Literature in Modern China
From the Revolution in Fiction to the Age of the Internet
ASIAN 204A SLN 10520 VLPA/I&S
C LIT 322A SLN 11783 VLPA
MW 1:30-3:20 pm - Remote (including synchronous class meetings at scheduled times)
Prof. John Christopher (Chris) Hamm
M235 Gowen Hall (206) 543-4974 jcsong@uw.edu
Office Hours: T, Th 10:30-11:30 am Zoom Meeting ID: 931 7365 4625
At the turn of the 20th century, the growth of commercial publishing and the spread of periodicals helped revolutionize the ways literature was produced and read in China. In the early 21st century, the internet has opened up radical new vistas for China’s writers and readers. What sorts of literature have been produced and circulated through these modern media? What roles have developments in media and technology played in the story of China’s modern literature? How have technological developments and literary trends, in turn, shaped and been shaped by the nation’s social and political changes over the course of the last hundred years? In this course we will explore these questions by reading and discussing a variety of Chinese literary works (primarily fiction) in English translation and a selection of secondary scholarship.
The class will be taught synchronously online. Students are expected to participate in class meetings at the scheduled times.
No knowledge of the Chinese language required; lecture, discussion, readings, assignments, and tests will be in English.
No prerequisites; previous college-level coursework on any aspect of China or on literature of any sort is helpful but not required.
Course Components and Assessment
Policies and Student Responsibilities