COMP 252 The Masks of Japanese Literature (Same as Japanese 252) (Not offered 2008-2009; to be offered 2009-2010) (D)

JAPN 252 The Masks of Japanese Literature (Same as Comparative Literature 252) (Not offered 2008-2009; to be offered 2009-2010) (D)
From the masks of the noh theater to science fiction fantasies of plastic surgery and cyborg identity, this course examines the device of the mask in modern Japanese fiction, as well as some of its premodern antecedents. The fictional masks we will look at range from the traditional to the technological, from the actual to the metaphorical, from the physical to the purely psychological. But all of them are used by the authors to explore the nature of identity, and the significance of concealing or revealing the self, either in fiction or face to face. This course considers diversity by giving careful thought to the nature of personal and cultural identity, and to how different individuals express those identities through language. Readings will include modern novels and short stories by Abe Kôbô, Enchi Fumiko, Endô Shûsaku, Kurahashi Yumiko, Mishima Yukio, Tanizaki Jun'ichirô, and Oscar Wilde. Visual texts will include noh and puppet theater, avant-garde film by Teshigahara Hiroshi, comics by Tezuka Osamu, and animation by Oshii Mamoru. The class and the readings are in English. No familiarity with Japanese language or culture is required.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: in-class exam, ungraded creative project, and two short papers (5-7 pages each) emphasizing original, creative, and convincing readings of the class texts.
No prerequisites. No enrollment limit (expected: 15).
C. BOLTON