EAST-UA 726 - Historical Epics of China and Japan

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

Mainly, a comparative study of four major narratives. We compare two military epics of China and Japan, Department of East Asian Studies The Three Kingdoms and The Tale of the Heike; and then two romantic epics, The Tale of Genji and The Dream of Red Mansions. These four readings (of which The Tale of Genji alone was written by a woman) are thematically central to their respective cultures. The military epics raise crucial questions about the nature of dynastic rule and the qualifications for kingship, about the relationship of the ruling dynasty to the territory and the people that it rules, and about how diplomatic and military strategies interact. The romantic epics deal with the intrigues of the royal court and the noble elite, the observations and roles of the female characters, and the problem of generational continuity. The course begins with two short readings: the Vietnamese national classic, Tale of Kieu, which is based on Chinese works, and the Chinese fantasy travelogue Monkey (abridged). Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism play a large role in these complex narratives, and due attention is given to how the ideals and doctrines of these three ways of thinking inform the motives and the fates of the characters and the larger design of the authors.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

The Course Profile information is provided and updated by third parties including the respective institutions. While the institutions are able to update their information at any time, the information is not independently validated, and no party associated with this website can accept responsibility for its accuracy.