Modern and Contemporary East Asian Literature
Code: 101538Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| East Asian Studies | OB | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Maialen Marin Lacarta
- Email :
- maialen.marin@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Albert Nolla Cabellos
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
This third-year subject is compulsory, and although there are no prerequisites for taking it, it is advisable for students to have passed Classical East Asian Literature, since it provides the framework within which modern and contemporary literary currents in East Asia are to be interpreted.
Objectives
Since this third year subject is compulsory for both students who have Chinese or Japanese as their first language of East Asia, we will work on texts translated into Catalan, Spanish, French or English.
The aim of this subject is to provide an overview of the great artistic and literary currents of East Asian literatures in the modern and contemporary age. On successfully completing this subject, students will know the main 20th century works of Chinese and Japanese literature and the key aesthetic and literary movements that have shaped them, as well as being able to identify and locate the texts of these traditions in the original context from reading. Students will also be expected to know how to analyze modern and contemporary Chinese or Japanese texts (always in translation) and be able to defend arguments arising from their analysis.
Learning outcomes
- Knowing, understanding, describing, analysing, and assessing the history, thought and literature of East Asia.
- Utilising different tools for specific purposes in the fields of history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
- Carrying out the documentary search in the specific languages of East Asia.
- Using the specific terminology of history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
- Assessing the obtained results in the information search process in order to update the knowledge about history, literature, linguistics, thought and art.
- Applying knowledge of the values, beliefs and ideologies of East Asia in order to comprehend and assess written texts in the languages of East Asia.
- Knowing the great literary, philosophical, and artistic movements of East Asia.
- Differentiating the literary genres and determining its specific characteristics.
- Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
- Students must be flexible and capable of adapting to new circumstances.
Contents
This subject provides an overview of Chinese and Japanese literature from the end of the 19th century until the beginning of the 21st century.
The part dedicated to China will provide an overview of Chinese literature from the late Qing Dynasty to the early years of the twenty-first century, focusing mainly on works from the PRC.
In the part dedicated to Japanese literature, the overview will cover the literary production of the modern and contemporary period, that is, from the Meiji Restoration (1868) to the present day.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical lectures | 25 | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Study (primary and secondary sources) | 42.5 | 1.7 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Text analysis (dossiers) | 17 | 0.68 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| Readings | 31.5 | 1.26 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Readings (compulsory) | 30 | 1.2 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
The subject will be divided in two parts of equal duration. Both in the part dedicated to Chinese literature and the part dedicated to Japanese literature, a bibliography will be given with recommended reading, which will be used to complement the information provided in the directed sessions, and compulsory reading works, on which students will be assessed. The face-to-face sessions will include historical contextualization, description of literary movements, main authors, readings and commentaries of translated texts, etc.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading test I (Chinese literature, brief texts) | 20% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Reading test I (Japanese literature, brief texts) | 20% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Reading test II (Chinese literature, novel) | 10% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Reading test II (Japanese literature, novel) | 10% | 0.5 | 0.02 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Content-related test (Japanese literature) | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Content-related test (Chinese literature) | 20% | 1 | 0.04 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Students must provide evidence of their progress by completing tasks and tests. Task deadlines will be indicated in the course schedule on the first day of class. All activity deadlines are indicated in the subject's schedule and must be strictly adhered to.
- In the Chinese literature part, the assessment will be based on three tests: one on knowledge (20% of the subject), one on short readings (20% of the subject) and one on a novel (10% of the subject).
- In the Japanese literature part, the evaluation will be based on three tests: one on knowledge (20% of the subject), one on the short readings (20% of the subject) and one on a novel (10% of the subject).
- The knowledge test will be on the theoretical part and will include the basic chronology and the main literary movements of the periods covered, the relationship between literary phenomena and their historical and socio-cultural context, authors and main works of each period.
The test on short readings will be on the short texts read and commented on in class during the semester, while the test on a novel will be on one of the compulsory readings to be chosen by the student.
Marks will be given for correct written expression in Catalan or Spanish.
Related matters
The above information on assessment, assessment activities and their weighting is merely for guidance. The subject's lecturer will provide full information when teaching begins.
Review
When publishing final marks prior to recording them on students' transcripts, the lecturer will provide written notification of a date and time for reviewing assessment activities. Students must arrange reviews by agreement with the lecturer.
Missed/failed assessment activities
Students may retake assessment activities they have failed or compensate for any they have missed, provided that thosethey have actually performed account for a minimum of 66.6% (two thirds) of the subject's final mark and that they have a weighted average mark of at least 3.5. In the event of a resit, the highest mark a student can obtain is a 5.
Under no circumstances may an assessment activity worth 100% of the final mark be retaken or compensated for.
The lecturer will inform students of the procedure involved, in writing, when publishing final marks prior to recording them on transcripts. The lecturer may set one assignment per failed or missed assessment activity or a single assignment to cover a number of such activities.
Classification as "not assessable"
In the event of the assessment activities a student has performed accounting for just 25% or less of the subject's final mark, their work will be classified as \"not assessable\" on their transcript.
Misconduct in assessment activities
Students who engage in misconduct (plagiarism, copying, personation or identity theft, etc.) in an assessment activity will receive a mark of “0” for the activity in question. In the case of misconduct in more than one assessment activity, the students involved will be given a final mark of “0” for the subject.
Students may not retake assessment activities in which they are found to have engaged in misconduct. Plagiarism is considered to mean presenting all or part of an author's work, whether published in print or in digital format, as one's own, i.e. without citing it. Copying is considered to mean reproducing all or a substantial part of another student's work. In cases of copying in which it is impossible to determine which of two students has copied the work of the other, both will be penalised.
