East Asian Languages & Lits 234 - Self and Society in Chinese Fiction and Drama

This survey of traditional Chinese fiction and drama from roughly 800-1900 reads classical tales of the strange, vernacular stories, novels, zaju and chuanqi drama alongside official narratives such as histories and biographies, as well as popular genres like ballads, baojuan (precious scrolls) and tanci (plucking songs). The class considers the ways individuals, family, community and government appear in literature, along with the conflicting loyalties presented by romance, family and the state. All readings are in English translation; no previous knowledge of Chinese required.