Shattered Images of Changing China: Modern Chinese Literature and Film

Description

During China's explosive changes over the last thirty years, nothing has better recorded these changes than Chinese literature and film. Writers of the novel, short story, drama and poetry—marked by such internationally renowned names as Gao Xingjian, Wang Anyi, Yu Hua, Mo Yan and Bei Dao—have collectively captured the feelings of pride, excitement, confusion and chaos shared by the current generation of Chinese citizens. Filmmakers such as Tian Zhuangzhuang, Li Yang and Jia Zhang Ke have documented the mixed experiences that such quick political and economic changes have brought to different walks of Chinese life.

Using the metaphor of a "shattered mirror," introduced by philosopher Kwame Anthony Appia in describing the process of perceiving cross-cultural truths, this program offers a mirror which, while trying to reflect the truth of modern Chinese life and society, is made of nothing but shattered images. Nevertheless, this shattered mirror will help us to peek into multiple facets and corners of a society in which real, common people live. Instead of simply reading about them, we are compelled to approach them from inside their world, to understand the daily struggles and social problems through their eyes. If all these shattered images can only combine into a confusing, chaotic and contorted existence, by putting ourselves in the midst of them, we are very close to living a real Chinese life.

The literary works and films in the program will be grouped through weekly themes representing distinct topics of study. Students will read literature and view thematically related films each week. Keeping a reflective journal and writing weekly papers will document their ongoing learning experiences. Students will write a final integrative essay on a topic of personal choice, which is originated and substantiated from the program materials, but further expanded through individual research in the library and via electronic databases.