JAPA 251 - Fiction of Modern Japan

This course introduces major authors, texts, and issues in modern Japanese literature from 1868 to the present. The focus will be on works of fiction (mainly novels, novellas, and short stories) and how they mediate and complicate the relationships between: self and other, tradition and modernity, nation and empire, and history and memory. One of the central themes of the course is the role of literature in the production, transformation, and contestation of the national narratives and cultural constructs-or the fictions-of modern Japan. In addition to the literary or textual aspects of individual works (such as language, style, and narration), we will consider the specific historical, political, and socioeconomic factors informing these works. No prior knowledge of Japan or Japanese is required. Readings are in English or English translation. Alternate years. (4 Credits)