Discussion Questions

As the syllabus points out, you need to submit at least TWO sets of DISCUSSION QUESTIONS on the appropriate dates marked on the syllabus. One set of these questions HAS to be on partition, history, and cinematic representations and is due on the last class meeting. I expect to see between four and six questions, all designed to encourage discussion of the major issues brought up by the films and the readings. At least one question should make a connection between the film and readings where appropriate. While you are free to frame your questions in any way you choose, keep in mind that I will be evaluating them on the extent to which they reveal familiarity with and analysis of the appropriate films and readings. QUERIES should be raised separately from DISCUSSION questions.

The questions need to be neatly typed, and you MUST BRING ENOUGH COPIES FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE CLASS. Each set of discussion questions will be worth 10 points, 20 points total. Feel free to submit more than two sets of discussion questions and I will take the best two into account.

Because there have been a few questions about the nature of this assignment, I provide some more pointers, and examples, below. If the questions were to be about our film and readings from last week, for instance, we could ask a series of questions that may look like the following:

YOU MUST PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, PREFERABLY WITH REFERENCE TO PAGE NUMBERS AND/OR FILM SEQUENCES WHILE DISCUSSING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

1. Would you agree that Britain acquired an empire in India by accident? Why or why not? Support your position with evidence relating not only to acquisition of Diwani over Bengal and the subsequent political expansion, but also economic policies of the “Company Raj” from 1765 to 1850. (Question relating to textbook readings)

2. Did the British always consider Indians to be “child-like” (or “half-devil-half-child”) and in need of British leadership? If not, what accounts for the change in their attitudes? (Hutchins)

3. Why did the British need to generate new sorts of information about India? How did the nature of this information change, and what effect did it have on Indians? (Cohn)

4. How does the knowledge of historical background help you better understand the film “Man Who Would be King”? Conversely, how does the film help you better understand the history of the period? (Film related to ALL readings)

5. What do you see as the major advantages and limitations of using film to understand history? Which do you think gives you a better understanding of the past, and why?