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Critical changes in literature and culture took place across the twentieth century in China. These changes were in response to the self-strengthening demands of young  evolutionaries after decades of war and national humiliation. Over several decades, Chinese writers experimented with Western literary genres, including realism, romanticism, imagism, modernism, critical realism, magical realism, postmodernism, and so on. Chinese writers constantly probed the issue of literary modernity and attempted to redefine China and Chineseness by incorporating Western influences into classical Chinese aesthetics. This class explores Chinese literary tradition in the twentieth century and early twenty first century through fiction (novels, short stories, poetry, etc.) and films from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China. Major themes we will discuss include socio-political reformation, gender relations, urban space, the environment, and individual subjectivity. Creatively engaging with Western influences and classical literary traditions, Chinese writers and filmmakers we examine showcase how the Chinese reconstructed modern literature in relation to China’s nation-building process. All readings are available in English translations of Chinese originals. No prior knowledge of Chinese is assumed or required.

Detailed Course Outline is available on Blackboard.

Week 1: Course Overview & The Origins of Modern Chinese Literature

Week 2: May Fourth Movement: Literature and the Nation

Week 3: May Fourth Movement and the Salvation of Women

Week 4: Lunar New Year

Week 5: New Women on Screen

Week 6: Iconoclasts of Modern China

Week 7: The Lyrical Tradition of Modern Chinese Literature

Week 8: New Sensationism and the Rise of Urban Centers

Week 9: Constructing the New Woman

Week 10: Women’s Writing and the Quotidian

Week 11: The Beginning of the New Era and Root-Seeing Literature

Week 12: Hong Kong and the Post-colonial Identity

Week 13: Imagining the Post-human: From Science Fantasy to Science Fiction

Participation (15%)

Pop Quizzes (15%)

In-class Literary Analysis (10%)

Article Review (10%)

Group Presentation (15%)

Term Paper Proposal (5%)

Term Paper (30%)

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The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g. to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submissions. It is common and acceptable to reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from one’s own work; but wholesale reuse is problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained prior to the submission of the piece of work.