EAC 211
(8527)
Survey of Classical Chinese Literature II
Spring
2008
MW
2:45-4:05
Hu-19
Dr. Fan Pen Chen
Office hours: M 1:00-2:00; W 4:15-5:15; and by appointment
Office: Hu-246
Phone: 442-2600
Email: fanchen@albany.edu
Objectives of the course: the goal of this course is to survey, in English translation, major works of traditional Chinese literature from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1368). There are no prerequisites; knowledge of Chinese is not required. This is a General Education Oral Discourse course, hence all students will be required to give two oral presentations. The course is also a General Education Humanities course. Methods of analyzing Chinese literature, the cultural context of the works studied and their relevance to modern, Western culture will be discussed in class, along with close readings of the texts.
Required textbook:
Victor Mair, ed., The Shorter
Class format: in a literature class, we read and discuss about literature. Therefore, although there will be some lectures to provide historical background and context, the major activity in the class will be discussion, as a class, of the assigned readings. It is vital that you read the assigned materials before coming to class.
Grading: the final grade will consist of the mid-term exam grade (25%), final exam grade (30%), class attendance, preparation, and participation in class discussions (25%), and 2 oral presentations (20%). Learning to read critically is more important than rote memory in this course: the midterm and final exams will be mostly essay style take-home exams based on classroom lectures and discussions. Numerical scores will be converted to course grades according to the following scale: 93-100%=A; 90-92%=A-; 87-89%=B+; 83-86%=B; 80-82%=B-; 77-79%=C+; 73-76%=C; 70-72%=C-; 67-69%=D+; 63-66%=D; 60-62%=D-; 0-59%=E.
Things to do and not to do: 1) class attendance is mandatory. Do not cut class. 2) Buy the textbooks and bring them to class according to schedule. 3) Download the Eres reading materials and bring them to class according to schedule. You must have the text under discussion in front of you to participate fully in class discussion. 3) Read the assignments on time and come to class prepared to discuss any part of the reading assignment. 4) Ask questions whenever you do not understand something. 5) Take notes for the exams.
Characteristics of all General Education Courses
1. General Education courses offer introductions to the central topics of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
2. General Education courses offer explicit rather than tacit understandings of the procedures, practices, methodology and fundamental assumptions of disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
3. General Education courses recognize multiple perspectives on the subject matter.
4. General Education courses emphasize active learning in an engaged environment that enables students to be producers as well as consumers of knowledge.
5. General Education courses promote critical inquiry into the assumptions, goals, and methods of various fields of academic study; they aim to develop the interpretive, analytic, and evaluative competencies characteristic of critical thinking.
Learning Objectives for
General Education Humanities Courses
Humanities courses teach students to analyze and interpret texts, ideas, artifacts, and discourse systems, and the human values, traditions, and beliefs that they reflect.
1. Humanities courses enable students to demonstrate knowledge of the assumptions, methods of study, and theories of at least one of the disciplines within the humanities.
Depending on the discipline, humanities courses will enable students to demonstrate some or all of the following:
2. An understanding of the objects of study as expressions of the cultural contexts of the people who created them
3. An understanding of the continuing relevance of the objects of study to the present and to the world outside the university
4. An ability to employ the terms and understand the conventions particular to the discipline
5. An ability to analyze and assess the strengths and weaknesses of ideas and positions along with the reasons or arguments that can be given for and against them
6. An understanding of the nature of the texts, artifacts, ideas, or discourse of the discipline and of the assumptions that underlie this understanding, including those relating to issues of tradition and canon
Learning Objectives for
General Education Oral Discourse Courses
Approved courses provide opportunities for students to develop the oral communication skills they need to participate more effectively in public and academic debates and discussions. Courses offer opportunities to participate in a variety of communication contexts and to reflect on the principles of theory relevant to specific oral communication activities. Approved courses include instruction on presentation as well as feedback and evaluation of oral performances.
Approved courses generally have a minimum of two exercises in which oral performance is required and graded. An oral performance exercise can be accomplished in any of the following activities, either live or in a crafted recording:
1. A stand-up monologue presentation or a minimum of 3-5 minutes
2. A debate where each participant speaks for a minimum of 3-5 minutes
3. A question and answer dialogic process where the student fields a succession of questions or asks a succession of questions that build on and comment on prior answers
4. A discussion within a group, where each member will be required to make 3-5 “paragraph-length” contributions in the course of the discussion.
CLASS SCHEDULE for EAC211
Spring 2008 (subject to amendment)
|
DATE |
TOPIC |
ASSIGNMENT |
|
|
|
|
|
1/23 (W) |
Introduction |
|
|
1/28 (M) |
Historical and literary background |
|
|
1/30 (W) |
Poetry |
#61-84; pp.125-146 |
|
2/4 (M) |
Continued |
|
|
2/6 (W) |
Lyrics and Arias |
#105-117; pp.172-184 |
|
2/11 (M) |
Discourses, Essays and Sketches |
#176-180; pp.378-391 |
|
2/13 (W) |
Miscellanea |
#190; pp.431-440 |
|
2/18 (M) |
NO CLASS |
|
|
2/20 (W) |
Tales of the Strange |
#205; pp.485-495 |
|
2/25 (M) |
Vernacular Short Story: “The Shrew” |
#209; pp.529-551 |
|
2/27 (W) |
Vernacular Short Story: “The Canary Murders” |
#210; pp.551-565 |
|
3/3 (M) |
ORAL PRESENTATIONS |
|
|
3/5 (W) |
ORAL PRESENTATIONS MIDTERM DUE |
|
|
3/10 (M) |
Drama: “Injustice to Tou O” |
#216; pp.673-713 |
|
3/12 (W) |
Continued |
|
|
3/17 (M) |
Drama: The Peony Pavilion – film and lecture |
|
|
3/19 (W) |
Drama: The Peony Pavilion |
#217; pp.713-720 |
|
3/24 (M) |
NO CLASS |
|
|
3/26 (W) |
NO CLASS |
|
|
3/31 (M) |
Continued |
|
|
4/2 (W) |
CLASS CANCELED |
|
|
4/7 (M) |
Novel: Water Margin |
#212; pp.581-591 |
|
4/9 (W) |
Continued |
|
|
4/14 (M) |
Novel: Journey to the West |
#211; pp.566-580 |
|
4/16 (W) |
Continued |
|
|
4/21 (M) |
NO CLASS |
|
|
4/23 (W) |
ORAL PRESENTATIONS |
|
|
4/28 (M) |
ORAL PRESENTATIONS |
|
|
4/30 (W) |
Novel: Dream of the |
#213; pp.591-604 |
|
5/5 (M) |
Continued |
|
Take-home Final Exam due May 9. Please slip the exam under my office door (Hu-246) if I’m not there. Happy summer!