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Description：
This course is
an introduction to literary China by studying the dialogue between words and
images in Chinese literature. It will examine the historical evolution of
Chinese culture and literature in various forms at different times. Emphasis
will be given to fictional works, films and culture of the modern and
contemporary periods. Specific topics will be assigned together with
audio-visual texts for weekly discussions.
Where does one
begin to understand China with all its complicated history and culture? How
can the knowledge of Chinese culture and literature elucidate and broaden the
notion of the human with all its more-than-human implications? Can China and
literature be used to generate meanings and ideas to explain the current
(non)human conditions? Starting with these questions, this survey course
focuses on three keywords: China, Literature, and the Human Condition to help
students to gain knowledge about global Chinese and Sinophone culture,
history, politics, and religion in the 20th and 21st centuries by using
literary and visual texts as methods.
From
traditional socialist realist fiction to sci-fi, from gender perspectives to
queer voices, from environmental literature to articulations of the nonhuman,
the course covers a wide range of writers in the larger Sinophone world,
including mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. The
analytical and theoretical writings of the leading scholars of the field will
also be discussed. For each week, a film is also assigned as supplementary
material. Whereas the literary texts are in Chinese, the secondary readings
are in English. The primary instructional language is Putonghua, but a
bilingual (Chinese and English) classroom environment will also be
encouraged.
Learning
Outcome：
Upon completion
of the course, students will be able to:
1) Increase
interest and skills in reading and discussing Chinese literary works and
films.
2) Identify the
essence of Chinese literature that is implicit in their current culture of
audio-visual media.
3) Discuss
Chinese literature in relation to the major works of Chinese films.
4) Describe the
underlying principles governing the adaptation of Chinese literature to
films.
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