CHIN328 Asian American Women Writers

TR 8:45 pm -10:00 pm, East Building 121

Instructor: Dr. Aijun Zhu

Office: 234-B Thompson Hall

Office hours: TR 6:40-7:10 pm

Office Phone: 703-993-1631

Email: azhu@gmu.edu (You’re encouraged to contact me via email since I check email messages every day)

Required Textbooks

Jessica Hagedorn. Dogeaters. Penguin, Reissue edition, 1991.

Maxine Hong Kingston. The Woman Warrior. Vintage Books.

_____. China Men. Vintage books.

Joy Kogawa. Obasan. Anchor; Reprint edition, 1993.

Bharati Mukherjee. The Middleman and Other Stories. Grove Press, 1988.

Films and Videos

Ancestors in the Americas: Coolies, Sailors, Settlers

Saving Face

Searching for Asian America

The Stories of Maxine Hong Kingston

Course Description

This course introduces a few prominent Asian American women writers as well as some critical issues in Asian American literary studies, particularly the conflicts between gender and race, between feminism and racial/cultural nationalism, as manifested in the controversy of Kingston’s The Woman Warrior. Drawing upon Anderson’s concept of “imagined communities,” the course emphasizes that Asia America is not a homogeneous community but that it is diverse and diversely imagined in the writings of these different authors.

The course accentuates the significance of contextualizing Asian American women’s writing within the specific Asian American history, which, to a certain degree, has also been influenced by the relations between the U.S. and Asia. The course also emphasizes the close interplay between literature and society. In other words, the specific social and political contexts shape the specific Asian America writing while these texts contribute to or transform, more or less, our understanding of Asia America and America.

The course brings attention to the power of literary criticism/interpretation, which produces certain knowledge, not truth, about certain writers. At the beginning of this semester, students will read different critiques on Kingston by different critics. Students are encouraged to think independently and critically about the readings and critiques, and practice your role as literary critics/scholars in the forms of discussion, written response, and academic paper.

Grading

Attendance and Discussion: 15%

Quizzes 10%

Responses (8) 20%

Critical Analyses (2) 30%

Final Exam 25%

Course Requirements

Attendance is mandatory. 2 unexcused absences—no questions asked; each unexcused absence will drop your discussion grade by one letter since the success of this class depends much on it.

An excused absence entitles you to make up for certain missed work. You can earn your participation points by emailing me your understanding of the readings before class the following week. However, there is no makeup for quizzes.

Satisfactory documentation is required for each absence. As soon as possible after your return, meet with me to set up a schedule for making up any work you have missed. If you are seeing doctor at that particular time, unless it is an emergency, a doctor’s note will not excuse your absence. Simply informing me before class does not excuse you either.

Class participation is expected since talking with fellow students is the best way to learn. So earn your good grade the fun way—start and keep talking in class! Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, but you do need to show that you are familiar with the readings and the films and that you have seriously thought about them. Be prepared and watch/read before class.

Quizzes

A pop quiz will be given on any day, and it will be a couple of simple questions on the readings. Be prepared.

Response Journal (8, 1+ page each entry; typed, double-spaced, times new roman, size 12)

Students are required to keep a response journal, which will help you articulate your thoughts on the texts and will contribute to productive and successful discussions in class. Generally, one response is required each week. Please read the syllabus carefully for the specific texts and dates responses are due.

Each response should be at least 1 page long and emailed to me by 11:59 pm the night before it is due. Late journals are not accepted.

A list of questions will be given to you (hardcopy or email) each week. The questions are intended to guide you through the readings, help you understand/analyze main characters and themes, and encourage you to think critically. You can also ask questions and offer possible answers, showing your active engagement with the texts.

Critical Analysis (2, 5-6 pages, typed, Times New Roman, size 12, Due 3/6 and 4/26)

Critical Analysis in the form of academic paper comes naturally for a literature class. But do not worry. You will find that our response journal and discussions have prepared ourselves throughout the course. You can certainly elaborate your response journal, or you may find something more interesting as a result of discussions or research.

You do not have to do additional research to write this paper although your independent research will certainly help you shape and sharpen your ideas. A librarian will be happy to help you do research. You can also do online research although it takes time to find high-quality sites.

You must cite your sources. Failure to cite your sources will be considered plagiarism and will result in an F for the course.

Each of these analyses is a formal academic paper, in which you must present your thesis statement (your main argument), supported by well-organized evidences from the text(s) or your research. We will talk more about the structure of the formal paper later in class.

Things to pay attention to when you write an analysis:

Critical analysis means that you must apply thoughtful reasoning to the arguments presented in this course through readings, screenings and discussion. It means not only finding what is right with something, but also what is wrong, and why.
You must always have a thesis statement, which must be supported throughout your writing, with reasons or examples. That is, everything in your analysis must be related to your major argument—the thesis statement, which is usually introduced in the “introduction” of your paper (mostly likely the first paragraph in this short analysis).
Relevancy should also be on your mind. Are you giving the reader relevant information? You will also need to pay attention to details so that you will support yourself with detailed and specific examples from the text.

