LANG 3750 / HNRS 4200: Japanese Literature in English Translation, "Place in Modern Japanese Literature," Dr. Jeffrey Angles, Spring 2006

LANG 3750 / HNRS 4200

Japanese Literature in English Translation

"Place in Modern Japanese Film and Literature"

Dr. Jeffrey Angles

Room 4023, Brown Hall

Spring 2006 / TR 9:30-10:45 am

CRN #13467 (LANG 3750) / CRN #14113 (HNRS 4200)

Office Hours: TR 12:00-1:00 or by appointment

Office: 518 Sprau Tower

Tel. No.: 269-387-3044

jeffrey.angles@wmich.edu

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~jangles/courses/2006spring/lang3750.htm

Shinjuku at Night (2005)

Photo by Jeffrey Angles

Goals of the Class
Grading
Required Texts
Final Project
Additional Notes
Course Readings and Schedule
Make-Ups / Late Work
Academic Integrity

Goals of the Class

To think critically about the tension between locality and universalism within literature
To use Japanese literary sources to gain an understanding of the geographical and human diversity of Japan and, conversely, to examine the ways that Japanese have represented this diversity through literature
To gain an understanding of the development of Japanese literature from the late nineteenth century to the present
To use Japanese literary sources to understand some of the ways in which the Japanese have reflected upon and represented the national experience between the advent of Japan's period of modernization and the present
To examine the complicated process of cultural change and adaptation that has taken place in Japan over the course of the last century
To encourage the development of students' critical and empathetic capacities
To encourage the development of students' research and writing skills

Because this course was designed as a Gen-Ed baccalaureate writing course, there will be a significant amount of writing involved. Students should spend time on their writing to make sure that it fully represents their critical and linguistic abilities. Students will write three short-response, take-home papers (4-6 pages each) analyzing various works read for class. In addition, students will write one extended study of a particular work of literature (12-15 pages). Students will submit a rough draft of this paper in the twelfth week of class. (This draft will be worth 10% of the student's total grade for the semester.) The professor will provide comments on this draft and return it as quickly as possible so students can make revisions and further improvements before resubmitting the final project during exam week. (The final version of the projedt will be worth 20% of the student's total grade for the semester.)

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Grading

5% Map quiz on Japanese geography
15% Three short-response papers
20% Midterm exam
20% Final exam
10% Draft of final project
20% Final project
10% Class participation

The instructor promises to have graded quizzes, tests, and other materials to students within two weeks after students submit their work.

Grading Scale

A: 93-100%
AB: 90-93%
B: 83-90%
BC: 80-83%
C: 73-80%
CD: 70-73%
D: 63%-70%
E: Below 63%

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Required Texts

KAWABATA Yasunari, Snow Country, trans. Edward Seidensticker (NY: Vintage, 1996).
ARIYOSHI Sawako, The River Ki, trans. Mildred Tahara (NY: Kodansha International, 2004).
ABE Kōbō, The Ruined Map, trans. E. Dale Saunders (NY: Vintage, 2001).
SUZUKI Kōji, Ring (NY: Vertical, 2004).
MURAKAMI Haruki, The Elephant Vanishes, trans. Alfred Birnbaum and Jay Rubin (NY: Vintage, 1994).
Other readings will be made available via WebCT and/or two-hour reserve at the front desk of Waldo Library.

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Final Project

Students will write an extended review of a work of modern Japanese literature (post-Restoration literature) of their own choosing. Students can choose to write about a novel, a novella, at least three short stories, or a collection of poetry. Students should consult with the professor before officially selecting the work.

The review should be submitted to the professor either in Microsoft Word or in HTML format so that the review can eventually be posted to the internet. The review should include the following elements in roughly the following order.

Bibliographic information about the work in MLA format. (Examples below.)
For a novel: SURNAME given name, Title of Novel, trans. translator's name (Place of publication: Publisher, Date).
For a short story in a book collection: SURNAME given name, "Title of Short Story," trans. translator's name, Book name (Place of publication: Publisher, Date) starting page number-final page number.
For a short story in a journal: SURNAME given name, "Title of Short Story," trans. translator's name, Journal name Vol.Issue (Date): page numbers.
Author (Birth date-death date)
Biographical information
List of other major works available in translation
Comments about the place of the reviewed work in author's oeuvre
References to sources used in this section should be cited in footnotes.
Brief summary of the plot (Not more than 2-3 pages. You may intersperse this with the commentary below.)
Commentary about the work
Discussion of major themes
Interpretation
Recurring symbols
Historical significance of the work
References to sources used in this section should be cited in footnotes.
Bibliography of print & online sources. Use MLA formatting (Click here for explanation).

RESOURCES EVERYONE SHOULD EXAMINE:

Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, 9 vols. (NY: Kodansha International, 1983).
Donald KEENE, Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era, 2 vols. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1998).
Donald RICHIE, Japanese Literature Reviewed (NY: ICG Muse, 2003).

