CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE LITERATURE*

概要

Contemporary Japanese Literature, as the title suggests, is a course dealing with Japanese literary texts produced by writers who are living, or at least were living in the recent past. In historical terms, however, it might be considered a course in literature written in the post-postwar era, i.e., after 1970. In principle, our focus is on writing from the past four decades or so. Each year the seminar centers on a particular theme or idea. This year's theme is the "quest for other worlds and other selves." That means that we will examine a wide range of texts that deal with alternate realities, metaphysical spaces, depictions of the unconscious, the world of the dead, and so on. This will lead us into a variety of theoretical discussions, from the psychological to the mythological; and to various artistic and literary frames, including magical realism, postmodernism, feminism, and new historicism. All texts in this course will be read in the original Japanese. While English translations do exist for some, and might be consulted for occasional reference or critique, students are expected to work with the original materials. NOTE: PhD students will follow the curriculum assigned to the MA students in the affiliated class; however, PhD students will be given supplementary readings and assignments appropriate to the requirements for students in the PhD degree program.

目標

(1) to develop more effective reading techniques and improve efficiency in reading Japanese texts (2) to expose students to a wide range of recent and contemporary authors and texts (3) to develop critical skills in reading, discussing, and writing about Japanese literature at the advanced level

授業外の学習

All members of the seminar are expected to: - read the assigned text prior to class (120 min) - keep careful notes on the readings (20 min) - prepare questions about the text for wider discussion (20 min) - locate and translate what they consider to be the central or key passage in each reading (40 min) - read and present to the seminar at least one secondary text on one of our authors/texts (book review, article, etc.)

所要時間: 200