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Japanese Modernism
Schedule of Assignments, Activities and Exams

Fall 2007

All class sessions conducted in Japanese. 
Only tutorials--held outside class times--are in English.


Week One
8/21     No class; buy the books and review the syllabus on the class Blackboard site.  All Japanese   readings are posted on BB site.  Begin reading I Am a Cat.

8/23     Introduction to course materials &  objectives; learn the conventions for reading old-style kana.
              

Week Two
8/28     The topic is "Anguished Youth" in late Meiji Japan; we read and discuss the 1903 suicide note of high school student Fujimura Misao.

8/30      The topic is "Degenerate Schoolgirls."
  Read excerpts from late Meiji newspaper about the sucide attempt of Japan Woman's College graduate and famed Japanese feminist Hiratsuka Raichō.

Start searching for your term research project topic. See syllabus for details.

Week Three
9/04    Read & discuss Natsume Sōseki's famous essay "My Individualism"

9/06     Continue "My Individualism"

Week Four
9/11  Finish reading and discussing in Japanese "My Individualism", Part One.  Students should be able to read this smoothly in Japanese after practicing with the tapes on the BB site.  Bring your English translation to class.


9/13  Read
"My Individualism", Part Two.  Discussion in Japanese; schedule next week's tutorials.

Week Five
9/18
First Tutorial Topic: 

I Am A Cat by Sōseki; 3-page English essay due
Held outside of class time.

In-class, we finish discussion of
"My Individualism", Part Two.



9/20     First Midterm examination [study guide handed out 9/13]. First campus event  description due at midterm.


Week  Six
9/25    View and discuss Maihime (Dancing Girl)


9/27    View video and discuss Izu no odoriko (Izu Dancer)


Week Seven
10/02  Reading on Edogawa Rampo; related to Professor Angles' lecture.

10/04  Special event at 4pm; location 039 Graham Memorial. This afternoon's lecture by one of the leading new scholars in Japanese literature complements your studies of Japanese modernism. Please plan to be at this session from 4:00 - 5:00pm.

Professor Jeffrey Angles
Western Michigan University

Flânerie Gone Bad?:

Ryōki (Curiosity-Hunting) and the
Exploration of the City in 1920s and 1930s Japan




Week Eight
10/09     FIELD TRIP TO EAST ASIAN COLLECTION, BOSTOCK LIBRARY, DUKE UNIVERSITY
CATCH THE 3:30PM ROBERTSON BUS THAT LEAVES FROM GRAHAM MEMORIAL; ARRIVE DUKE AT 4PM;  GO TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF BOSTOCK (A FIVE-MINUTE WALK FROM THE BUS STOP; GO TO SECOND FLOOR; ALL THE BOOKS ARE IN THE OPEN STACKS); YOU CAN CHECK OUT BOOKS ON YOUR ONE CARD;  GET BACK TO UNC ON THE 4:30PM OR 5PM BUS.  IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO CHECK THE ONLINE CATALOGUE BEFORE YOU GO TO DUKE TO MAKE THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME.

By the end of this week, you must have chosen the topic for your term research project and decided on the Japanese sources that you will translate.

10/11     Continue with Edo gawa Rampo piece; if time, view silent film
  

Week  Nine
10/16      "Atarashii onna no michi" (The Path of the New Woman)  Itō Noe
  We go back to the 1910s; that fits with our next book in English, a marvelous history of the New Woman.

Short description of term project due:  describe the scope of your project, your primary and secondary sources  (One page is fine)



10/18      Fall Break


Week Ten--Begin Kawabata Yasunari Short-short stories

The second half of this course focuses on reading, discussion, and translation of the short stories of Kawabata Yasunari.  Silent films will be worked into class for viewing & discussion, too, as time permits.

10/23 
10/16     FINISH  "Atarashii onna no michi" (The Path of the New Woman)  Itō Noe

10/25  "Shashin" (Photograph)


Week Eleven

10/30   "Hi ni iku kanojo" (Into the Fire) 

11/01   continue discussion of 
"Hi ni iku kanojo" (Into the Fire) 


Second Tutorial Topic: 
The Japanese New Woman
by Dina Lowy; 3-page English essay due


Week Twelve
11/06   "Shinjû" (Murder and Suicide)

11/08   
"Shimen"  (Death Mask)
You should have a rough draft of your term paper project by the end of this week.  Now, you have time for revision and making sure the footnotes, etc., are correct.

Week Thirteen
11/13    Second Midterm examination: turn in your translation of "Amagasa " (Umbrella) with a two-page English analysis of the story.  Use the class time to  polish your translation  in lieu of an in-class midterm.

11/15   
"Keshou"  (Cosmetics)

Week Fourteen
11/20     Term project CAN BE TURNED TODAY in class at 3:30pm  (see syllabus for assignment)
                  View  silent film--and relax!  THE ABSOLUTE DEADLINE IS DEC. 7.


11/22     Thanksgiving Break


Week Fifteen
11/27    "Keshou"  (Cosmetics)
Second-campus event description due this week.

11/29   Students work on translations today; make appointments to consult Bardsley Sensei today about your project.

Third Tutorial Topic: 
Some Prefer Nettles by Tanizaki; 3-page English essay due


Week Sixteen
12/04     Wrap-up discussion of  Some Prefer Nettles ; student class evaluations;  LAST DAY TO TURN IN TERM PAPER IS Friday, DECEMBER 7th at 5pm to the Asian Studies office.


FINAL EXAMINATION:  Friday, December 14th, 4:00pm; take-home final due in class at 4pm  & grades posted Dec. 17th.