JAPN 309: Japanese Literature in Translation
This course explores early Japanese prose and poetry to detect native motifs that continue into modern literature. Dramatic scripts, I-Novels, surrealistic fiction, and contemporary authors including Yoshimoto Banana and Murakami Haruki will be read and written about in a student-created literary online diary. Taught in English.
Course Narrative
I had taken a similar course during my study abroad, but we unfortunately didn't do too many reading assignments. In this particular course, I was able to sample different varieties of Japanese literature, such as haiku poetry, folktales, Heian period diaries, and excerpts from modern novels. By reading so many types of stories, we were able to observe traditional Japanese values and how such values are interpreted through literature over a long period of time. For example, Shinto and Buddhist beliefs emphasized animism, the power of nature, and the role of the individual. These ideas are prevalent in ancient literature because they were used as tools for teaching morality to a growing nation, but even modern novels use similar themes, particularly focusing on the struggle of the individual and the meaning of humanity. We were required to answer questions prior to each class based on assigned readings, followed with group discussions that encouraged us to compare the values perceived in the reading and our home cultures. For my final essay, I chose to write a comparative analysis of social diversity and traditional practices in Japanese literature (download available below). In the paper, I compared the traditional Japanese elements found in folktales and Heian period diaries to short stories written after European and American interference in Japan. Making these comparisons helped me understand why modern Japanese culture still includes so many traditional elements, the reason why so many people find the cultural and products to be so unique. This course was conducted in English, so I would like to continue to develop my proficiency in order to enjoy similar stories in the target language, as some concepts do in fact get lost in translation.
JAPN 309 Final Essay | |
File Size: | 35 kb |
File Type: | docx |