[ Wesleyan Home Page ] [ WesMaps Home Page ] [ WesMaps Archive ] [ Course Search ] [ Course Search by CID ]
Academic Year 2000/2001


Aspects of the Modern Chinese Self in Society
ALIT 203 FA

Crosslistings:
EAST 209

The (auto)biographical writings of modern China offer us an intriguing medium to observe the fundamental changes affecting the individual and the society. This course surveys such writings in disparate genres--novels, diaries, poetry and dramas--of China's modern era to gain knowledge and insight on the impact of modernity of China's social and cultural life. The main focus of our inquiry is on how the individual copes with displacement and disorientation as the society goes through crises, trauma and flu;, how s/he negotiates between tradition and progress; China and West; and how China forms its distinct approach to individualism, identity of the self and social commitments.

MAJOR READINGS

MODERN CHINESE STORIES AND NOVELLAS 1919-1949 (Joseph Lau, C.T. Hsia, Leo Lee, eds.) SCHOOLMASTER NI HUAN-CHIH, Yeh Sheng-tao THE CHINESE EARTH: STORIES BY SHEN TSENG-WEN (Ching Ti & Robert Payne, trans,) I MYSELF AM A WOMAN: SELECTED WRITINGS OF DING LING (Tani Barlow, ed.) THE NEW REALISM: WRITINGS FROM CHINA AFTER THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION (Lee Yee, ed.) HOMECOMING? AND OTHER STORIES BY HAN SHAOGONG (Martha Cheung, trans.) THE PAST AND THE PUNISHMENT BY YU HUA (Andrew Jones, trans.) RAISE THE RED LANTERN: THREE NOVELLAS BY SU TONG (Michael Duke, trans.)

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Regular short quizzes on reading assignments, one short (4-6 page) book report, a mid-term, a term paper and a final.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

This is a Chinese lit-in-English-translation course; knowledge of Chinese is not required. Although it is a lecture course, some class time will be devoted to discussion with the instructor and students both participating.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA AL&L    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-26-2001


Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email

Copyright Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459