Home>Course>[CHES2004] Chinese Literature in Translation>CHES2004

This course introduces the classical Chinese literary tradition and its contemporary adaptation in popular media. In this course, we will explore genres including fiction, poetry, essays, and biographies in relation to three major sets of themes and traditions: 1) the fantastic, the immortal, and the ghostly; 2) the moral, the loyal, and the outlaws; and 3) the romantic, the scholar, and the beauty. These themes and traditions are, however, intertwined in the history of Chinese literature, influencing the consumption pattern of readers of popular literature. Through these themes and traditions, we analyze key issues regarding the formation of literary canon in China and how Han Chinese literati define the relationship between the foreign and the domestic, the Han and the non-Han, male and female, lawful subjects and outlaws in the process of literary canonization. The texts we read for this course will demonstrate Chinese culture as a dynamic, diverse, and hybrid one jointly shaped by domestic traditions and foreign influences. Moreover, these themes and popular characters become the main source of inspiration for the contemporary IP industry in China. Through examining these literary canons and their media adaptations, we further explore the issue of tradition and innovation in China nowadays. All readings are available in English translations. No prior knowledge of Chinese is assumed.

Course Overview: Tradition and Innovation

The Noble Person and the Knight-errant

Feminine Virtues and the Martial Arts Feminism

The Righteous Outlaw and the Folk Culture

The Peach Blossom Spring and the Utopian Narrative

The Ghosts, the Monsters, and the Supernatural Power

A Thousand Faces of the Monkey King

From the Monkey King to NeZha: A Legend of Chinese Animation

Femme Fatale and Eternal Love I

Femme Fatale and Eternal Love II