J314	Japanese Literature in Translation	Fall 2011
R. Loftus		Walton Hall 144
email rloftus		x6275

Course Objectives:
To introduce students to some of the major questions and issues in modern Japanese literature. Classical poetry and narrative prose, along with theatre will be considered at the outset, but the emphasis will be on shôsetsu, Japan's version of the modern novel. This is a Writing Centered course which means that we must pay attention to the process of writing: drafting, editing, peer-review, and revising. No one writes an excellent paper in one sitting. The aim of this course is to examine how the acts of reading and writing have occurred in the context of modern Japanese culture. To this end, six modern Japanese novels have been selected, four from contemporary authors and two from writers active earlier in the modern period. Several of these novels evoke older literary and cultural practices by referring to or actually quoting lines from classical texts. Encountering such "intertextual" references will provide us with the opportunity to consider how classical Japanese poetry, prose and theatre have left their imprint on modern Japanese literature. Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Understand the significance of form and the dynamic relationship between author, reader and text; 2. Understand the challenges involved in textual interpretation and strategies to address them; 3. Understand how texts embody cultural values and are products of particular times and places. Emphasis in this course will be on in-class discussion (there will be little, if any, formal lecturing) and "writing-to-learn exercises," something rooted in the notion that we write in order to figure out what we think and what we believe. Writing is and should be a process of discovery. We will work on writing in various ways including:
	preparation and sharing with peer-reviewers of portions of your essays in draft forms focusing often on the Introduction where a specific "claim" or thesis is introduced.
	conferences with the instructor or a Wrtiing Center consultant to evaluate drafts of works in progress
	"freewrites"as a post-writing exercise to be done immediately after formal papers are collected

Course Requirements:

1. Regular attendance--no more than 3 unexcused absences--or your grade will be lowered

2. Preparation of reading assignments as indicated on the syllabus

3. Participation in in-class discussions

4. Participation in at least one Individual Conference with your professor to discuss a draft of your paper and at least one visit for a consultation at the Writing Center

5. Completion of three formal papers and various in-class writing assignments designed to develop ideas for these papers as well as submitting to and providing Peer Review.

Due dates for three formal papers: Sept. 29, Nov. 3, and Dec. 12 Students may exercise a 24 hour "grace" option for one of their three papers--that is, be allowed an extra 24 hours to turn their paper in without penalty. However, you may only do this once during the semester.

Remember:

"There is no perfect teacher...The point is to make a sincere effort to become a perfect student of an imperfect teacher."

Fujita Issho, Zen Teacher

Major Texts:

MASKS	by ENCHI Fumiko
KOKORO	by Natsume SOSEKI
SPUTNIK SWEETHEART	by MURAKAMI Haruki
A PERSONAL MATTER	by OE Kenzaburo
KAFKA ON THE SHORE	by MURAKAMI Haruki
KITCHEN	by Yoshimoto Banana

NOTE: Some of these texts have explicit language, graphic scenes and "adult" themes or situations. If you are not comfortable reading this kind of material, you should consider taking another course.

Weekly Reading and Discussion Schedule

August 30	Introductions and Course Overview Expectations for the Course What is literature?
September 1	Read PDF from Resources section on WISE: Burch.pdf See also: Noel Burch, TO THE DISTANT OBSERVER, Ch. 2,3 On Reading and Interpreting Japanese Literature: Where do we find Meaning?
6	Introduction to Japanese Poetry;Types of Japanese Poems Read four PDFs from Resources section on WISE: Manyoshu.pdf Poetry.pdf Ki-Poetics.pdf Genji-Fiction.pdf Overview of the History of Japanese Literature Additional Useful Materials On the Manyoshu andthe Kokinshu "Aware" and Heian Politics Site; Some more on poetry On Kokinshu and Tosa Diary author Ki no Tsurayuki On the Kokinshu, Tosa Nikki, The Tale of Genji
8	From Poetry to Prose: The Genji monogatari
	Read two PDFs from Resources section on WISE: 1. Genji-Yugao.pdf 2. Genji-Aoi.pdf   Useful Links   Brief summary of the YUGAO (Evening Faces) chapter Another Yugao site Brief summary of the AOI (Heartvine) chapter   Genji website See more websites on the Genji
13	And back again: Noh: DEFINITIONS, VIDEO, TEXTS; Excellent Noh Website with Play and Mask databases, etc. More on Noh Overview of Medieval Culture Begin reading MASKS Read a Noh Play: Aoi no Uye PDF Version of Aoi no Uye is also available on WISE   Another website on Noh and its Masks
15	MASKS by ENCHI Fumiko, First part. pp. 3-59   Noh and Illusion

