information can be found online at https://www.washington.edu/studentconduct

Safety:

Call SafeCampus at 206-685-7233 anytime – no matter where you work or study – to anonymously discuss safety and well-being concerns for yourself or others. SafeCampus’s team of caring professionals will provide individualized support, while discussing short- and long-term solutions and connecting you with additional resources when requested.

Access and Accommodations:

Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.

Religious Accommodations:

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/) (Links to an external site.). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/) (Links to an external site.).