I found the topic of Undisciplining Victorian Studies in this class's discussion to be very interesting. Historically speaking Victorian studies have been seen as a prodominetly white community, not much of the literature was written or published by people of colour. Many works that have been studied have been dug up and rediscovered. I have taken different courses at ryerson that allow the student community to explore different cultures literature and have gotten the opportunity to study texts from all over the world that are post colonial texts but the Victorian era is one where I have not seen much diversity in terms of literature. The concept of 'undiscipling' Victorian texts seems like a very big task to me, since almost if not all Victorian texts I have read have been writen by white authors and published by white publishers. I also found it very interesting today when I learned that Pamela Colman Smith had published her own work in the Green Sheaf. She as a women of...

Prior to this course, I had only briefly encountered the Annancy Stories so it was a joy to be able to engage with them by focusing entirely on the visual aspect.  It was nice to finally engage with a text by a black nineteenth-century author.  I was surprised at the differences in the visuals compared to other texts we've engaged within this course.  The lines seemed cleaner and more distinct.  I noticed that any colouring was solid, no shading was used which emphasize those distinct lines.  Closer to the end of Emma's presentation, she pointed out the villiage in the background and the black smudges surrounding the houses; I'd assume they're meant to represent trees or any foliage that you'd find Jamaica.  I was, however, interested in all the tiny little lines spread out in front of the village.  I can only assume those were meant to represent sugar cane and that the surrounding village was part of a plantation, a subtle nod to the slavery and injustice imposed on Jamaicans for...

I really enjoyed reading about the Annancy stories in general prior to the class so the fact that we've gotten to read it in this class was a pleasant surprise - Emma did a great job on her presentation too, it was really informative and a great question. I've always been intrigued with the trickster tales and how closely it's interwoven in West-Indies and African culture. With Emma's question if what it means - oral stories are common and helpful ways in showing the fluidity with almost "free-form" within Caribbean / African community, it's not with the intention to define static rules but rather to allow others to join in the meaning-making within these stories. They're storytellers that allow the audience and the teller to be on equal terms - there is no hierarchy, not really. With the way the woman is dressed (including her cloak), it relates to the preconception of Obeah that's closely ingrained in Jamaican culture but within colonialism, it was outlawed (I believe) and it was...

I think Undisciplining Victorian Studies is an important but difficult task. The push to decolonize Academia has been ongoing for much longer than this year’s BLM movement. My experience in Ryerson English has been tinged by an attempt at decolonization. Many of my profs have made a strong effort to incorporate postcolonial, Indigenous, and subaltern writers and artists into their syllabi. I have read much less of the American and British classics than I’m sure I would have read at UofT. But there is always more work to be done. Figures like Pamela Colman Smith provide an important starting point for diversifying the Victorian canon and elevating the long-suppressed stories of the Other in the empire. That she was as prolific as she was and is still remains so obscure is saddening, but the work being done to uncover her history and influence is important. Whether or not PCS was a mixed race woman or not is only marginally important—a blood quantum cannot change the...