J314	Japanese Literature in Translation	Spring 2009
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 theater will be considered at the outset, but the emphasis will be on shôsetsu, Japan's version of the modern novel. Our aim will be to examine how the acts of reading and writing have occurred in the context of modern Japanese culture. Emphasis will be on in-class discussion and "writing-to-learn exercises." Some examples of such exercises are:
	pre-discussion writing on discussion questions either in-class or before class online with Blackboard's "Discussion Board;" these can be written in an informal, expressive style
	short responses to readings and specific questions as posted on "Discussion Board." Hopefully, these will aid students in framing the questions and identifying the topics they will address in their formal papers
	drafts/interim works will be read by peers in the class and peers/instructors at the Writing Center
	"freewrites" may be used as a post-writing exercise to be done immediately after formal papers are collected when appropriate

Course Requirements:

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

2. Preparation of reading assignments as indicated on syllabus

3. Participation in online and in-class discussions

4. Participation in at least one Individual Conference with Professor to discuss a Draft of your paper

5. Completion of three fomal 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: Feb. 21, Mar. 21, May 8 Students may exercise a 24 hour "grace" option one one of their three papers--that is, be allowed an extra 24 hours to turn their paper in without negative consequences. But, 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
	by MURAKAMI Haruki
KITCHEN	by YOSHIMOTO Banana
A PERSONAL MATTER	by OE Kenzaburo

Weekly Reading and Discussion Schedule

January 17	Introductions and Course Overview
19	Lecture: On Reading and Interpreting Japanese Literature: Where do we find Meaning?
	Handout: Noel Burch, TO THE DISTANT OBSERVER, Ch. 2,3
24	Introduction to Japanese Poetry and Poetics On the Manyoshu "Aware" and HeianPolitics Site
	Some more on poetry Handouts:   Preface to the Kokinshu, Tosa Nikki by Ki no Tsurayuki "Discourse on the Art of Fiction" from The Tale of Genji More on the Tosa Nikki
26	From Poetry to Prose: the Genji monogatari
	YUGAO (Evening Faces) & Another Yugao site AOI (Heartvine) Chapters visit another excellent Genji website See more websites on the Genji
Jan. 31	And back again: Noh: DEFINITIONS, VIDEO, TEXTS, begin MASKS Aoi no Uye See websites on Noh and its Masks
	See Another site for Noh Masks

Feb. 2	MASKS by ENCHI Fumiko	First part. pp. 3-59
7	MASKS--part Two, pp.61-112	Characters
9	MASKS--Finish	See Nonomiya or The Shrine of the Fields

Some Notes on the text Masks

Question for Paper #1 on MasksDue Feb. 21

14	KOKORO--pp. 1-62	by Natsume Soseki; See another brief Bio
16	KOKORO--pp. 62-124	See notes on Kokoro
21	KOKORO--pp. 125-187	PAPER #1 DUE
23	KOKORO--pp.187-End	See photos of gingko trees
	Zoshigaya Cemetary	See Picture of Soseki in Middle-School

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

 

Natsume Soseki's likeness on the 1000-yen note

 

 

28	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp. 1-53	by Murakami Haruki
March 2	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp.54-96

Links to Postmodernism; see a definition here

and another link here

7	SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, pp. 97-210
9	Discuss

Question for Paper #2, Due March 21

14	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs. 1-4	by OE Kenzaburo
16	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs. 5-7	Brief review
21	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs.8-10	"Oe and the Sublime" PAPER #2 DUE
23	A PERSONAL MATTER Chs. 11-13	Oe Notes
MARCH 27-31	SPRING BREAK, NO CLASSES	See a biopage/Nobel Prize See 1994 Interview with Oe at Berkeley

April 4	Discuss A Personal Matter; begin Film: IKIRU (To Live),	KUROSAWA Akira, Director
6	Film: IKIRU (To Live), Discuss	Film Review article
11	Finish Ikiru, Discuss IKIRU	Some Definitions of Existentialism

13	"Moonlight Shadow"	by YOSHIMOTO Banana
18	KITCHEN pp. 3-26	YOSHIMOTO Banana
20	KITCHEN pp. 26-56	YOSHIMOTO Banana
		YOSHIMOTO Banana

25	KITCHEN pp. 57-105 (complete)	More on Yoshimoto Banana
27	Discuss
May 2	Last Class

Question for Final Paper

May 3-4, Student Conferences on Drafts

FINAL PAPER DUE Monday May 8, 3:00 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

Internet Site: "Trends in Present Day Japanese Literature"

http://www2.accu.or.jp/report/abd/31-4/abd3142.html

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 

See also the following books on Reserve:
1. Doris Bargen	A Woman's Weapon:Spirit Possession inthe 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

ENCHI Fumiko (click for brief discussionof the Buddhist parable of Lady Vaidehi). See a photo of Nishi Honganji Temple.