Heng, Geraldine. "Teaching early global literatures." Throughlines. www.throughlines.org/suite-content/teaching-early-global-literatures. [Date accessed].
History is understood through narrative. The stories that are written, repeated, and taught give shape to the past. By decentering European narratives in our teaching, we can expand the scope of historical understanding that our students carry with them into the world. Studying early global literatures shakes the preconceived notions about the past that students bring into the classroom, especially when they are introduced to early global civilizations that were far more complex and modern than Europe.
Further learning
Recommended
The lap of whiteness in The Squire's Tale
In Chaucer's The Squire's Tale, a woman spreads her skirt to catch a falling falcon, all while setting a quiet lesson about whiteness in motion. Wan-Chuan Kao dives into Chaucer's imagery to show how empathy can be a lens for understanding and a tool of racialization.
