Syllabus for Roster(s):

  • 14Sp CHTR 3020-001 (CGAS)
  • 14Sp CHTR 5020-001 (CGAS)
In the UVaCollab course site:   14Sp CHTR 3020/5020

Course Description (for SIS)

Survey of Chinese literature and film in English translation since the beginning of the 20th century. Contending strands such as revolutionary, romantic, modernist, nativist, popular and women’s writing are represented by their most distinctive achievements. Major themes include tensions between Chinese and Western culture, tradition and modernity, masculinity and femininity, elite and popular, individual and national identities and class consciousness.

Modern Chinese Literature

Introduction to Modern Chinese Literature 

CHTR 3020/5020, Spring 2014
Wilson 216, MW 2:00-3:15            

Instructor:

Charles A. Laughlin

New Cabell Hall 155

Office Hours: T 1-3pm

charleslaughlin@virginia.edu

 

The following books are available at the UVa Bookstore:

  • HANAN, PATRICK - SEA OF REGRET 《恨海》
  • LAU and Goldblatt - COLUMBIA ANTHOLOGY OF MODERN CHINESE LITERATURE
  • Mitter, Rana - Modern China: A Very Short Introduction
  • BA JIN 巴金 (PA CHIN) - FAMILY 《家》
  • Mao Dun 茅盾, Rainbow 《虹》
  • SHEN CONGWEN 沈从文 - BORDER TOWN 《边城》
  • Yu Hua 余华, To Live 《活着》
  • Han Han 韩寒, This Generation: Dispatches from China's Most Popular Literary Star (and Race Car Driver)

Additional required readings will be uploaded to this course’s Collab site; see the activities page for links to them.

 

Requirements:

  • Attendance and participation: 25%
  • 2 page paper: 5%
  • Weekly quizzes: 30%
  • 6 page paper: 15%
  • Term paper (12 pages): 25%
  • Students registered for 5020 should write a 20-page research paper, using Chinese language materials. Consult with Charles Laughlin for details.

 

The following films will be made available on the Collab site (link from Activity page or in the Kaltura Media Gallery) in conjunction with related reading material:

  • Street Angel 马路天使 1937
  • Spring Silkworms 春蚕 1936
  • A Small Town Called Hibiscus 芙蓉镇 1986

Course Goals and Evaluation

Goals

  • Recognize the issues raised by culture, modernity, and artistic expression in China
  • Confidently and competently describe, analyze, and interpret works of Chinese literature in translation and Chinese film
  • Facility in methods of scholarship on China and writing in the humanities
  • Recognize and analyze artistic features of literary works and film (learning how different disciplines approach problems, how each fits together in the field of knowledge, and how literature connects with everyday life)
  • Recognize cultural and historical differences that must be negotiated to understand Chinese creative expression (learning more about your own culture and yourself by understanding what is required to cross the gulfs--and bridges--between cultures and across history)
  • Think and write critically about literature and film

Evaluation

Undergraduates (CHTR 3020): three papers 2, 6, and 12 pages in length, respectively. Grades will be based 55% on written assignments (5%, 20% and 30%, respectively), 25% for attendance and participation, which includes participation in discussion, and 20% for weekly quizzes. See Policies for attendance policy. There will be no midterm or final examinations.

Graduate students and East Asian Studies majors taking this to fulfill the capstone requirement (CHTR 5020) must fulfill all these requirements, but the final paper should be 20 pages in length, and students must consult original Chinese-language primary and optionally secondary sources. 

Resources and Tools

Research Tools

Tools for Reading and Writing

Schedule and Dates

Schedule 

For week to week assignments, activities, and extracurricular events of interest, see the Collab site, and pay close attention to your email!

Dates and Deadlines

Friday, Jan 24: deadline for 2-page (600 word) paper

Jan 27: deadline for adding classes

Jan 28: deadline for dropping classes

Friday, Mar. 7: deadline for 6-page (1800 word) paper

Saturday, Mar. 8 - Sunday, Mar. 16: spring recess

Friday, May 2: Deadline for 12-page (3600 word) paper; 20 pages (6000 words) for capstone and grad students in CHTR 5020

Course Policies

Attendance and participation:

Attendance is important, both for your participation grade and to optimize your writing. If you can't avoid being absent because of illness or family emergency, you must email me before each affected class session with an explanation, for the absence to be counted as an excused absence. Excused absences will detract from your grade approximately 1% per session. No more than two unexcused absences will be tolerated.

Writing policy:

In addition to the guidelines set forth in the grading rubric and style sheet, written assignments must be free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Academic Integrity:

Cheating and plagiarism on examinations and writing assignments are not tolerated by the university. It is of the utmost importance that you understand the definitions of cheating and plagiarism as set forth by the university, so that you do not inadvertently commit them.

Deadlines:

Deadlines for writing assignments are usually at 11:59pm of the deadline date (thus if the due date is a Friday, the paper is due just before midnight between Friday night and Saturday morning). Written assignments should always be submitted electronically before that time according to my instructions. Assignments received after the deadline will result in your course grade being reduced by one percentage point each 24-hour period.