Modernism East and West

English 5970 (CRN 16464)

Foreign Languages 3750 (CRN 12488)

Honors 4200 (CRN 16040)

 

Dr. Jeffrey Angles (jeffrey.angles@wmich.edu, TEL 387-3044)

518 Sprau Tower, Office hours: TR 12 pm-1pm

 

Dr. Todd Kuchta (todd.kuchta@wmich.edu, TEL 387-2597)

715 Sprau Tower, Office hours: TR 11am-12pm

 

Spring 2008 (TR 9:30-10:45 am), Room 2212 Dunbar Hall

 

For course readings and most updated version of the syllabus see:

http://homepages.wmich.edu/~jangles/courses/2008spring/modernism.htm

 

Introduction

 

This course examines the development of modernist, experimental, and avant-garde literature in Western Europe and Japan.  It will look at the ways that both Western European and Japanese modernists responded to their particular experiences of modernity through the development of new literary traditions. 

 

Required Books

 

·        E.M. FORSTER, A Passage to India (NY: Harvest Books, 1965).

·        Joseph CONRAD: The Secret Agent (NY: Modern Library, 1998).

·        AKUTAGAWA Ryūnosuke, Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories (NY: Penguin, 2007).

·        KAWABATA Yasunari, The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2005).

·        Other stories and articles will be made available electronically. 

 

 

Goals of the class

 

·        To gain an understanding of the ways that major writers have depicted the experience of modernity in Western and Japanese literature.

·        To gain an understanding of major trends in Western and Japanese literature and society during the first few decades of the twentieth century.

·        To introduce students to a range of Western and Japanese writers associated with modernist writing and theory. 

·        To examine the complicated process of cultural change and adaptation that has taken place in Western Europe and Japan in the early twentieth century.

·        To encourage students to become critical consumers of popular culture.

·        To introduce students to a number of critical terms and concepts, such as modernism, impressionism, imagism, futurism, surrealism, expressionism, and so on.

·        To encourage the development of students' critical and empathic capacities.

·        To encourage the development of students' research and writing skills

 

Grading

·        15% Final exam

·        30% Two short take-home essays

·        30% Final project

·        10% Class participation

·        15% Internet participation

 

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%

 

Internet Participation

Every week, student will be required to post their thoughts and critical reactions to the week’s readings on the WebCT Vista website.  For full credit, students should post at least one paragraph.  Each student will be assigned a day before which their postings will be due.  There will be announcements about this in class. 

 

Possible subjects you might write about:

·        In what ways does the reading seem to reflect its particular moment in history?

·        What images does the reading present of the particular places where the story is set?

·        What do you think that the author was trying to say in the particular work of literature?  In other words, what themes or messages do you see in the reading? 

·        In what ways does the reading relate to other works that we have read in class?  Do you see any similarity or significant differences in style, content, or theme?

 

Students are encouraged to include personal thoughts, but not just simple reactions like “I liked it” or “I disliked it.”  (Such simple reactions will not earn full credit.)  Make sure that your posting shows that you read the story and thought about it!  Students are encouraged to read other people’s postings and react to them.  Also, please use correct grammar and style as much as possible.

 

How to post your reaction on WebCT Vista

·        Go to http://gowmu.wmich.edu and sign in with the username & password you use to get your e-mail.

·        Click “e-learning” at the top of the page.  Another browser page should pop-up.

·        Click on “Modernism East & West.”

·        Click on “Discussions.”

·        Click on the week that you want to post in.

·        Click “Create message.”

·        Write your posting for the week then click “Post.”

 

Additional Notes

·        LANG 3750/HNRS 4200 counts towards....

  • Area 2 (Humanities) general education requirement
  • Baccalaureate-writing general education requirement
  • Japanese minor

·        When reading literature, it is a good idea to make notes on the roles of characters and to read for detail.  Characterization is often found in detail, setting, and social roles.

·        The instructors have designed the course on the assumption students do not read Japanese.

 

Final Project

For the final project, students will write one longer paper (8-10 pp.) providing an in-depth analysis of some work or works of modernist literature.  This project will be worth 30% of the final grade for the class. 

 

Deadlines

·        March 18 (Tues): Send the professors an e-mail describing your project.  The more detail you are able to provide, the more guidance regarding content and sources we can provide. 

·        April 18 (Friday): Submit the final project as a hard copy by 5 pm in the mailbox of Todd Kuchta (central office of the 6th floor of Sprau Tower). 

 

You are welcome to look at works we have read in class or to go outside of our class readings and draw in other works by the authors, essayists, and/or directors we have discussed.  Also, you are welcome to look at other modernist works from the early twentieth century; however, if you do so, be sure to consult with the professors.  Students are encouraged to select works that speak to the themes discussed in class. 

