George
Mason University Chinese
310: Survey of Traditional Chinese Literature--Spring
2010 ____________________________________________________________________ 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 Literature, so in addition
to ten weekly journals, you will also write for me two exams and one paper (five
to eight pages) on an assigned topic in April. Point breakdown: participation,
20%; weekly journals, 25%; first exam, 20%; second exam, 20%; research paper,
15%. Bibliography: This book is
for sale at the University Bookstore: Victor Mair,
The Shorter Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese
Literature (New York: Columbia University Press, 2000). 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 send as email attachments
to the class list as we advance. In addition, I hope to bring in visiting
speakers, show slides and perhaps three or four video tapes.
Student
Presentations and Extra Credits
Student presentations are optional but will be awarded with one extra credit.
Those who do poorly in participation, midterm or weekly journals should consider
doing extra work for extra credits. In addition to presentation, students are
also encouraged to visit the Freer and Sackler
Galleries for Asian Arts in Downtown D.C. for extra credits
(http://www.asia.si.edu/visitor/default.htm). Up to two extra credits will be
given a student. 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.
Policy
on Disabilities Students
with disabilities who seek accommodations in a course must be registered with
the GMU Disability Resource Center (DRC) and inform the instructor, in writing,
at the beginning of the semester. Please see www.gmu.edu/student/drc or call
703-993-2474 to access the DRC. Grading
Scale Date
Class
Homework
1/19
T 1/21
R Introduction
to the Course and a Video Show on Chinese Civilization (DVD:
China: The Mandate of Heaven, available in JC, University Catalog Call Number: CB311 .L4 2002）
------------------------------------------- Beginning
of the Poetic and Philosophical Traditions: * Classics of Odes
(61-73); The
Black Musician
(attachment); * The Great Preface to the Classics of Odes (attachment) In-Class
Written Questions (Assignment 1) 1/26
T 1/28 R *
Confucian Analects (17-20); * Mencius (20-21); Video Show: Confucianism
(Religion: A World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 2). -------------------------------------------------
Beginning
of the Poetic and Philosophical Traditions Continued: Video Show:
Taoism (Religion: A World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 8); *Chuang
Chou (22-32). T.
Assignment 2 Due 2/02
T Taoism
continued, Chuang Chou (22-32) --------------------------------------------------- *
Lao Tzu (32-37). T.
Assignment 3 Due 2/09
T 2/11
R The
Warring States, Qin and Han. T.
Assignment 4 Due 2/16
T From
Han to Tang. ----------------------------------------------
T.
Assignment 5 Due 2/23
T 2/25
R *Orchid
Pavilion (351-353); * Peach Blossom Spring (364-366). * The Return
(235-237); * Tao Chien selections
(77-79). --------------------------------------------------- *
Pity Me (251-252); Midnight Songs (253-255); *A Peacock Southeast Flew
(255-265); *
Mulan (267-269). T.
Assignment 6 Due 3/02
T Video
Show: Mulan. 3/08-3/14
Spring
Break
3/16 T Tang
dynasty ------------------------------------------------
3/23
T *Tu Fu (97-99). ----------------------------------------------------- *The
Story of Ying-ying (507-517); Jokes
(430-440); T.
Assignment 7 Due 3/30
T 4/01
R Song
Dynasty *
Su Shih selections (119-121, 158-160, 238-240); Su
Shi: Water Mode Song, Mid-Autumn (attachment) *
Li Ch’ing-chao, Bronze and Stone (355-358);
*Li
Ch’ing-chao selections
(165-169); *
Longing to Recover the North (attachment). --------------------------------------------------- Yuan
dynasty: Country
Cousin at the Theater (174-176); *
Autumn Thoughts (176-177); *
Injustice to Tou O
(673-713) T.
Assignment 8 Due 4/06
T Ming
and Qing. -------------------------------------------------
*Another
story about the farmer’s wife and the revenging ghost sent as attachment
to class T.
Assignment 9 Due 4/13
T *
Wu
Sung
Beats
the Tiger (581-591) STUDENT
PRESENTATION Transformation
Text on Mahamaudgalyayana (607-642) *
The Scholars (attachment). ------------------------------------------------------ Teacher’s
copy. JC Media Library’s copy is damaged. T.
Assignment 10 Due 4/20
T STUDENT
PRESENTATION: *The
Journey to the West (566--580);*
Burial Mound for Flowers (591-604) STUDENT
PRESENTATION:
Lessons
for Women (320-327) Governor
of the Southern Branch (517-528). T.
Assignment 11 Due 4/27
T *The
Mortal Thoughts of a Nun (721-723); *
The Peony Pavilion
(713-720). Video Show: The Chinese Cracker (Teacher's copy,
University does not have one) Review Hard
Copy Term Paper due in class 5/05
T Reading
Day, no class, or snow day make-up 5/06
R Final
Exam 10:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m. in the same classroom
Department of Modern & Classical
Languages
Class Meeting Time: TR 10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
Class Meeting Room: STII 15
Professor: Dr. Karl K.
Zhang; Class TA: Ms. Belinda Jia Lin
Telephone:
(703) 993-4231
Office: Thompson 235G
Office Hours: TR 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
and by appointment
E-mail: javascript:main.compose('new','t=kzhang@gmu.edu');
jlin9@gmu.edu
Instructor’s Website: http//:mason.gmu.edu/~kzhang
A
100-93
A-
92-90
B+
89-87
B
86-83
B-
82-80
C+
79-77
C
76-70
D
69-60
F 59-0
Session-by-Session
Syllabus (In case you are unable to finish reading everything, try to finish the
readings with a star sign at least.
Session
by Session Schedule
2/04
R
* Mo Tzu
(attachment);
Duties of the Student (12-16); * Ground-Thumping Song (242);
Heavenly Questions (192-208);
Two Avengers (attachment); Qin
Penal
Servitude
Code (attachment).
-------------------------------------------------------* Letter
to Ren An by Sima
Qian (attachment)
Biography of Ching
Ko (attachment);
Video
Excerpt from “The
Emperor and Assassin.”
by Chen, Kaige, available in Johnson Center,
University Library Catalog Call Number:
PN1997.E5561 2000
2/18
R
* Song of The
Great Wind (241); Seven Stimuli (211-229).
Cock-Phoenix, Hen-Phoenix (241-242); *A Song by Li Yen-nien (243); * Lost Horizon (243-244); Song of the Viet
Boatman (244); Mulberry Up the Lane (245); * Nineteen Old Poems
(247-248).* They Fought South of the Wall (247); * Watering Horses
(249-250); I Watered My Horse
(attachment); *
Enduring the Cold (250)
*
Hsieh Ling-yun selection (80);
3/04 R
Midterm
Exam.
3/18
R
A Video Show: Chinese Tang Dynasty
* All selections from Wang Wei
(90-92, 270-271); * Li Po
(92-95, 147-149, 342-345)
3/25
R
Video Show: Buddhism (Religion: A
World History. BL 48.R44 1998, pt 8)
4/08
R
* Strange Tales (485-495).
* Sketches from the Cottage (496-506).
4/15
R
Video
Show: Perfumed Handkerchief.
4/22
R
4/29
R