HISTORY OF POPULAR LITERATURE IN JAPAN*

概要

This course is designed with three principle aims: (1) to understand what makes a work of "popular" fiction popular, and to grasp its function as such; (2) to consider what causes a work (or author) that began as "popular" to be redefined as "serious"; (3) to formulate ideas and review theoretical writing on how the literary "canon" is constructed, and what its ultimate purpose is. Obviously, this will necessitate serious discussion about the differences between "serious" and "popular" literature, as well as the ultimate function of literature, past and present. This is not, therefore, a course in which current popular literature is examined, but rather one in which texts from the Japanese literary canon are examined, and their popular origins and aspects discussed in some depth. Many of the texts and authors will be familiar to students, and they will be drawn both from ancient sources (pre-Heian) and modern (Meiji and beyond). ALIT 402 will be a highly challenging course, and will be conducted as a senior seminar for students who have considerable experience and interest in discussing literature seriously. Part of its aim will be to equip advanced students with the theoretical tools to begin graduate-level literary studies.

目標

Students who complete this course successfully will: - Have a clearer grasp of Japanese literary history - Be able to write longer essays on Japanese literary history and theory - Be able to discuss Japanese literary history intelligently and accurately with educated peers

授業外の学習

Students in this course will be expected to: - Read each assigned reading prior to the session for which it is assigned, including secondary readings (120 minutes) - Take careful notes on each reading, and brings these to the seminar (30 minutes) - Prepare at least one complex seminar question for each seminar (10 minutes) - Respond to daily forum assignments (40 minutes) - Produce one mid-term and one final term paper on a topic developed from the course content; - Explore contemporary works of popular literature that may express similar ideas to those found in our readings

所要時間: 200