 

Although requiring outside research, this essay should be thesis-driven: that is, not simply a report on what others have said, but your own argument—supplemented by your research. The more focused you make your topic, the more likely you’ll be to produce such an analysis. Below are some general directions that your paper might take:  

 

  • Literary analysis: perform your own analysis of a particular theme or issue, taking into account other published sources on a literary text
  • Comparative analysis: compare or contrast two works that share a similar theme or concern (detection, flânerie, madness, East-West relations)
  • Conceptual analysis: focus on a particular modernist theme, concept, or movement (flânerie, low modernism, aestheticism, Imagism, Neo-sensationalism, Futurism) as reflected in a literary text
  • Historical analysis: research the historical context of a particular work, considering how the work comments on its particular moment in history

 

You are encouraged to discuss the modernist characteristics of works; however in doing so, be sure to also analyze the cultural, literary effects that they produce and the way that they relate to the themes of the work in question.  In other words, do not just stop at describing the avant-garde characteristics of the works.

 

Students must consult secondary sources to find out more about the authors, the works in question, and the historical background of the particular works they discuss.  All papers should come with a complete bibliography listing all sources (including internet sources) consulted.  Do not limit yourself to internet resources only. 

 

Your essay should use 7-10 sources in addition to your main literary work(s). These should be published sources: books, book chapters, or periodical articles. They should not be sources available only from the Web.  Quality websites may be used in addition to your 7-10 published sources.

 

Some Misconceptions about Research

There are a few common misconceptions about doing research that you should avoid:

 

1. If you find other sources that focus on your specific topic, then you can’t write about it. (False. Most research challenges, corrects, or refines the arguments of previous scholars.)

 

2. You can only write about your topic if there are other sources about it. (False. Bringing a new topic to light can raise new questions and insights that previous scholars haven’t addressed.)

 

3. Sources that don’t focus on your specific topic have no relevance to your research. (False. Research that looks unrelated to your topic may still discuss ideas that you can apply to yours.)

 

4. The only reason for using research sources is to support your thesis or argument. (False. In fact, if that’s all your research is doing, it may not be your argument to begin with. Arguing against or distinguishing your position from other sources can help you sharpen your own thesis, showing how you offer a new or different way of understanding your literary works.) 

 

Types of Sources

Scholars usually distinguish between two types of sources: primary and secondary. In general, primary sources are original documents; secondary sources are interpretations of those original documents. For literary scholars, primary sources are an author’s original writings (literary works, letters, diaries, autobiography, interviews); secondary sources include anything written about the author (articles or books of literary criticism, biographies).

 

Starting Your Research

1. First, make sure you have some background knowledge on your author’s life and major writings. You might begin with the author’s entry on Wikipedia or some other reference work. This will not necessarily provide information to use in your essay, but to make the search process easier.

 

2. Next, go to the Waldo Library home page and search the WMU catalog for books by or about your author. Get a sense of what books our library has that may be of use to you.

 

3. Then search for scholarly articles about your author or literary work using the Start Your Research menu on the Waldo home page (www.wmich.edu/library). Scroll down to “English,” and go to the available article indexes. These include MLA (Modern Language Association) and LION (Literature Online). You might begin with the more user-friendly LION, and then go to the more comprehensive MLA index or the online Bibliography of Asian Studies.

 

Using Your Research Sources

While you want your research process to be as comprehensive as possible, it’s also impossible to read everything. Determine a source’s usefulness by skimming and reading selectively. For books, use the table of contents (in front) and index (in back) to help you determine how much the source has to say about your topic. For articles, read the first few paragraphs to determine the writer’s main argument or focus. Skim the article’s endnotes, bibliography, or works cited page to look for other sources that may be useful to you. 

 

All of the following books are either in the reference section of the library or on 2-hour reserve at Waldo Library.  Click on the following links to see their availability at the library.

 

Useful sources about Japan, Japanese literature, and Japanese cinema:

·        Kodansha Encyclopedia of Japan, 9 vols. (NY: Kodansha International, 1983).

·        Marius B. JANSEN, The Making of Modern Japan (Cambridge: Belknap/Harvard University Press, 2000).  [Helpful history of modern Japan]

·        Donald KEENE, Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature of the Modern Era, 2 vols. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1998). [Survey of modern Japanese literature with in-depth discussions of many authors and works, including one chapter about Japanese modernism.]

·        Jay RUBIN (ed.), Modern Japanese Writers (NY: Scribner’s Sons, 2001).  [Contains information about many different important authors.]

·        Joshua MOSTOW (ed.), The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature (NY: Columbia University Press, 2003). [Contains information about many different important authors from Japan and its neighbors.]

·        Donald RICHIE, A Hundred Years of Japanese Film (NY: Kodansha International, 2001) [Survey of the history of Japanese film, including several modernist directors and filmmakers].

 

Useful books about Japanese modernism:

·        William J. TYLER (ed.), Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938 (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008).

·        Miriam SILVERBERG, Erotic Grotesque Nonsense (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006).

·        William O. GARDNER, Advertising Tower: Japanese Modernism and Modernity in the 1920s (Cambridge: Harvard East Asia Center, 2006).

·        Seiji M. LIPPIT, Topographies of Japanese Modernism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002).

·        Maeda AI, Text and the City: Essays on Japanese Modernity (Durham, NC: Duke University Press).

