Chin 401: Pre-modern Chinese Literature



Midterm Review

I. Chinese Literature in general

1. High literature, professional literature, and trivial literature

o High literature is the term for texts that have high educational value

o Professional literature is works that contain useful knowledge limited to one area

o Trivial literature is work intended to amuse

2. The oldest writing in Chinese and its main purpose;

o The oracle bone and its purpose was to serve as a form of communication for people during the Shang and Yin dynasty

3. The earliest transliterations in Chinese language;

o The earliest were pictograms, ideograms, and compound ideograms – name of a plant

4. The “six arts” in the pre-modern China;

o Ritual

o Music

o Archery

o Charioteering

o Arithmetic

o Reading and writing

5. The “central” and “peripheral” traditions

o Central traditions were Confucius and claimed universal and ultimate validity – which supposedly had all answers to meaningful questions regarding man, society, and the cosmos

o Peripheral traditions were rooted in Buddhism because they could gain greater insights by virtue of the universe this way

6. The four social divisions in pre-modern China

o Shi (leadership)

o Nong (peasents)

o Gong (craftsmen)

o Shang (merchants)

7. The ideal situation for Chinese literati in Pre-modern period

o The ideal situation is for human society to be united under one ruler whose power extends to the world and should fulfill his responsibility by living exemplar of the Way

8. The position of Central Tradition toward warfare, and its influence on literature

o The central tradition has always portrayed warfare as a necessary evil

9. The relation between the external expression and the internal state in Chinese literature

o Internal- Sorrow/Happiness

o External – Single goose – lonely/sorrow

10. The reality of gender in Chinese literature

o Most authors were men because women lived in secluded quarters and this has been very resistant to change

11. The role that state plays in Chinese literature

o The state is responsible for the quality and correctness of literature

12. The classification of high literature in pre-modern China

o Texts are classified into classics, histories, philosophers, and collections

13. The Five Classics and the Four Books

o Five Classics

o Shujing (Book of documents)

o Shijing (Book of Odes)

o Yijing (Book of Changes)

o Chunqiu (Annals of Spring and Autumn)

o Li (Rites)

o Four Books

o Lunyu (Selected saying)

o Mengzi (Mecius)

o Zhongyong (Central Mean)

o Daxue (Great learning)

14. The major forms in trivial literature

o Baihua

o Wenyan

General notes:

Tree types:

Pine tree = always green – never change (good/bad times)

Bamboo-

Plumb- Winter

Crysantymum- authumn

Plum = fertility

In praise of the orange tree

Tree= himself. Heaven and earth will never change

Nirvana:

Life- Death

Hell

Hungry ghost

Animal

Human

Heavinly being

Arheist

Buddhism- Karma/rebirth

Death Mass-> spirit -> form -> life

Death may be better than life because of existence of equality

1. refusal to talk about wicked powers

2. life/people

3. respect ghost/spirit

1. Ying/yang confuicious/daoism

2. Complemented unity

3. Harmony/peace

Chinese Vs Western thinking:

Chinese = cyclical – nature, history, human

Western = linear – judeo Christian, human freedom

Ying- active/collectivism/confucious

Yang- Individual/passive

Heart of pity/passion

Shame

Decorum

Ritual

Right/Wrong

Compassion

Humaneness

Rightness

II. The Book of Odes and the Songs of Chu

1. The histories of their compilations and the significance of them for Chinese literature

a) Book of Odes: - Confucius (north) ying

b) Song of Shu – Daoism (south) yang

2. The major distinction between the two.

They differ in format and the Song of Chu is rich in symbolic force

Location North = Book of Songs Confuscious

South – Song of Shu Daoism

III. The Historical Writings

A general knowledge on the Tso Commentary, the Conversations from the States, the Intrigues of the Warring States, and the Record of Grand Historian

Tso Commetary

o Prophecy

o Three dreams in this – These express the need for rice and the culture of chinese medicine

Conversation from the states

o Filial Piety

o Oracle – Histoain Su

o Lady Li – first captured but now manipulating her way to power

Intrigues of the warring states

o FILL IN PLZ

Record of Grand historian

o FILL IN PLZ

IV. Zhuangzi and Others on Death

Zhuangzi’s attitude toward life and death

1. Eternal living/soul/whole individual

2. Without living- Buddhism

V. Philosophical Writings

Zhuangzi’s individualistic approach,

secret of caring for life,

the years that Heaven gave

, the use of the useless.

Mecius’ thesis of “human nature is good,”

his idea about environment,

humane government and extension.

Use of the useless – Everything is useful – reflects sincerity of dao. Full moon with ocean, river, lake, etc – share reflection of Dao

In certain circumstance – the useless can turn to be the most useful because it can save the years that heaven saves – ex. Injured person can’t join the army and stays alive

Why are there bad people

Who are responsible for bad people

What is humane government- extent yourself to be good – extension is the most important

Need vs. desire

VI. Appreciation of Chinese literature

Pay particular attention to the verses and proses singled out in the hand-outs and discussed in the class, including those from the Book of Songs, the Songs of Chu, the Record of Grand Historian.

Book of songs – well and river (girl hesitates to follow well or river) – lover or parents/brothers

Pear tree – metaphors

Short poems

pg. 184 – Truth – Dao

pg. 225 – Progress of yen, mulberry tree (symbol of family/diligent and hard working wife) – mulberry leaves = food of silk of worms (hardworking women to make home)

pg. 239 – Recruit officer – longing – central position of the war – sign of weakness – necessary evil – this is evil

pg 350 - Contains many metaphors and symbols – loneliness – this is expressed by metaphors ex incomplete, lonely tree locked in the courthouse (lonely) – single person/single tree/single moon

pg 362- (translation mistake (I should be he)). – season – late spring – seasons are a natural process that nobody can stop

VII. Symbolism in Chinese literature: the connection between metaphors/images and their allusions.

Test

1. Define following terms with clear and concise wording

ex. The six arts in pre-modern Chinese (Confucius taught these)

1., 2., 3.,4.,5.,6.

2. What are the following metaphors/images most likely to symbolize/signify and why

ex. Single goose and geese formation

Goose and geese are family animal – they always fly in this formation and because of this – the formation shows a united family in which the members joined together to fly and help each other. Single goose is a goose left behind by the family – miserable situation, loneliness, and sorrow

ex. Well / river (used in particular context)

Family and brother at the well, lover across the river

3. The main theme of following verses and how the themes are expresses

ex. Pear tree refers to a family and a lot of fruit

4. Essays

3 topics – You choose 2

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