Writer and Society in Premodern China. This course focuses on the highlights of premodern Chinese literature from antiquity to the turn of the 20th century. We will then undertake to follow the evolution of various forms of poetry, fiction, and other kinds of prose written in the classical language, as well as the developments of drama and fiction written in the vernacular language in the late imperial periods. The principal aim is to enable students to become familiar with, and also to be able to enjoy, the masterpieces of literature that illustrate the range and depth of the Chinese imagination, the inner life of the individual, and the outer social and political life of China through its long cultural history. No knowledge of Chinese is required.
Readings are in English translation.
Requirements include three short papers and a final examination. No Data Given. Sinological Tools and Methods. This course covers skills and materials necessary for scholarship in premodern Chinese literature, history, art history, and thought. It is intended to serve as a bridge from general elementary classical language study to proseminars and seminars in specialized fields.