FOR SUGGESTIONS ABOUT FINDING A WORK, CLICK HERE.

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Course Readings and Schedule (Subject to change)

WEEK 1	1/10 (T)	Introduction to the course
WEEK 1	1/12 (R)	Genbun itchi and the modern evocation of place TSUBOUCHI Shōyō, "The Essence of the Novel," trans. Donald Keene, Modern Japanese Literature, ed. Donald Keene (NY: Grove Press, 1956) 55-58. KUNIKIDA Doppo, "River Mist" and "Those Unforgettable People," trans. David Chibbett, River Mist and Other Stories (NY: Kodansha International, 1982), pp. 1-9 and 36-46. Begin exploring the library for a work on which you would like to write your final paper.
WEEK 2	1/17 (T)	Meiji-Period Tōkyō / Higuchi Ichiyō HIGUCHI Ichiyō, “Troubled Waters,” In the Shade of Spring Leaves, trans. and ed. Robert Lyons Danly (New Haven: Yale Univ. Press, 1981) 218-40. Map quiz over Japanese geography (Click here to access map of Japan)
WEEK 2	1/19 (R)	Ghosts at the Edge of the World IZUMI Kyōka, "The Holy Man of Mount Kōya," Japanese Gothic Tales, trans. Charles Shirō Inouye (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1996), pp. 21-73. [Available in electronic format by following the procedures below.] The same story is also available on reserve in the library in the following collection: J. Thomas RIMER and Van GESSEL (eds.), The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, vol. 1 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005) To read the story on the internet: Go to the WMU Library website. Search for the title "Japanese Gothic Tales." Click on the response that says, "Electronic Resource." Click on "An electronic book accessible through the World Wide Wide; click to view." If you are accessing from off campus, you will need to put in your WMU user name & password (same one you use to get your e-mail). Click on "The Holy Man of Mount Koya" to go to the page in the book where the story starts. Use the arrows over the text to move from page to page. (You must be connected to the net as you read.)
WEEK 3	1/24 (T)	Meiji-Period Tōkyō / Nagai Kafū Short response over "The Holy Man of Mount Kōya" due NAGAI Kafū, “The River Sumida,” Kafū the Scribbler: The Life and Writings of Nagai Kafū 1879-1959, trans. and ed. Edward Seidensticker (Ann Arbor: Center for Japanese Studies, University of Michigan, 1965) 181-218.
WEEK 3	1/26 (R)	Rural Women and the Flow of History (Part I) ARIYOSHI Sawako, The River Ki, trans. Mildred Tahara (NY: Kodansha International, 2004), pp. 1-76 .
WEEK 4	1/31 (T)	Rural Women and the Flow of History (Part II) ARIYOSHI Sawako, The River Ki, trans. Mildred Tahara (NY: Kodansha International, 2004), pp. 76-190 .
WEEK 4	2/2 (R)	Rural Women and the Flow of History (Part III) ARIYOSHI Sawako, The River Ki, trans. Mildred Tahara (NY: Kodansha International, 2004), pp. 190-end .
WEEK 5	2/7 (T)	Edo Chic & Mysteries of Modern Tōkyō (Part I) TANIZAKI Jun'ichirō,"The Secret," trans. Anthony Hood Chambers, The Gourmet Club: A Sextet (NY: Kodansha International, 2001), pp. 47-68. TANIZAKI Jun'ichirō, "The Tattooer," Seven Japanese Tales, trans. by Howard Hibbett (NY: Vintage, 1991), pp. 169-69.
WEEK 5	2/9 (R)	Mysteries of Modern Tōkyō (Part II) EDOGAWA Ranpo, "The Two-Sen Copper Coin," trans. Jeffrey Angles, Modanizumu in Japanese Fiction: An Anthology of Modernist Prose from Japan, ed. William J. Tyler (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, Forthcoming). [Available on WebCT only] EDOGAWA Ranpo, "The Human Chair," trans. James B. Harris, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 365-75.
WEEK 6	2/14 (T)	Exploration and Modern Urban Life KAJII Motojirō, "The Lemon," trans. William J. Tyler, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 428-33. ITŌ Sei, "A Department Store Called M," trans. Jeffrey Angles, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945 (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 418-428.
WEEK 6	2/16 (R)	Escaping the Modern City / Kawabata Yasunari (Part I) Catching up discussion of modernist short stories by KAJII Motojirō and ITŌ Sei KAWABATA Yasunari, Snow Country, trans. Edward Seidensticker (NY: Vintage, 1996) 1-87.
WEEK 7	2/21 (T)	Escaping the Modern City / Kawabata Yasunari (Part II) KAWABATA Yasunari, Snow Country, trans. Edward Seidensticker (NY: Vintage, 1996) 89-end.
WEEK 7	2/23 (R)	Escaping the Modern City / Kawabata Yasunari (Part III) Continue discussion of KAWABATA Yasunari, Snow Country, trans. Edward Seidensticker (NY: Vintage, 1996).
