EALC 354g: Modern Chinese Literature in Translation



Fall, 2011 EALC 354g: Modern Chinese Literature in Translation

Tues. Thur. 11-12.20 p.m. Classroom: SOS B44

Instructor: Dr. Dominic Cheung

Office: THH356T; Email: dcheung@usc.edu

Office hour: Tu. Th. 12.30-1.30 pm and by appointment

Teaching Assistant: Di Luo

Office: THH361; phone: 213-740-3686; Email: dluo@usc.edu

Office hours: Tu. Wed. 12.30-1.30 pm and by appointment

This course is an analysis of the changing literary and cultural patterns through the reading of the representative works of modern and contemporary Chinese writers. A review of the literary background and close analysis of the literary expression of earlier short stories will present a strong contrast to the changing aspects of the family, society, religion, philosophy and sexual roles between the old and new China. The course will trace the various transforming phases in which the influx of western thought and the inherent mode of expression influence and alter the form and content of modern Chinese literature, especially in fiction and poetry. The class will cover the socialist process in China since 1949, and the cultural-political movements, leading to the emergence of dissident writers. Simultaneously, the class will impose a genuine emphasis on the continuity of diverging literary practices in Taiwan where modernism is more conspicuously and actively attended. Films based on literary works and with English subtitles will be shown occasionally. All works are read in English translations. There are constant pop-up quizzes to prepare students with knowledge on reading assignments.

Required texts:

1. Lau & Goldblatt, ed. The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature, 2nd edition, Columbia University Press, 2007. (LG)

2. Eileen Chang, Love in a Fallen City, tr. Karen Kingsbury, NYRB, 2007. (KK)

3. Course Reader (CR) Available at the Magic Machine, University Village

Reference:

Jonathan Spence, The Gate of Heavenly Peace, Penguin, 1981.

Attendance and Readings:

Class attendance is mandatory. Students are expected to finish all reading assignments before class and be ready to discuss them in class. Every student is asked to participate. If a student is not present for a quiz or examination, he or she will be given an “F” for that test. Students are expected to attend all lectures as well as a weekly discussion section. Those who fail to attend one-third of the semester class sessions will receive a failing grade.

PLEASE NOTE: Failure to attend discussion section will be taken very seriously. One unexcused absence will be tolerated, but further unexcused absences will affect the “class participation” portion of the student’s grade (not the overall grade).

Term-paper: Each student will write a research-analytical paper with footnotes and bibliography from 12-15 pages, typewritten and double-spaced, on a topic drawn from readings or discussions, or from a list of suggested topics attached to this syllabus. The term-paper will be due 3 weeks before the last class meeting. Late submission of papers will be penalized by a deduction of three percentage points (1/3 of a letter grade) per day of lateness from the grade of the paper.

Important dates: One midterm (6th week), one term-paper (due November 3rd), one final examination (December 13, Tuesday, 8-10 am), and regular quizzes. There is no makeup midterm examination except for students who submit an authentic medical proof.

Grading: The students’ final grade will be derived from averaging the semester’s performance in the following ways: 30% midterm, 30%final, 30% term-paper, and 10% averaging of occasional quizzes and attendance. Students are expected to attend every class meeting, to read the assignment before class during which that assignment will be discussed. If a student is not present for a quiz or examination, he or she will be given an “F” for that test.

Academic Integrity:

All written work must be in a student’s own words and represent original thought. The ideas of others as well as quotations must be properly attributed; more than six words copied from another source without proper reference constitute plagiarism (See SCampus).

Exams cannot be made up, except under rare circumstances when prior permission has been granted by the instructor. With regard to plagiarism (on papers) and cheating (on exams), I adhere to the “Academic Dishonesty Sanction Guidelines” on 2002-2003 SCampus, please review these carefully and see me if you have any questions.

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:

Students who need to request accommodations based on a disability are required to register each semester with the Disability Services and Programs office (Student Union, Room 301). In addition, a letter of verification to the course instructor, from the Disability Services and Programs office is needed for the semester in which you are enrolled for this course. If you have questions concerning this procedure, please contact both the instructor of the course, and the Disability Services and Programs office at 213-740-0776.

