This course will study how women and femininity have been represented in modern Japan--roughly defined as Japan from the 1890s to the present--mostly through textual literature but also through other mediums including film, manga, and stage productions. We will also analyze how modern and contemporary Japanese treatments of gender and individual identity reflect and/or defy broader global discourses on these issues.

A seminar focusing on influential medieval and early-modern narratives such as the Tale of Heike in which the notion of the samurai first developed. No prerequisites. Satisfies the non-Western and Second-Writing requirements.

New course in the subject of Chinese literature in translation

New course in Japanese.

New course in the subject of Korean.

The class aims to broadly consider issues like diaspora identities, the relationships between nationality and culture, and the rise of World Literature, through the work of writers and artists with Japanese roots who spend all or part of their lives outside of Japan. All materials will be in English translation. No prerequisites. No prior knowledge of Japanese culture or the Japanese language is required.

This seminar focuses on works of fiction from modern China that articulate womanhood from a variety of perspectives. In addition to women writers (Qiu Jin, Ding Ling, Eileen Chang, Xi Xi, Chen Ran, Zhu Tianxin), male writers such as Xu Dishan, Mao Dun, and Lao She who devote unusual attention to feminine subjectivity are also included. Familiarity with Chinese culture and society and literary analysis are preferred, but not required.

This course is a continuation of CHIN 3020. The goal of these courses is to help students understand journalistic essays and some literature pieces through systematic study of sentence patterns and formal writing styles. All aspects of Chinese language learning are still evenly balanced. Prerequisites: CHIN 3020 or equivalent.

Examines the biographies of female heroines and villains as found in the early Chinese text Tradition of Exemplary Women (ca. 18 B.C.). Students gain a familiarity with (a) the history of women in early China, (b) the evolving codes of behavior that shaped women's' culture for two millennia, and (c) the way in which the Chinese understand gender. Enhances an understanding of the function of role models in both ancient China and their own lives. Fulfills the non-Western perspectives requirement.

This course will offer the students the opportunities to develop advanced reading proficiency in modern Korean language. The course will deal with advanced reading material, mostly from authentic writings in various genres and styles, such as newspaper editorials, columns, essays, T.V. news clips, short stories, and other expository and literary writings. Prerequisites: KOR 3010 or instructor permission.