Remember Critical analysis is NOT:

A summary.
Broad generalizations without further support and analysis
Citing long quotes from the readings without analyzing them or explaining their importance to you or to us.

Final Exam, Take Home, Due May 8, by 11pm via email

Final exam consists of short essay questions. A review sheet will be given a week before the exam.

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.

Class will start on time. Please be respectful by arriving on time and not leaving early. As to classroom climate, respect each other. Racist, sexist, heterosexist or homophobic, anti-Semitic, and discriminatory language regarding any ethnic group, faith or religion, will not be tolerated.

Late paper: NOT accepted.

Schedule of Readings

Reclaiming America: History, Citizenship and Narratives

WEEK 1

Tu 1/23 Introduction to the course, introduction to each other

Th 1/25 Screening: Ancestors in the Americas: Coolies, Sailors, Settlers

DUE: 1. Start China Men, 3-73 (finish “The Father from China”)

WEEK 2

Tu 1/30 Re-presenting history: Asia and Asian America

Nation and narration: Imagining Chinese America

Discussion: Film & China Men

DUE: 1. Continue Kingston, China Men, 74-159

2. Write Response 1 (CM, 1-159).

Th 2/1 Imagining/claiming Chinese America:

Discussion: China Men (The Grandfathers/uncles)

DUE: 1. Continue China Men, 160-220

WEEK 3

Tu 2/6 China Men continued (The fathers/uncles)

DUE: 1. Write Response 2 (160-308).

2. Finish China Men.

Th 2/8 China Men continued (The Brother)

DUE: 1. Start Woman Warrior, 1-55

The Production of Controversy: Gender, Race and Genre

WEEK 4

Tu 2/13 Screening: The Stories of Maxine Hong Kingston

DUE: 1. WW, 56-110, up to “Shaman”

2. Write Response 3 (1-110).

Th 2/15 Woman Warrior

DUE: 1. WW, 111-161 (“At the Western Palace”)

WEEK 5

Tu 2/20 Woman Warrior continued.

DUE: 1. Finish WW.

2. Write Response 4.

Th 2/22 Woman Warrior continued

WEEK 6

Tu 2/27 Issues:

Kingston, “Cultural Misreadings” (CP)

Brownmiller, “Susan Brownmiller Talks” (CP)

Th 3/1 Issues continued

Johnson, “Ghost” (CP)

Chan, “Reply” (CP)

Johnson, “Reply” (CP)

Chin, “The Most Popular Book in China” (CP)

DUE: 1. Write Response 5.

WEEK 7

Tu 3/6 Screening: Searching for Asian America

DUE: 1. Start Obasan (Chapters 1-7).

2. Critical Analysis 1.

Th 3/8 Discussion: Women, Anger and In-between Identities

Lela Lee’s “Angry Little Asian Girl”

DUE: 1. Continue Obasan (Chapters 8-13).

WEEK 8

3/13 Spring Break

3/15 Spring Break

Japanese America: Articulating Silence

WEEK 9

Tu 3/20 Discussion: Obasan, chapters 1-13.

DUE: 1. Continue Obasan.

2. Write Response 6 (1-13).

Th 3/22 Obasan continued, Chapters 14-19

WEEK 10

Tu 3/27 Obasan continued, chapters 20-27

DUE: 1. Write Response 7 (14-27).

Th 3/29 Obasan continued

Gender, Body and Sexuality

WEEK 11

Tu 4/3 Film: Saving Face

DUE: 1. Start Dogeaters, pp1-54

Th 4/5 Film: Saving Face continued.

DUE: Continue Dogeaters, pp55-104

WEEK 12

Tu 4/10 Discussion and Review

Southeast Asian America: Fantastic and Chaotic

Th 4/12 Discussion: Dogeaters, 1-104

DUE: 1. Write Response 8 (1-104).

2. Continue Dogeaters, pp104-187

WEEK 13

Tu 4/17 Dogeaters Continued, 105-187

Th 4/19 Dogeaters Continued, 188-251

DUE: Write Response 8.

Southasian America and beyond

WEEK 14

Tu 4/24 The Middle Man and Other Stories

DUE: 1. Read “A Wife’s Story,” The Tenant,” “Jasmine,”

Th 4/26 The Middle Man and Other Stories continued.

DUE: 1. Read “The Management of Grief,” “Buried Lives,” “The Middleman,” “Loose Ends”

2. 2^nd Critical Analysis due.

WEEK 13

Tu 5/1 Review

Th 5/3 Last Day of Class

5/8 Final Exam 7:30-10:15

5/10

Th 11/23 THANKSGIVING BREAK

Th 12/7 Last Day of Class