 

Course Readings

·        Please regularly consult the online version of the syllabus at http://homepages.wmich.edu/~jangles/courses/spring2008/modernism in order to find your course readings.  This is the official version of the course readings. 

·        Any changes announced in class will be posted to the course website. 

·        You should complete the readings BEFORE class and come to class ready to discuss them. 

·        Readings in blue are available in the bookstore.

·        Readings in black are available electronically as PDFs through the electronic course reserves at the library.  To access them, go to http://www.wmich.edu/library/reserves/ and create an account (if you don’t have one already).  You will then need to search for our class “Modernism East & West” then add it to your list of classes before you can access the PDFs.  When adding this class, you will need the password given by your instructors in class. 

 

Week 1

Jan 8

Introduction to the class: What is modernism anyway?

Jan 10

Historical & cultural background (Japan)

·        Skim Paul VARLEY, “Chapter 9: Encounter with the West” and “Chapter 10: The Fruits of Modernity,” in Japanese Culture, 4th ed. (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2000), pp. 235-303. ŕ Pay special attention to Chapter 10. 

Week 2

Jan 15

Historical & cultural background (Europe)

·        Georg SIMMEL, “The Metropolis and Mental Life,” in The Sociology of Georg Simmel (Glencoe, IL: Free Press, 1950), pp. 409-429.

·        Charles BAUDELAIRE, “The Painter of Modern Life” (Selections), in The Painter of Modern Life (NY: Phaidon, 1964), pp. 1-18, 24-38. 

Jan 17

Crime Fiction and Modernity

·        Edgar Allan POE, “The Man of the Crowd” (Available online by clicking here).

·        Edgar Allan POE, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” (Available online by clicking here)

Week 3

Jan 22

·        Sir Arthur Conan DOYLE, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” (Available online by clicking here).

·        Sir Arthur Conan DOYLE, “The Man with the Twisted Lip” (Available online by clicking here).

Jan 24

Crime Fiction and Modernity (Japan)

·        AKUTAGAWA Ryūnosuke, “In a Bamboo Grove,” in Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories (NY: Penguin, 2007).

·        AKUTAGAWA Ryūnosuke, “Rashōmon,” in Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories (NY: Penguin, 2007).

Week 4

Jan 29

Crime Fiction and Modernity (Japan)

·        EDOGAWA Ranpo, “The Two-Sen Copper Coin,” trans. Jeffrey Angles, in Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938, ed. William J. Tyler (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008), pp.270-289.

·        EDOGAWA Ranpo, “The Human Chair,” trans. James Harris, in The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945, ed. J. Thomas Rimer & Van Gessel (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 365-75.

Jan 31

Western Art and Visions of Japan

·        Oscar WILDE, “The Decay of Lying” (Available online by clicking here).

·        Lionel LAMBOURNE, “Chapter 2: Japan and the Painters” and “Chapter 3: The Poster and the Japanese Print,” in Japonisme: Cultural Crossings between Japan and the West (NY: Phaidon, 2005), pp. 30-67.

Week 5

Feb 5

The Search for a New Art in Japan

·        MURAYAMA Kaita, “The Bust of the Beautiful Young Salaino,” trans. Jeffrey Angles, in Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938, ed. William J. Tyler (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008), pp. 66-69.

·        KAJII Motojirō, “The Lemon,” trans. William J. Tyler, in The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature, Vol. 1: From Restoration to Occupation, 1868-1945, ed. J. Thomas Rimer & Van Gessel (NY: Columbia University Press, 2005), pp. 428-433.

Feb 7

Short essay no. 1 due in class

Social Control, Terrorism, and Modernity

·        Joseph CONRAD: The Secret Agent (NY: Modern Library, 1998)

Week 6

Feb 12

·        Joseph CONRAD: The Secret Agent (NY: Modern Library, 1998)

Feb 14

·        Joseph CONRAD: The Secret Agent (NY: Modern Library, 1998)

Week 7

Feb 19

Western Literature and Visions of Japan

·        Selected readings on imagism including readings by Ezra POUND and Ernest FENOLLOSA, in Modernism: An Anthology, ed. Lawrence Rainey (NY: Blackwell, 2005), pp. 94-112. 

Feb 21

The Cinematographic Art

·        Watch film outside of class: The Battleship Potempkin (1925) directed by Sergei EISENSTEIN.  To view the film, click on the URL given in WebCT.  You can watch the film by opening the URL using Quicktime Player, Real Player, or recent versions of Firefox or Internet Explorer with a compatible video player. 

·        Sergei EISENSTEIN, “The Cinematographic Principle and the Ideogram,” in Film Form: Essays in Film Theory, trans. Jay Leyda (NY: Harvest, 1949), pp. 28-44.

Week 8

Feb 26

·        Watch film outside of class: A Page of Madness (1926) directed by KINUGASA Teinosuke [Use the link given in WebCT]

·        KAWABATA Yasunari, A Page of Madness, trans. Hiroaki Sato, in Modanizumu: Modernist Fiction from Japan, 1913-1938, ed. William J. Tyler (Forthcoming). 

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