More information: http://www.uab.cat/web/study-abroad/undergraduate/academic-information/evaluation/what-is-it-about-1345670077352.html
SINGLE ASSESSMENT
This subject may be assessed under the single assessment system in accordance with the terms established in the academic regulations of the UAB and the assessment criteria of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting. Students must make an online request within the period established by the faculty and send a copy to the teacher responsible for the subject, for the record.
Single assessment will be carried out in person on one day during week 16 or 17 of the semester. The Academic Management Office will publish the exact date and time on the faculty website. On the day of the single assessment, teaching staff will ask the student for identification, which should be presented as a valid identification document with a recent photograph (student card, DNI/NIE or passport).
Single assessment activities
The final grade for the subject will be an overall test which will include the following content according to the indicated percentages:
- Questions on knowledge of Chinese literature and Japanese literature (40%).
- Questions on the short texts proposed to complement the theoretical content of the Chinese literature part and the Japanese literature part (40%).
- Questions on two novels of your choice, one from the Chinese literature section and one from the Japanese literature section (20%).
Grade revision and resit procedures for the subject are the same as those for continual assessment. See the section above in this study guide.
Misconduct in assessment activities
Any irregularity committed during an assessment (academic fraud, plagiarism, or misuse of AI, unless expressly authorized in the course syllabus) that could lead to a significant change in the grade will result in a grade of 0 for that assessment. If multiple irregularities occur during assessments for the same course, the final grade for that course will be 0. Furthermore, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against any individual who commits any of these irregularities.
Use of AI
In this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is not permitted at any stage of the assessment activities. Any work that includes AI-generated content will be considered a breach of academic integrity and will be graded a 0, regardless of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated.
Bibliography
I. Chinese literature:
1. Recommended readings
1.1. General references:
- Denton, Kirk A. (ed.). Modern Chinese Literary Thought: Writings on Literature, 1893-1945. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1996.
- Lau, Joseph and Howard Goldblatt, eds.: Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Literature. New York: Columbia University Press,1994.
- Martínez-Robles, David; Carles Prado-Fonts (eds.); Alicia Relinque Eleta. Narratives xineses: ficcions i altres formes de no-literatura. Barcelona: UOC, 2008. [Edició en castellà: Narrativas chinas: ficciones y otras formas de no-literatura]
- Mostow, Joshua (ed.). The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature. New York: Columbia University Press, 2003.
- Prado-Fonts, Carles. Regresar a China. Madrid: Trotta, 2019.
2. Compulsory readings:
(Students must choose one of the following works for assessment. The final list of books will be published at the beginning of the course on the Virtual Campus)
- Chang Eileen. Un amor que destruye ciudades. Trad. Anne-Hélène Suárez y Qu Xianghong. Barcelona: Libros del Asteroide, 2016. / Chang Eileen. L’amor que fa caure ciutats. Trad. Carla Benet. Barcelona: Club Editor, 2016.
- Chi Ta-wei. Membranas. Trad. Alberto Poza. Madrid: Egales, 2024.
- Chi Li. Triste vida. Trad. Mari Carme Espín. / Trista vida. Trad. Mari Carme Espín. Barcelona: Belaqva.
- Ge Fei. El invisible. Trad. Miguel Ángel Petrecca. Buenos Aires: Adriana Hidalgo, 2012.
- Shen Congwen. La ciudad fronteriza. Trad. Maialen Marin-Lacarta. Barcelona: Bellaterra, 2013.
- Yan Lianke. La muerte del sol. Trad. Belén Cuadra Mora. Madrid: Automática, 2020.
- Yu Hua. ¡Vivir! Trad. Anne-Hélène Suárez Girard. Barcelona: Seix Barral, 2012.
(The lecturer will provide other short readings via the Virtual Classroom to be read and commented upon for each session.)
II. Part on Japanese literature:
1. Recommended reading
Prospective bibliography; for reasons of space, the translators are not indicated, but they should be included in the reading file; direct and indirect translations are included:
1.1. General reference:
- Gordon, Andrew, A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
- Donald Keene, Dawn to the West: Japanese Literature in the Modern Era (New York: Henry Holt).
- Mostow, Joshua, ed.: The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature. Columbia University Press, New York, 2003.
- Prado-Fonts, Carles, ed., Literatures de l’Àsia Oriental: sigles XIX i XX, EDIUOC, Barcelona, 2008. [Also available in a Spanish language edition.]
- Rimer, J. Thomas., ed., Modern Japanese Fiction and its Traditions: An Introduction (Princeton: Princeton University Press).
- Rimer, J. Thomas., ed., A reader's guide to Japanese literature (New York : Kodansha International).
- Rimer, J. Thomas i Gessel, V. C., ed., The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature (Columbia University Press, 2007).
2. Compulsory reading:
For the assessment, students must choose one of the following readings. In this section, translations are direct.
- Kawabata Yasunari La casa de les belles adormides, Viena Edicions, 2007. Trad. de Sandra Ruiz i Albert Mas-Griera.
- La casa de las bellas durmientes. Luis de Caralt, 2004. Trad. de Pilar Giralt.
- Murakami Haruki Tòquio Blues (NorwegianWood), Empúries, 2005. Trad. d’Albert Nolla.
- Tokio Blues (Norwegian Wood), Tusquets, 2005. Trad. de Lourdes Porta.
- Ôe Kenzaburô Una cuestión personal, Anagrama, 1994. Trad. de K. Yoonah y R. Fernández Sastre.
- Sôseki Natsume Kokoro. Gredos, 2003. Trad. de Carlos Rubio.
- Tanizaki Junichirô La clau, Edicions 62, 2003. Trad. d’Albert Nolla.
- La llave, Muchnik, 2003. Trad. de Jordi Fibla i Keiko Takahashi.
Software
No specific software is required in this subject.
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |