ALIT202

[Wesleyan Home Page] [Wesmaps Home Page] [Availability Statistics Search] [Course Description Search] [Dept. Search]

ALIT202

Japanese Literature 1700-1945 ALIT202 FA

Crosslistings: EAST202

Next Offered in 9899 FA

No knowledge of Japanese is required. This course will explore the exuberant popular culture of the Tokugawa Period, exemplified by haiku, the puppet and Kabuki theaters, and a renaissance in fiction; the transformation of Japanese literature under Western influence; and the new literature, reconciling Western and Japanese modes, of writers like Soseki, Tanizaki, and Kawabata. All readings are in English translation.

MAJOR READINGS

Representative poetry, drama, and fiction
from the Tokugawa Period; modern fiction by Kawabata,
Soseki, Tanizaki and others.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Weekly essays and class discussions based on these. Research paper. Take-home final exam. Attendance required.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Some background in literature or in East Asian Studies is desirable.

COURSE FORMAT: Discussion Lecture In-class reading of student essays.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: HA AL&L

Prerequisites: None

Last Updated on MAR-10-1997

About the Photo:

Theatre Street, Edo, as depicted in a 19th century woodcut.

Reference:

Toynbee, Arnold, HALF THE WORLD: THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CHINA AND JAPAN, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1973.

Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions.