310 spring 07

George Mason University
Department of Modern and Classical Languages

Chinese 310-Survey of Traditional Chinese Literature, Spring 2007
Instructor: Dr. Karl K. Zhang
Office: 235-G Thompson Hall
Phone: (703) 993-4231
Email: kzhang@gmu.edu
Web Page: http:// mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang/
Meeting Time: TR 12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m.
Meeting Place: T 117
Office Hours: MW 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., and by appointment

Summary of the Course: Survey of classical Chinese literature. All readings are in English and course
conducted in English. Topics include: nature of the Chinese language; the beginnings of poetry;
development of narrative and historical writing; classical Chinese poetics; nature poetry; literature of
protest, dissent, and political satire; love poetry; religious and philosophical ideas in Chinese drama
and novel. No one can expect to "cover" traditional Chinese literature in one semester, but I hope
that you will leave this course with a sense of the richness of the literature, a basic map of China's
literary development, and an interest in investigating it further.

Requirements: Participation in class is very important. Be sure to have the material read before
class meeting so that you can contribute to the discussions. This writing intensive course fulfills the
university wide general education requirement in literature. In addition to eleven weekly take-home
short reaction papers, you will also write for this course two exams and one analytical essay
(five to eight pages) on an assigned topic. Point breakdown: participation, 20%; weekly short
reaction papers, 20%; first exam, 20%; second exam, 20%; research paper, 20%.

Bibliography: Victor Mair, The Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature (New York:
Columbia University Press, 1994). This text is required. Other readings will be distributed in class
or put on reserve in Johnson Center Library as we advance. In addition, I plan to show slides and
some short video tapes.

For the research paper you will want to broaden your reading. A good general/intellectual history
of China in English is Charles O. Hucker, China’s Imperial Past (Stanford: Stanford University
Press, 1975). An excellent and frequently updated bibliography of Chinese history is available on
the Internet at this address: http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/time_line.html

Honor Code. The George Mason University Honor Code is in effect throughout the entire
duration of the course and applies to all course work carried out inside and outside the
classroom. It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the GMU Honor
System and Code as laid out in the Student Handbook. Please refer to
http://www.gmu.edu/mlstudents/handbook/honor.html for detailed information.

Session-by-Session Syllabus (readings with * signs are primary readings):

Week 1. Beginning of the Poetic and Philosophical Traditions.
1/23 T: Introduction to the Course, a short video show on Chinese iistory,
            short in-class reaction answers.
1/25 R: * Classics of Odes (149).
              * The Great Preface (121).

________________________________________________________________________________________
Week 2.
1/30 T: A short video tape show on Confucianism
* Confucian Analects (40); * Mencius (43).
2/01 R: * A short video show on Taoism
              Chuang Chou (45); * Lao Tzu (57).

Week 3.
2/06 T: The Warring States, Qin and Han.* Mo Tzu (31); Duties of the Student (27);
* Ground-Thumping Song (444); Heavenly Questions (371).
2/08 R: Two Avengers (attachment); Qin Penalty Code (attachment).
* Biography of Ching Ko (671, this one is long, skip the first 3 pages); Part of
the video show: The Emperor and Assassin.

Week 4
2/13 T: * Chia Yi: The Owl (389), Biographies of Transcendents(771);
* Sir Fantasy (392); * Seven Stimuli (411).
2/15 R: Song of the Great Wind (443); * Li Yen-nien (445), * They Fought South of the Wall (452);
* Watering Horses (454); * I Watered my Horse (455); * Enduring the Cold (456).

Week 5.
2/20 T: From Han to Tang.
* Nineteen Old Poems (451); * A Peacock Southeast Flew (462).
2/22 R: * Orchid Pavilion (565); * Peach Blossom Spring (578).
* The Return (435); * Tao Chien selections (177).

Week 6.
2/27 T: A short videw show on the founder of Buddhism
             * Hsi Kang (573); Tales of the World (768), * Hsieh Ling-yun selections
             (183); Pao Chao selections (472); Pao Ling-hui selections (473); * Mulan (474)..

3/01 R: * Mahamaudgalyayana (1093); How Tripitaka Brought Back the Sutras (1181);
              Literary Selections (133); Part of the Video Show: Mulan.

Week 7.
3/06 T: Midterm Exam
3/8 R: A Video Show: Chinese Tang Dynasty

Week 8. 3/11-3/18 Spring Break ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Week 9. Tang Dynasty: Regulated Verses
3/20 T: * All Selections from Wang Wei
(196, 477); * Li Po (198, 300, 437, 556); * Tu Fu (208).
3/22 R: * The Story of Ying-ying (851); Jokes (224);
* The Transcendent Marriage (838); Governor of the Southern Branch (861).

Week 10. Sung and Yuan Dynasties: Song Lyrics, Arias, Operas
3/27 T: * Su Shih selections (248, 320, 438); * Li Ch’ing-chao selections (334);
* Li Ch’ing-chao, Bronze and Stone (569);
* Longing to Recover the North (handouts); Mei Yao-ch’en selections (243).
3/29 R: * Autumn Thoughts (353); * Injustice to Tou O (1279);
Country Cousin at the Theater (350); * The Lute (1285).

Week 11. Ming and Ch'ing Dynasties: Short Stories and Novels
4/03 T: * Strange Tales (786).
4/05 R: * Sketches from the Cottage (806); Gold Vase Plum (981).

Week 12.
4/10 T: * Wu Sung Fights the Tiger (997).
4/12 R: * The Scholars (1007).
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (947).

Week 13.
4/17 T: * The Journey to the West (966); * Six Chapters of Floating Life (709) .
4/19 R: * The Mortal Thoughts of a Nun (1315); * Burial Mound for Flowers (1020).

Week 14.
4/24 T: * The Peony Pavilion (1298). Short video show: A Chinese Cracker,
The Making of The Peony Pavilion
4/26 R: Video Show: Perfumed Handkerchief.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Week 15
5/1 T: Student Presentations
5/3 R: Student Presentations

5/08 Tuesday: Paper due via email attachment by noon
to kzhang@gmu.edu
5/10 Thursday: 1:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.: Written Final Exam in the same classroom.