fall07310

Chinese 310-Survey of Traditional Chinese Literature, Fall 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: MW 3:00 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
Meeting Place: Thompson Hall 227
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 9:20 p.m.-10:20 p.m., and by appointment

Summary of the Course: An introduction of the outlines of Chinese literature from the beginning to the nineteenth century, presented through literary sources arranged in roughly chronological order. Our readings include poetry, fiction, drama and personal essays as well as documents of philosophy, history, religion, and transcribed oral records. 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.

My Expectations of You: Participation in class is very important, because I take seriously the idea that my job is not simply to "present" material but to work through, analyze and add to it. Classes will be a combination of lecture and discussion. Be sure to have the material read before class meeting so that you can contribute to the discussions. This course fulfills the General Education Requirement in Literarture, so in addition to weekly take-home short reaction papers, you will also write for me two exams and one paper (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: This book is for sale at the University Bookstore: Victor Mair, The Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature (New York: Columbia University Press, 1994). This text is required; by the end of the course we will have read it almost from cover to cover. Other readings will be distributed in class or put on reserve in Johnson Center Library as we advance. In addition, I hope to bring in visiting speakers, show slides and perhaps three or four 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.sscnet.ucla.edu/history/elman/ClassBib. Most of the titles listed there are in Chinese and intended for graduate-level researchers; scroll down to section 10 which presents books and journals in English.

Session-by-Session Syllabus (in case you cannot finish reading everything, try to finish the readings with a star sign at least):

Week 1. Beginning of the Poetic and Philosophical Traditions.
8/27 M: Introduction to the Course and a Short Video Show on Chinese History. In class response paper.
8/29 W: * Classics of Odes (149). * The Great Preface (121).

Week 2. Beginning of the Poetic and Philosophical Traditions Continued.
9/3 M: Labor Day, No Class
9/5 W: * Confucian Analects (40); * Mencius (43); Video Show: Confucianism (Religion: A World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 2)

Week 3. Philosophical Traditions Continued
9/10 M: Video Show: Taoism; (Religion: A World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 8); *Chuang Chou (45)
9/12 W: * Lao Tzu (57).

Week 4. The Warring States, Qin and Han.
9/17 M: * Mo Tzu (31); Duties of the Student (27); * Ground-Thumping Song (444);
Heavenly Questions (371)
9/19 W: Two Avengers (handouts); Qin Penalty Code (handouts).
* Biography of Ching Ko (671); Part of the Video Show: The Emperor and Assassin.

Week 5. From Han to Tang.
9/24 M: * Song of the Great Wind (443); * Sir Fantasy (392); * Seven Stimuli (411);
9/26 W: * Li Yen-nien (445), * They Fought South of the Wall (452);
* Watering Horses (454); I Watered my Horse (455); * Enduring the Cold (456) * Nineteen Old Poems (451);

Week 6. From Han to Tang.
10/1 M: * Orchid Pavilion (565); * Peach Blossom Spring (578).
* The Return (435); * Tao Chien selections (177).
10/3 W: * Hsieh Ling-yun selections
(183); * A Peacock Southeast Flew (462). * Mulan (474).

Week 7. From Han to Tang
10/ 9 T: (No class on Monday due to Columbus Day Recess. Monday Classes Meet on Tuesday this week according to the Regitrar)
Video Show: Mulan.
10/10 W: Midterm Exam.

Week 8. Tang, Song and Yuan .
10/15 M: A Video Show: Chinese Tang Dynasty
10/17 W: * All Selections from Wang Wei
(196, 477); * Li Po (198, 300, 437, 556); * Tu Fu (208)

Week 9. Tang, Song and Yuan
10/22 M: * The Story of Ying-ying (851); Jokes (224);
10/24 W: * The Transcendent Marriage (838); Governor of the Southern Branch (861).

Week 10. Tang, Song, Yuan
10/29 M: Video Show: Buddhism (Religion: A World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 8);
               * 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).
10/31 W: * Autumn Thoughts (353); * Injustice to Tou O (1279);
                Country Cousin at the Theater (350); * The Lute (1285).

Week 11. Ming and Qing.
11/5 M: * Strange Tales (786).
11/7 W: * Sketches from the Cottage (806); Gold Vase Plum (981).

Week 12. Ming and Qing
11/12 M: * Wu Song Fights the Tiger (997); The Peach Blossom Fan (1306).
11/14 W: * The Scholars (1007).
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (947).

Week 13. Ming and Qing
11/19 M: Video Show: Perfumed Handkerchief.
11/21 W: Thanksgiving Recess. Happy Holidays!

Week 14. Ming and Qing
11/26 M: * Burial Mound for Flowers (1020); * Six Chapters of Floating Life (709).
11/28 W: * The Mortal Thoughts of a Nun (1315); * The Journey to the West (966).
* The Peony Pavilion (1298). Video Show: The Chinese Cracker .

Week 15. Wrap up
12/3 M: Student Presentations
12/5 W: Student Presentations, Review for Final and Course Evaluation.

12/12 Wednesday: Paper due via email attachment by noon
to kzhang@gmu.edu
12/17 Monday: 1:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.: Written Final Exam in the same classroom.