Syllabus: (based on a 14-week semester schedule)

Modern fiction (1919-1949)

1. Anti-heroes and Nonentities: (2nd and 3rd week)

The Self-awakening of Qiu Jin and Lu Xun (CR, J. Spence, chap.2, 83-93; chap.3, 94-100)

"The Stories II: The Loner and the Crowd" (CR, Leo Lee Ou-fan, Voices from the Iron House, chapter 4, p.69-88.)

Quiz 1 (on all the stories below including the “Preface”)

Lu Hsun (Lu Xun), “The New Year Sacrifice” (CR, 125-143)

“Preface to the First Collection of Short Stories, Call to Arms” (LG, 3-7) “A Madman’s Diary” (LG, 8-16) , “Kong Yiji” (LG, 17-21)

Ba Jin, “The General” (CR, 299-302)

Eileen Chang, “Sealed Off” (LG, 174-183)

2. The Confucian Paradox: Traditionalism and Anti-traditionalism (4th, 5th, and 6th weeks)

CR, J. Spence, chap.4, 145-150, chap.5, 166-168 on Lu Xun

Chap.4, 150-153; chap.5, 154-161, defining the May-Fourth Movement

Quiz 2 (on all Lu Hsun’s stories below)

Lu Hsun, “Medicine” (CR, 25-33)

“My Old Home” (CR, 54-64)

“In the Wine Shop” (CR, 144-155)

“Soap” (CR, 164-175)

Quiz 3 (on all the 5 stories below)

Lao She, “An Old and Established Name” (LG, 74-81)

Yu Dafu, “Sinking” (LG, 31-55)

Zhang Tianyi, “Mid-autumn Festival” (LG, 125-131)

Wu Zuxiang, “Young Master Gets His Tonic” (LG, 147-160)

Ye Shaojun, “A Posthumous Son” (LG, 22-30)

Midterm Examination

3. Women as Old Victims and New Scapegoats: (7th , 8th, 9th weeks)

Quiz 4 (on the following 5 stories)

Rou Shi, “Slave Mother” (CR, 47-67)

CR, J. Spence, chap. 4, 124-128, 139-141, on Shen Congwen.

Shen Congwen, “Three Men and One Woman” (CR.253-265)

“Xiaoxiao” (LG, 82-94)

CR, J. Spence, chap.10, 323-326 on Ding Ling

Ding Ling, “When I Was in Xia Village” (LG, 132-146)

(View film "Nanking Nanking" if time permits, suggest reading Iris Chang, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, New York: Basic Books, 1997.)

Xiao Hong, “Hands” (LG, 161-173)

Quiz 5 (on the following 2 stories by Chang and Zhang, no quiz on Chekov)

Eileen Chang , “The Golden Cangue” (KK. 169-234) (film)

Zhang Jie, “Love Cannot Be Forgotten” (CR, 91-106)

Anton Chekov "The Lady with the Dog" (CR, 132-150)

Quiz 6

“Love in a Fallen City” (KK, 109-165) (film)

"Aloeswood Incense: The First Brazier" (KK, 5-76)

"Jasmine Tea" (KK, 77-108)

"Red Rose, White Rose" (KK, 253-312)

Modern Poetry (1919-1949)

From LG (10th week), pp.499-524

CR, J. Spence, chap.6, 188-200, chap.7, 240-242, on Xu Zhimo

Xu Zhimo "Second Farewell to Cambridge"

"Chance"

Wen Yiduo "Dead Water"

"One Sentence"

"Prayer"

Feng Zhi "Sonnets 2, 4, 27"

Dai Wangshyu "Rain Alley"

"With My Injured Hand"

Listen to “The Moldau” from Smetana’s “Ma Vlast” (My Country) See CR.

Bian Zhilin "A Round Treasure Box"

Ai Qing "Snow Falls on China's Land"

He Qifang "Prophecy"

"Autumn"

Contemporary Fiction (1949-1976)

(From LG, 11th week)

Quiz 7 (No quiz on "The Dead")

Chen Yingzhen,

"My Kid Brother Kangxiong" LG, 204

"Night Freight" CR, 102-132

Quiz 8

Bai Xianyong

"Winter Nights" LG, 210

“Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream” CR 145-171

James Joyce “The Dead” CR 173-220 (view film)

View Opera "Peony Pavilion" DVD (segments)

