Examples include youthful death as tragic loss or cosmic punishment, suicide as Christian sin or honorable public act, and death in old age as passage to an afterlife or dissolution. We will look at short stories, plays, film, opera, and painting. All readings are in English translation. This course willl examine the concepts of tragedy as a literary genre in teh West with its different phases and the aptness in its application to Chinese drama. Knowledge of Chinese language or literature is helpful but not required.
All readings are in English translation.
The seminar will begin with a reading and study of The Tale of Genji , one of the greatest works of Japanese literature. We will look at the cultural and societal milieu of the author, as well as the textual features that mark it as an icon of Japanese culture today. All readings are in English translation.