Not offered 2007-2008
CHIN 251T Crises and Critiques: The Literature and Intellectual History of Early 20th Century China (Same as Comparative Literature 256T and History 215T) (W)*
The first fifty years of the 20th century saw unprecedented changes in almost every sphere of Chinese society. A political system that had survived in some form for over two millennia abruptly disintegrated. New ideas challenged orthodox intellectual culture in profound
and complex ways. Chinese intellectuals questioned the value of inherited traditions while
simultaneously facing the real possibility of the near total extinction of those traditions. Literature, which had historically been an important locus of cultural debates, served this role
to perhaps an even greater extent during this tumultuous period, as writers struggled with
questions of how to save a country and culture wracked by internal disintegration and facing
urgent external threats. These debates framed many of the issues that continue to influence
the political, intellectual, and literary cultures of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan
to this day. In this course we will examine a broad range of sources that engage the key
debates of this period. We will address such questions as the role of traditional culture versus that of modern or Western culture, the role of ideology and politics in literary and artistic production, ideas of nationhood and cultural identity, and the relationship between the
individual and the state. All readings will be in English translation.
Format: tutorial. Requirements: students will meet with the instructor in pairs for an hour
each week. Every other week the student will write and present orally a 5- to 7-page paper
on the assigned topic of that week. In alternative weeks, the student will write a 2-page critique of the fellow student's paper. There will also be a final paper dealing with the issues
addressed during the course. Evaluation will be based on written work and analysis of the
fellow student's work.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Preference given to Chinese majors.
NUGENT