CMLT 320 - Great Books of East Asia

In this course we will probe both the term “great books” and “East Asia.” There is nothing apolitical about canons of literature. Politics are behind Great Books programs and the Nobel Prize in Literature, two major venues by which the “greatness” of literature is measured. Questions we will consider are as follows: What makes a work of literature great? And who gets to decide? During the first part of the semester we will study the history of the Great Books program. Why was it was created and where does East Asia fit into this program? We will study famous literary texts from China, Japan, and Korea which have made it into the “Great Books” canon. During the second part of the semester, we will study another way in which literature is deemed great – the Nobel Prize of Literature. We will study its history and politics. Then we will read the novels of four East Asian writers who have received the Nobel Prize. Two from China, although one is controversial, and two from Japan. We will end reading the most recent award of the Nobel Prize in 2017 to Kazuo Ishiguro, who is a British citizen but of Japanese heritage. Where do we put our global citizens who transcend boundaries of national identity? Honors in Course is available. (Group III) (Diversity) (Writing Option)