"The Last Night of Taipan Chin" CR, 50-64

"The Eternal 'Snow Beauty" CR, 1-16

"State Funeral" CR, 189-199

Quiz 9

Huang Chunming

"I Love Mary" CR, 133-174

"The Taste of Apples" CR, 158-184

Sayonara Tsai-chien CR, 217-270

Wang Zhenhe, "An Oxcart for a Dowry" LG, 232

Fiction Since 1976

(From LG, 12th and 13th week)

Quiz 10 (only on Chen, Xi, and Han’s 3 stories)

Chen Ruoxi, "The Tunnel" 289

Xi Xi, "A Woman Like Me" 303

Han Shaogong, "The Leader's Demise" 337

Yu Hua “On the Road at Eighteen” 439

Contemporary Poetry (1949-1976)

(From LG, 14th week)

Ji Xian, "A Wolf" 530

Mu Dan, "Song of Wisdom" 532

Zhou Mengdie, "Kingdom of Solitude" 533

Yu Guangzhong, "Nostalgia" 536

Luo Fu, "City: Saigon, 1967" 541

Ya Xian, "Salt" 543

Zheng Chouyu, "Pagoda" 546

Ye Weilian, "The Pursuit" 551

Yang Mu, "After Snow" 558

Poetry Since 1976

Zhang Cuo, "Autumn Meditation" 567-569

Luo Qing, "Six Ways of Eating Watermelon" 573

Bei Tao, "Another Legend" 578

Shu Ting, "When You Walk Past My Window" 579

Gu Cheng, "An Ending" 589

Fall semester class end: December 2, 2011

Suggested Topics for a Term-paper:

(All term-papers should be typewritten, double-spaced, 12-15 pages in length with titles, endnotes, and selected bibliography. These papers should be research-analytical oriented and the originality of ideas is just as important as outside resources. You should discuss with your instructor or T.A. prior/after choosing a topic for your paper.)

1. With reference to social and historical documents, discuss how social conventions could lead to the downfall of the protagonists in early modern Chinese stories. Discuss these conventions in terms of the milieu, social strata, tradition, gender, historical and political discourses.

2. Discuss Lu Xun (his life and works) and the significance of the May-Fourth Movement.

3. Select at least three writers, or a group of stories, e.g. “The Slave Mother,” “A Posthumous’ Son”, “The Golden Cangue”, “A Night in the Midautumn Festival” in which the patriarchal family structure has acted as a dominant “mythical force” to control/manipulate the fate of the heroine. Depict and discuss.

4. Discuss love obsessions and guilt/conscience in Aileen Zhang’s “Love in a Fallen City” , Zhang Jie’s “Love Cannot Be Forgotten”, and Anton Chekov's "The Lady with the Dog".

5. Discuss colonialism, semi-colonialism, post-colonialism and quasi-colonialism dominate and humiliate humanity in the Kwang Chung-ming's Taiwanese stories:

1/ Sayonara Tsai-chien, 2/The Taste of Apples, 3/ I love Mary

6. Discuss the practice of modernism and regionalism that prevailed as a literary style in Taiwan and China, for example, in the works of Chen Yingzhen, Bai Xianyong, Huang Chunming, and Han Shaogong.

7. Reconstruct Bai Xianyong’s “Taipei Man” (a Chinese version of the “Dubliners”) in terms of age, profession, ambition, and identity. Compare and contrast with other “mainlanders” or “Taiwanese” you have read from other stories.

8. Discuss stream of consciousness and the theme of Love and Death in James Joyce’s “The Dead” and Bai Xianyong’s “Wandering in the Garden, Waking from a Dream”.

9. Discuss language and lyrical contents in modern Chinese poetry, for example, the significance of Xu Zhimo’s poetry and his lyrical pastorals, or other modern poets from Taiwan and Mainland China.

10. Discuss diaspora and “literature of exile” in modern Chinese literature.

11. Discuss Lu Hsun (Lu Xun) as an anti-traditionalist and a social reformer from the reading of his short stories.

12. Discuss the use of irony in modern Chinese literature, e.g. Han Shaogong’s “The Leader’s Demise” or Chen Ruoxi’s “The Tunnel”.

13. Discuss gender and womanhood, manipulation and victimization in the following stories: “Slave Mother”, “When I Was in Xia Village” and “Hands”.

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download