Introduction to Traditional Chinese Literature (CHTR 3010/5010)

MW 2:00-3:15pm

113 Maury Hall

Charles A. Laughlin

Dept. of East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

Office 155 New Cabell

(434) 924-8950

Office Hours Tuesday 1:00-3:00pm

Overview

Introductory survey of Chinese literature from earliest times (first millennium BCE) to the Qing Dynasty (ended 1911) in English translation, including major works from the genres of poetry, essays, drama, and fiction. There will be weekly quizzes, and three writing assignments, of 2, 6, and 12 pages, respectively. In addition to familiarizing students with the Chinese literary canon, the course will focus on literary analysis and interpretation, cross-cultural reading, and philosophical, political, and social issues in Chinese literary culture.

Goals 

• Cultural knowledge and self-awareness

  • Recognize the major forms, periods, authors and works in the Chinese literary tradition
  • Confidently and competently describe, analyze, and interpret works of Chinese literature in translation
  • Recognize and analyze artistic features of literary works (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 traditional Chinese literature (learning more about your own culture and yourself by understanding what is required to cross the gulfs--and bridges--between cultures and across history)

• Writing and analytical skills

  • Master methods of scholarship and writing in the humanities
  • Think and write critically about literature

Evaluation

Attendance and Class Participation 18%

See Policies below for guidelines. Attendance is required, and students are all expected to participate as much as possible in class discussions. The class will be divided into groups of 4 or 5 for periods of small group discussion at least once every two weeks.

Weekly Quizzes 30%

We begin each Monday meeting with a 5-minute quiz, mainly to confirm that you have done the reading for that day and the previous Wednesday, but it also is used in lieu of midterm and final examinations to ensure that you master basic facts about Chinese cultural history as it relates to the literary tradition.

Papers 52%

This is a writing-intensive class that fulfills the Second Writing Requirement. Three papers of increasing length make up 52% of the final grade, weighted according to length (one 2-page paper for 6%, one 6-page paper for 15%, and a 12-page final paper for 31%). 

Required Reading

The following books have been ordered at the UVa bookstore, and are required for this course.

• Birch, Cyril, ed. Anthology of Chinese Literature, Vol. I (New York: Grove Press, 1994)
• Waley, Arthur - Monkey (Journey to the West)
• Ts'ao Hsueh-ch'in, Dream of the Red Chamber (New York: Anchor Books, 1958)

I will also be referring you to useful other works and secondary sources available online or on reserve.

Collab Web Resources

On the web resource strip on the left side of the Collab site for the class, there are some useful resources for your reading and research, as demonstrated on the first day of class:

Reference

• ChinaKnowledge: basic, encyclopedic information on most aspects of traditional Chinese history and culture
• Xinhua zidian: a very thorough and accurate Chinese reader's dictionary that includes English equivalents in the definitions
• Zhongguo wenxue shi: Baidu's Chinese-language overview of the history of Chinese literature, written in Chinese

Chinese Texts

• Shijing: The Classic of Poetry, our first reading, Chinese text with James Legge's English translation (UVa Electronic Text Initiative)
• Honglou meng: Excerpts from the Chinese text of the Story of the Stone (Dream of the Red Chamber), our last reading (UVa Electronic Text Initiative)

Writing Tools 

[Grading rubric for writing assignments]

Style sheet for citation, romanization, bibliography, etc. for papers about Chinese literature

Attendance and participation:

Attendance is important, both for class participation and to optimize your writing. You will also be graded partly on your engagement in class and group discussions. In accordance with Department of East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures policy, 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 11:55pm of the deadline date. Written assignments should always be submitted to the Drop Box on the Collab site before that time. Assignments received after the deadline will result in your course grade being reduced by one percentage point each 24-hour period.