ASIAN STUDIES 246c - d.The Fantastic and Demonic in Japanese Literature

Institution:

Bowdoin College

Subject:

Description:

Fall 2007. VYJAYANTHI SELINGER. From possessing spirits and serpentine creatures to hungry ghosts and spectral visions, Japanese literary history is alive with supernatural beings. The focus of study ranges from the earliest times to modernity, examining these motifs in both historical and theoretical contexts. Readings pose the following broad questions: How do representations of the supernatural function in both creation myths of the ancient past and the rational narratives of the modern nation What is the relationship between liminal beings and a society's notion of purity How may we understand the uncanny return of dead spirits in medieval Japanese drama How does the construction of demonic female sexuality vary between medieval and modern Japan Draws on various genres of representation, from legends and novels to drama, paintings, and cinema. Students gain an understanding of the different representations of these fantastic beings in Japanese literature, and develop an appreciation of the hold that these creatures from the "other" side maintain over our cultural and social imagination.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bowdoin.edu/

Phone Number:

(207) 725-3000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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