Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - WL 308 D100

Travel and Trade (4)

Class Number: 6179

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Tue, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    45 units; or 30 units for students enrolled in the SFU-Exeter accelerated law dual degree program.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores how travel and trade contribute to literary history and the exchange of ideas across space. May focus on chronicles of discovery, travel writing, accounts of religious pilgrimage, mythical quest narratives, or other literary texts dealing with the traveler's experience of cross-cultural encounter. This course may be repeated for credit when different topics are offered. Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

AMITY WITHOUT BORDERS:
Travel & Cultural Dissonance in World Literature


Drawing upon global fiction, film, and visual art, this interdisciplinary course tracks human consciousness when, in
moments of cultural change, personal being, social belonging, and the performance of one’s home culture no
longer seem to coincide. By tracing narratives of love and identity through human responses to the places of the
world — including the individual experience of cultural dissonance — our readings examine the narrative and visual
modes by which individuals step away from their habitual environments.

Ranging from a young colonial woman’s return to the imperial centre to a classic gender-driven evocation of love in
Japan’s “snow country,” and then to the historical convulsions of revolutionary change in Iran or the changing
demands of romance in the rural hinterlands of Africa and central Asia, our course fictions and films not only
underline the ways in which individuals learn to contend with the displacements of human experience, but how their
protagonists learn to grow into their new selves. At the forefront of our class discussions, we will confront, through
literature and art, the relational challenges and linkages of amity in resolving human differences.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Understanding Cultural Dissonance in relation to Literature.
Continuing comprehension of terms & concepts of cultural comparison.
Awareness of the “planetary” as a literary domain.
Comprehension of literary and cultural performativity.

Grading

  • Participation & Attendance 10%
  • Film Presentation 10%
  • Short Paper 15%
  • Exam 25%
  • Term Paper (20%+20%) 40%

NOTES:

ATTENDANCE:
Regular attendance & engagement are mandatory for successful completion of the course. Attendance will be
taken. It is your responsibility to attend class on time & to stay to the end. Please let me know in advance if you are
unable to make a class on medical or other grounds, or if you must leave early.
IMPORTANT: students must provide a note for missed classes (medical or otherwise) – or
seek permission beforehand. Unexcused absences reduce your academic standing [after
five absences you cannot pass the course as you have not completed it].

ESSAY & EXAMS:
There are two in-class essays in this course. Students will be provided with structural examples and guidelines that
will steer their approach. Practice sessions will be held as to the form and application of materials within the short
argument-essay. The final exam will continue to practice academic writing for evaluation – and test course
knowledge.

ONLINE SOURCES:
Remember, very few online sources are acceptable for citation. Peer reviewed online journals (ie: via JSTOR,
MLA, SPRINGER) are welcome; personal web pages, blogs, study sites and so on do NOT count as academic
resources. Use bound journals or as available through the online resources of the SFU library. For MLA format go
to:
< https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/cite-write/citation-style-guides/mla >

SFU ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you
can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more
information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English. Each student is responsible for his or her
conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of
the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their
studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University.
http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html / http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html

NOTIFICATION ON COURSE CONTENT:
Course materials are often designed to challenge and transform your thinking whilst developing your capacities for
engaging critically and empathetically with the broader world. Readings and viewings may contain potentially
triggering content. In the interest of creating safer spaces for all members of the university community, instructors
will aim to provide content notes ahead of time and will encourage students to communicate any specific concerns
they might have. Interrogating our social assumptions can be uncomfortable, yet doing so is a vital part of collective
learning and self-growth. Students must respect each other’s identities, boundaries, and social practices.

STATEMENT ON "ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE" USAGE:
The use of technology to produce content for your assignments is strictly prohibited. All submissions for grading
must be your own work. This specifically includes a prohibition on artificial intelligence writing software such as
ChatGPT and translation software as it will interfere with the learning objectives outlined for this course.

NOTE: Except by permission, computers and other digital devices MUST be put away in class.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Voyage in the Dark Jean Rhys Dominica Penguin 978-0141183954
The Woman in the Dunes Kobo Abe Japan Vintage 978-0679733782
Disoriental Negar Djavadi Iran / France Europa 978-1609454517
Jamila Chinghiz Aitmatov Kyrgyzstan Telegram 978-1846590320

FILMS: [PROVIDED]
Chocolat France / Cameroons Claire Denis dir.
The Year of Living Dangerously Australia Peter Weir dir.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.