ML 285 - The Passions of Ancient China: Love, War, and Rectitude in the Classic Literary Era

(3.00 cr.)

An introduction to traditional Chinese literature (in translation) which focuses primarily on belles lettres from The Book of Songs (1000-700 B.C.), said to be edited by Confucius, to the sprawling psychological novel of dynastic family intrigue and decline, Dream of the Red Chamber (1754). Through in-depth examination and discussion, it aims to make familiar classic masterworks and literary icons ubiquitous in today's China; their impact upon the popular and intellectual worlds of their own time; and their meaning and significance for those who inhabit modern society. IA