ASIA 310

One of the most prominent themes of early Japanese literature is a longing for and deep appreciation of beauty coupled with a poignant understanding of its perishability. In this class students read classical Japanese literature from the mid-eighth to the mid-eighteenth century and analyze the works in the context of these major themes of desire and death. In such varied works as "The Tale of the Genji", "Chûshingura" (the story of the 47 ronin), and the memoirs of Medieval recluses, students explore the different shapes that desire and death take, and how the treatment of these themes changes alongside developments in Japanese culture.

Offered occasionally.

CO24 - ARTHUM (Artistic and Humanistic), CORE - HM (Humanistic Approaches), INTD - ALC (Asian Langs and Cultures ALC), INTD - ASIA (Asian Studies ASIA), INTD - HON-MN (Honors Minor (Fall 2023+) HON), INTD - HUM-MIDAGE (Intd Humanities-Mid Ages IHE)