Introduction to Japanese Literature (JAPN 160):
The Japanese Fantastic

Fall 2006 : August 23 - December 4, 2006
Final exam: Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:00 - 8:00pm

Class meets Wednesday evenings 6:00 - 8:30pm
Location:  Dey Hall 203

3 credit hours
Old Curriculum: Aesthetics Perspective

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Professor Jan Bardsley

Department of Asian Studies
305 New West

Office hours: W 1-3pm & by appt

Office Tel: 919-962-1534
Fax: 919-843-7817;   bardsley@email.unc.edu

What is this course about?

This course considers the creative culture of Japan through its exploration of the fantastic -- monsters, ghosts, witches, and super-heroes.  We define the fantastic broadly to refer to the unconscious and conscious fears and desires that have inspired Japanese fiction, film and animation, and most recently, Japanese toys. We will pay special attention to the ways in which the Japanese fantastic provides a third reality that tries to overcome such binary opposites as normal/abnormal, real/unreal, human/machine, and Japanese/Other. We also discuss how this literature compares with changing Japanese realities and how it both destabilizes and supports the ideas of national values and "common sense."

Connect with Japan:  On the course homepage, you'll notice a link to Connections.  This takes you to Japanese newspapers (English and Japanese) and to lists of Japanese movies in the library.  Keeping up with the Japanese news enriches your study of Japan and also gives you specific ideas to pursue in your term projects for this class.

What projects do the students do?

The class meets once a week, so students spend of their preparation time in reading assigned materials and doing short reading assignments.  Students select one book on their own for more extended analysis.  This book can be any novel by famed contemporary writer Murakami Haruki or another contemporary Japanese fiction writer.

Who is the instructor?

Jan Bardsley:
I am a graduate of UC Davis (Dramatic Art) and UCLA (East Asian Languages and Cultures) and have been a Tar Heel since 1994, teaching in the Department of Asian Studies.  I've taught this course since 1999, each time in a slightly different form, and enjoyed it each time.  My own research tends to be on the real world history of Japanese women and fiction that corresponds more directly to that reality, so it's always fun for me to read fantastic literature and get a very different take on Japan.

Most days you can find me in my office on the 3rd floor of New West. You are welcome to drop in anytime I'm free though it is best to make an appointment for longer consultations. I also will be in the classroon after the  seminar and would enjoy talking with you then, too.

How could this course be useful for me?
  • Understand elements of fantastic literature. You will be able to discuss the fantastic using specific examples from Japanese literature, and be able to argue your own position through a creative analysis of the texts considered in this class.
  • Gain fluency in discussing literature.  Class discussions will build on the skills you have already developed for expressing your ideas orally. 
  • Improve your ability to write concisely.  Most writing assignments in this class, whether papers or exams, are short assignments.  You will have to hone your skills in writing convincingly yet succinctly. The term project gives you more space to express your ideas but still demands concise, clear writing.

What books should I buy?

Most of the required readings are available now in the textbook section of the UNC-CH bookstore under JAPN490.   You need to have your own copy of each of these books in these editions.  These complement our readings in Japanese of shorter documents.
  • Anne Allison, Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. UC Press, 2006.
  • Yoshimoto Banana, Ann Sherif, trans. Lizard. Faber and Faber, 2002.
  • Izumi Kyoka. Charles Shiro Inouye, trans. Japanese Gothic Tales. University of Hawaii Press, 1996.
  • Murakami Ryū. Ralph McCarthy, trans. In the Miso Soup. Penguin, 2006.
  • Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Jay Rubin, trans. & ed.Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories. Penguin Classics, October 31, 2006.

What else do I need to read?

  •  All readings--what and when to read--are posted on the course schedule; any changes to the schedule will be announced in class and in advance of the due date.

    • Classroom Etiquette


    • Be on time for class.  If there is any reason you need to leave the class early, inform the instructor beforehand.  There will be a short break of ten minutes midway through the class.
    • Turn off cell phones before you enter the classroom.
    • All essays should be  typed.  All work must be handed in at the beginning of class on the due date. 
    • No work should be turned in via email unless the instructor requests you to do so.
      • <>When sending e-mail to the instructor, put your name in the subject line.  This helps ensure that your message will be read and answered promptly, and not confused with spam.

       

    How do I contribute to this class and how will I be graded?

     Participation
     5%    		 You have a vital role to play in determining the success of this course. Be prompt. Come prepared with day's assignment. Be ready to work. 
    • Everyone is allowed one absence.  This covers illness, family emergency, and any other event that might unexpectedly come up, and any other personal time you need to take.  Please notify the instructor by phone or email if you cannot attend class. Unless there is a medical emergency, two or more absences will count against your grade.
    • To get attendance credit, you must be present during the entire class meeting. 
    • Three consecutive unexcused absences constitutes an automatic F in the course and would disqualify the student from further seminar attendance. Please let the instructor know if anything comes up in your personal life that makes your college work overwhelming.  There are lots of sources of help at UNC-CH and I can aid you in finding them.
    • Please let the instructor know if you have any special needs such as a learning disability or physical need that affects your participation in this class. It's best if we can work out early on how to accommodate this.
    • Everybody gets one "pass"--one time you can turn in homework late, but only one.  Other than that no late homework is accepted.
    Weekly
    papers
    25%
    • 1-2 page weekly writing assignments about the reading will be due at the beginning of each class. You'll receive the essay topic at the end of class the week before it's due.  Short essays give you an opportunity to focus your thoughts on the reading and lead into class discussion.

    Midterm Exams
    2 x 15%
    • Longer essays ( 5 pages) serve a useful purpose in pushing us to organize material. In the process of doing this, we develop new ideas about a topic. (No short essay due on these dates)
    • First Take-Home Midterm Essay: Scheduled for  Wednesday, September 27
    • Second Take-Home Midterm Essay:  Scheduled for Wednesday, november 1.
    Term
    Paper
    20%
    • The seven-page analytical paper provides you the opportunity to investigate one aspect of this course in more detail by closely reading one fantastic novel.
    • I recommend that you select one novel by Murakami Haruki, although I'd be glad to consider the work of another Japanese author--just check with me first. Once you've chosen and read your book, you're  ready to go on to the next steps.
    • Your paper begins by raising one major question.  As example might be: "How does Murakami use the fantastic to comment on memories of the Pacific War in postwar Japan?"  In order to figure your questions, it's a good idea to read critical essays about Murakami in particular or the fantastic more broadly.  Find at least two critical essays that you can cite in your paper as providing you ideas.  Since almost everyone in the class will be reading Murakami for this assignment, I recommend you pool resources--share information about what critical essays are most helpful.
    • Your paper should give a brief description of the novel's plot and the author's life and work,  but concentrate most on exploring your argument.  Use quotes from the novel to support your points.  In class, we can discuss what makes a good analytical essay by critiquing published ones.
    • The paper is graded on originality of the questions, thoroughness of your reading, and clarity and style of the exposition.
    • The research paper should be turned in Monday, November 20th.  Both the proposal and the term paper may be turned in earlier than the due dates. I will return the graded paper to you the week after Thanksgiving.
    Final Examination
    20%
    • There will be a short, multiple-choice component of the final exam that tests your knowledge of the readings of writer Akutagawa done after Thanksgiving. There will also be a take-home portion of the exam--a short essay; you will receive the question for this exam at the last class and turn it in when you come to the final.
    • The final exam is scheduled for THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 6:00-8:00pm.
    • Final grades should be posted by Saturday, December 17.
    It is understood that all members of this class pledge to uphold the honor code of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in all work completed for this course.

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