What can we learn about East Asian history and culture through its rich tradition of narratives featuring the martial arts? This course introduces short stories and novels dealing with combat and warfare from nearly two thousand years of East Asian literature, exploring issues such as self and society, gender, power, the body, and identity. All texts will be provided in translation, and no prior knowledge of any East Asian language or culture is necessary. The texts explored will vary year to year, depending on the instructor. Examination of various theoretical texts on arts and literature, as well as works of art themselves, will provide students with knowledge and research skills on arts in Chinese culture, and an expanded sense of Chinese intellectual history. Questions explored in the course will include: How should we understand the concept of Chinese art beyond representation? How did Chinese literati pursue a sense of beauty through their poetry and painting? How is beauty apprehended in natural and constructed landscapes? What are the political and social functions of art education in Chinese culture? How do Chinese artists fit into a global cultural context? (No prior knowledge of East Asian languages or cultures is necessary.)
What can we learn about East Asian history and culture through its rich tradition of narratives featuring the martial arts? This course introduces short stories and novels dealing with combat and warfare from nearly two thousand years of East Asian literature, exploring issues such as self and society, gender, power, the body, and identity. All texts will be provided in translation, and no prior knowledge of any East Asian language or culture is necessary. The texts explored will vary year to year, depending on the instructor. Examination of various theoretical texts on arts and literature, as well as works of art themselves, will provide students with knowledge and research skills on arts in Chinese culture, and an expanded sense of Chinese intellectual history. Questions explored in the course will include: How should we understand the concept of Chinese art beyond representation? How did Chinese literati pursue a sense of beauty through their poetry and painting? How is beauty apprehended in natural and constructed landscapes? What are the political and social functions of art education in Chinese culture? How do Chinese artists fit into a global cultural context? (No prior knowledge of East Asian languages or cultures is necessary.)
