FRS 002 — Sec. 010 — (2 units) — CRN 26017 — T 3:10-5:00pm — 322 Sproul
Classical Japan: Reading The Tale of Genji
Instructor: Joseph Sorensen, Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, College of Letters & Science

Description: The Tale of Genji (ca. 1005) is one of the landmarks of world literature, and has been praised by some as “the world’s first novel.” The time and place, poetics and aesthetics, and social mores and conventions of the classical Japanese court are so far removed from us, however, that there are several obstacles to gaining a full appreciation of Murasaki Shikibu’s work, not the least of which is its 1100-page length in English translation.

This freshman seminar explores various aspects of Japanese court life in the classical period through a close reading of The Tale of Genji. After considering the historical context of the Heian Period (794-1185) and the physical layout of the capital and its environs where the action of the novel takes place, we will examine the literary precursors to and poetic conventions exhibited in The Tale of Genji. As we read though the chapters, we will investigate such topics as: the private and public affairs of aristocratic men and women, contemporary politics, social conventions, the position of women, economics, religion, superstition, poetry, aesthetics, visual and performance art, architecture, and ritual ceremony.

The four major goals of this course are for students: 1) to gain a familiarity with and learn the subtleties of The Tale of Genji, one of the great works of world literature, 2) to learn key concepts in Japanese culture, history, and aesthetics as well the conventions of classical Japanese poetry and prose, in order to appreciate the complex intertextual nature of literature from the classical period, 3) to improve their skills at reading critically, writing analytically, and discussing their thoughts clearly and concisely, and 4) to acclimate themselves to learning from each other and from the instructor in a seminar setting where focused discussion, projects and presentations, and the exchange of ideas take precedence over direct lecture and assignments.

Format: Seminar will meet for two hours each week. Class time will be structured to recreate at the freshman level the kind of learning that takes place in a graduate seminar where the students read carefully together, make individual or group presentations, and participate in focused discussions. Instead of quizzes and homework assignments, we will approach the text as both a puzzle to solve, and as a key to understanding characteristics of classical Japan. Grading: Students will receive a letter grade based on the frequency and quality of their participation in class discussion (20%), their class presentation (40%), and a term paper (40%). The presentation will include summaries of certain chapters and an analysis of the woodblock-print pictures from the text, as well as discussion questions. The term paper will be 5-7 pages on one aspect of the novel. Detailed guidelines for both the presentation and the paper will be provided by the instructor.

Required Texts:
Morris, Ivan. The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan. New York: Kodansha International, 1994. [ISBN 1568360290]

Seidensticker, Edward, trans. The Tale of Genji. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978. [ISBN 0394735307]

About the Instructor: Professor Joseph T. Sorensen teaches Japanese literature and culture in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. His research interests include the development of classical poetics, and the intersection between painting and poetry in classical Japan. His teaching interests include classical, medieval, and modern Japanese literature, traditional drama, and film. He has studied at the University of Tokyo, and at Kyushu University, and he has taught at U.C. Berkeley, where he received his Ph.D., and the University of Colorado at Boulder, before taking his current position at U.C. Davis.