01:565:395/01:195:329 Modern Japanese Novel and the West
(Credit only for one of these courses)

Fall 2014

Description: Students will read several Japanese novels and short stories written from the late nineteenth century to the present that represent the West in the form of topics such as individualism, the Western woman, political and social freedom, mystery, and decadence, but also in the form of places and material objects. The goal in the course is to examine how the literary gaze on the Western Other, including both European nations and America, leads to questions not only about how Japanese viewed the West but also about what it meant to be Japanese at particular points in modern Japanese history.

Number of Credits: 

Prerequisites: None 

Expected Work: Regular attendance and participation; two 3-4 page papers; one 6-8 page paper