SPRING BREAK	2/27 & 3/2	Enjoy!
WEEK 8	3/7 (T)	MIDTERM EXAM
WEEK 8	3/9 (R)	The City Under Total War NOSAKA Akiyuki, "A Grave of Fireflies," trans. James R. Abrams, Japan Quarterly 25.4 (Oct-Dec 1978): 445-63.
WEEK 9	3/14 (T)	The Family in the Big City (Part I) OZU Yasujirō, Tokyo Story, trans. Donald Richie and Eric Klestadt, Contemporary Japanese Literature: An Anthology of Fiction, Film, and Other Writing Since 1945, ed. Howard Hibbett (Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company, 2005), pp.189-237. Tokyo Story, directed by OZU Yasujirō: Film showing in class (First half)
WEEK 9	3/16 (R)	The Family in the Big City (Part II) OZU Yasujirō, Tokyo Story, trans. Donald Richie and Eric Klestadt, Contemporary Japanese Literature: An Anthology of Fiction, Film, and Other Writing Since 1945, ed. Howard Hibbett (Boston: Cheng & Tsui Company, 2005), pp.189-237. Tokyo Story, directed by OZU Yasujirō: Film showing in class (Second half)
WEEK 10	3/21 (T)	Daily Life is the Pits (Part I) Short response paper over Tokyo Story due Film showing The Woman in the Dunes, screenplay by ABE Kōbō.
WEEK 10	3/23 (R)	Daily Life is the Pits (Part II) Film showing The Woman in the Dunes, screenplay by ABE Kōbō.
WEEK 11	3/28 (T)	Daily Life is the Pits (Part III) Short response paper over The Woman in the Dunes due Discussion about the film The Woman in the Dunes.
WEEK 11	3/30 (R)	The Mysterious (Post)Modern Metropolis (Part I) MURAKAMI Haruki, "The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday's Women," trans. Alfred Birnbaum, The Elephant Vanishes (NY: Vintage, 1993) 4-33. MURAKAMI Haruki, "Barn Burning," trans. Alfred Birnbaum, The Elephant Vanishes (NY: Vintage, 1993) 132-149.
WEEK 12	4/4 (T)	PRELIMINARY DRAFT / OUTLINE OF FINAL PROJECT DUE (It can be in rough form, but the better it is, the more feedback I can give to you. Also, please include a full bibliography of all secondary sources that you have found, even if you have not read them all yet.) The Mysterious (Post)Modern Metropolis (Part I) MURAKAMI Haruki, "The Second Bakery Attack," trans. Jay Rubin, The Elephant Vanishes (NY: Vintage, 1993) 36-49. MURAKAMI Haruki, "TV People," trans. Alfred Birnbaum, The Elephant Vanishes (NY: Vintage, 1993) 196-216.
WEEK 12	4/6 (R)	Ghosts of the (Post)Modern World (Part I) SUZUKI Kōji, Ring (NY: Vertical, 2004), first half.
WEEK 13	4/11 (T)	Ghosts of the (Post)Modern World (Part II) SUZUKI Kōji, Ring (NY: Vertical, 2004), final half.
WEEK 13	4/13 (R)	Ghosts of the (Post)Modern World (Part II) ASADA Jirō, "The Station Master," trans. Jeffrey Angles, Japan: A Traveler's Literary Companion, ed. Jeffrey Angles and J. Thomas Rimer (Berkeley: Whereabouts Press, Forthcoming). [Available on WebCT only]
WEEK 14	4/18 (T)	Traumas of the (Post)Modern City (Part I) Nobody Knows, directed by Koreeda Hirokazu: Film showing in class (Part I)
WEEK 14	4/20 (R)	Traumas of the (Post)Modern City (Part I) Nobody Knows, directed by Koreeda Hirokazu: Film showing in class (Part II)
FINALS WEEK	4/25 (M)	FINAL DRAFT OF PROJECTS DUE AT NOON
	4/27 (R)	10:15 am -12:15 pm: FINAL EXAM
	5/2 (T)	Grades due at noon

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Make-Ups / Late Work

If you cannot help missing a quiz or a test, please contact the professor ahead of time to make other arrangements.
If you miss a test because of illness, calamities in the family, and so on, you will need to provide documentation. You must make up the test within a calendar week.

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Academic Integrity

You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate (pp. 274-276) [Graduate (pp. 25-27)] Catalog that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with me if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.
At the end of all essays, include a bibliography of all sources you have used, including sources on the internet!

Table of Contents

Goals of the Class

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Grading

Grading Scale

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Required Texts

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Final Project

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Course Readings and Schedule (Subject to change)

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Make-Ups / Late Work

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Academic Integrity

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Revised: November 07, 2007