Home>Course>[CHES2004] Chinese Literature in Translation>

This course introduces the classical Chinese literary tradition in translation. In this course, we will explore genres including fiction, poetry, essays, and biographies in relation to three major sets of themes and traditions: 1) the fantastic, the immortal, and the ghostly; 2) the moral, the loyal, and the outlaws; and 3) the romantic, the scholar, and the beauty. These themes and traditions are, however, intertwined in the history of Chinese literature, influencing the consumption pattern of readers of popular literature. Through these themes and traditions, we analyze key issues regarding the formation of literary canon in China and how Han Chinese literati define the relationship between the foreign and the domestic, the Han and the non-Han, male and female, lawful subjects and outlaws in the process of literary canonization. The texts we read for this course will demonstrate Chinese culture as a dynamic, diverse, and hybrid one jointly shaped by domestic traditions and foreign influences. All readings are available in English translations. No prior knowledge of Chinese is assumed.

Course Overview: Myth and Mythology of Traditional Chinese Culture

I.The Moral, the Loyal, and the Outlaws

The Noble Person and the Knight-errant

Feminine Virtues and the Martial Arts Feminism 

The Righteous Outlaw and the Folk Culture

Synthesizing Filial Piety in the Buddhist Tradition

II.The Fantastic, the Exotic, and the Ghostly

Life as a Dream: The Daoist Tradition and the Transformation of Things

The Peach Blossom Spring and the Utopian Narrative

The Ghosts, the Monsters, and the Supernatural Power

A Thousand Faces of the Monkey King

III. The Romantic, the Scholar, and the Beauty

Femme Fatale and Eternal Love 

The Return of the Ghost and the Kun Opera

The Cult of Qing and the Writing of the Family History