20	MASKS--Part Two, pp. 61-112 See reference to KKS poem	Characters See my own photos of Nonomiya
22	MASKS--Finish Article on Masks	See a website on Nonomiya or The Shrine of the Fields

Question for Paper #1 on Masks Due September 29

Some Notes on the text Masks

 

 

Language in Kokoro I

 

27	In-class review of Introductions for Paper #1 KOKORO by Natsume Soseki--pp. 1-62	See another brief Bio of Soseki
29	KOKORO--pp. 62-124	See notes on Kokoro Drafts of PAPER #1 DUE
October 4	KOKORO--pp. 125-187	Kokoro Review
6	KOKORO--pp.187-End	Paper #1 Due See photos of gingko trees
	Zoshigaya Cemetary	See Picture of Soseki in Middle-School

Soseki's likeness on the 1,000-yen note:

SPECIAL EVENT MONDAY OCTOBER 10 The English Department and the Center for Asian Studies Present A Reading by Contemporary Japanese-American Writer Kyoko Mori 7:00 pm Cone Chapel Extra Credit Assignment: Readthe PDF (also on WISE), attend the reading and write a brief response paper

 

 

October 11	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp. 1-53	by Murakami Haruki
13	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp.54-96

Links to Postmodernism; see a definition here and another link here

18	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp. 97-210
20	Discuss SPUTNIK SWEETHEART Conferences on Paper #2?

Question for Paper #2, Due November 1

October 20, 24 Student Conferences for Paper #2

27	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs. 5-10	by OE Kenzaburo, Brief review
November 1	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs 6-13 Discussion of A PERSONAL MATTER	"Oe and the Sublime" Oe Notes
	See a biopage/Nobel Prize	See 1994 Interview with Oe at U.C. Berkeley
3	"Moonlight Shadow" pp. 109-152	by YOSHIMOTO Banana

November 8	KITCHEN pp. 3-56	YOSHIMOTO Banana
10	KITCHEN pp. 57-105 (finish) YOSHIMOTO Banana	YOSHIMOTO Banana; More on Yoshimoto Banana
15	Begin KAFKA ON THE SHORE pp, 3-104	Murakami Haruki
17	KAFKA ON THE SHORE pp. 105-205	NYT Review; John Updike

November 22	KAFKA ON THE SHORE pp. 206-300
24-25	Thanksgiving Vacation; No Classes	Another Review
29	Finish KAFKA ON THE SHORE pp. 301-467	Discuss Topics for Final Paper
December 1	Discuss Kafka and Kitchen

6	More Discussion
8	Last Class: Discussion, Develop Introductory Theses

 

 

Question for Final Paper

December 10-11, Student Conferences on Drafts

FINAL PAPER DUE Monday Dec. 12, 4:00 pm

J314 Students Writing their Papers!

The following are useful sources which can be found in the Reference section of the library. You will be able to find background information on the authors and some analysis of their writings.

Ref. DS 805 .K633	KODANSHA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF JAPAN 8 vols.
Ref. C.52 and C.53	CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS (100+ Volumes)
Ref. PL 717. R55 1	A READER'S GUIDE TO JAPANESE LITERATURE	by Thomas Rimer
Ref PL 747.55. L48	MODERN JAPANESE NOVELISTS: A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY	by John Lewell
Ref. PN 771 .C59	CONTEMPORARY LITERARY CRITICISM
Ref. PN 771 .55	ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WORLD LITERATURE IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY	1981

Brief article : "Trends in Present Day Japanese Literature"

See "Japanorama" Commercial site for Japanese Literature	http://www.japanorama.com/fiction.html
For a site with MP3 files of Japanese Literary Texts click here

 

Print by Clifton Karhu 

Useful Sources:
1. Doris Bargen	A Woman's Weapon:Spirit Possession in the Tale of Genji
2. Kojin Karatani	The Origins of Modern Japanese Literature
3. Arthur Kimball	Crisis and Identity in Contemporary Japanese Novels
4. Noriko Lippit	Reality and Fiction in Modern Japanese Literature
5. Masao Miyoshi	Accomplices of Silence
6. Irena Powell	Writers and Society in Modern Japan
7. Thomas Rimer	Modern Japanese Fiction and its Traditions
8. Makoto Ueda	Modern Japanese Writers and the Nature of Literature
9. Michiko Wilson	The Marginal World of Oe Kenzaburo
10. H. Yamanouchi	The Search for Authenticity in Modern Japanese Literature
11. Sachiko Schierbeck	Japanese Women Novelists in the 20th Century 104 Biographies 1900-1993
12. Rebecca Copelanad	Lost Leaves: Women Writers of Meiji Japan
13. Chieko Mulhern, ed.	Japanese Women Writers: A Bio-Critical Sourcebook

See a photo of Nishi Honganji Temple.