Tale of the Genji Tentative Syllabus

Tentative SYLLABUS Tale of the Genji

•               Week 1 Introduction/Overview: Genji and the Magical Power of Words
Tale of the Genji Annenberg Overview

◦                                 3/7  Literature and Ritual in Premodern Japan

▪                                                   read selection from “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” (Taketori monogatari)

▪                                                   view: clips from various dramatic and cinematic productions of The Tale of Genji

▪                                                   distribute readings: Virginia Woolf, “The Tale of Genji” review (1925), Donald Keene, "The Tale of Genji in a General Education"(1958), “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” (Taketori monogatari).

•               Week 2 Tradition and Impermanence: The Imperial Court and Buddhism in Japan

◦                                 3/11 read: Royall Tyler's Introduction to The Tale of Genji "Overview," "Stature of the Work," "Short Summary of the Tale" and "Chapter 1: Kiritsubo": pp. 3-18; Japanese Culture, Chapters 1 & 2.

◦                                 secondary reading: Ivan Morris, The World of the Shining Prince, esp. Chapters 1 & 2.

◦                                 3/13 read: Genji Chapters 2 & 3; Japanese Culture, Chapter 3

◦                                 secondary reading: Nickerson, Peter. "The Meaning of Matrilocality. Kinship, Property, and Politics in Mid-Heian ";”(Monumenta Nipponica , Vol. 48, No. 4. (Winter, 1993), pp. 429-467)

▪                                                   view clips from Mizoguchi’s Princess Yang Kwei Fei (Yôkihi; 1955; DS749.42.Y3 P7) in class.

▪                                                   For additional material see: page on Yang Guifei

◦                                 3/15 (? ) film screening: The Tale of Genji (Sugii Gisaburô, 1987, 110m, PN1997 .T233 1995)

•               Week 3 Unseen forces: poetic allusion and a jealous heart

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 4 & 5; Japanese Culture, Chapter 4

◦                                 9 read: Genji Chapters 6 & 7

•               Week 4 Sacred space: exorcism and exile

◦                                 3/25 read: Genji Chapters 8-11

◦                                 secondary reading: Doris Bargen, "Spirit Possession in The Context of Dramatic Expressions of Gender Conflict: The Aoi Episode of The Genji monogatari"” (Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 48, No. 1. (Jun., 1988), pp. 95-130)

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 12 & 13

◦                                  SHORT ESSAY I DUE  ( Spring break)

•               Week 5 Elements of Style: kokoro and kotoba

◦                                 4/2 read: Genji Chapters 14-16 and handout on Kokinshû ‘preface’

◦                                 secondary reading: Bowring, Richard. The Ise monogatari: A Short Cultural History. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 52, No. 2. (Dec., 1992), pp. 401-480; Tales of Ise (Ise monogatari)pp. 38-69 in Classical Japanese Prose (CJP)

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 17-19

◦                                 scondary reading: A Tosa Journal (Tosa Nikki; pp. 70-102) in CJP; Tyler, Royall. The No Play Matsukaze as a Transformation of Genji monogatari. (Journal of Japanese Studies 20:2 (summer 1994), p. 377-422)

•               Week 6 Shrines and maidens: Shinto

◦                                 4/8 read: Genji Chapters 20 & 21

◦                                  read: Norwegian Wood Chapters 1-5

◦                                 read: Genji Chapters 22- 25


•               Week 7 Natural Forces

◦                                 4/15 read: Norwegian Wood Chapters 6-11

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◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 26-30

•               Week 8 Marriage and Madness

◦                                 4/22 read: Genji Chapters 31, 32 & 33

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 34, 35 & 36

•               Week 9 Memoirs: Self-reflection and Re-creation

◦                                 4/29 (? ) film screening: Raise the Red Lantern (PL2904.T86 A2491)

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◦                                 read: Genji Chapters 37 & 38

◦                                 secondary reading: The Pillow Book (Makura no sôshi; 156-199) in CJP

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 39 & 40

◦                                 secondary reading: The Pillow Book (Makura no sôshi; 156-199) in CJP

▪                                                   view portions of Ilustrated Genji handscroll in class

•               Week 10 Karma and Theodicy: Genji’s death and legacy

◦                                 5/6 read: Genji Chapters 41- 43

◦                                 secondary reading: Japanese Culture, Chapter 5

◦                                 read: Genji Chapter 44

◦                                 SHORT ESSAY II DUE

◦                                 Outline of Final Paper Due

•               Week 11 Pilgrimage, Ritual, and Betrayal

◦                                 5/13 read: Genji Chapters 45, 46 & 47

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 48 & 49; Japanese Culture, Chapter 6

▪                                                   view selections from Sennen no koi (2002) in class

•                 Final paper/project due

•               Week 12 Bunraku: Puppets of Duty and Desire

◦                                 5/20 read: Genji Chapters 50 & 51; Japanese Culture, Chapter 7

◦                                 view selections from Double Suicide (Shinjû ten no Amijima; 1967) and Ukifune video in class

◦                                  read: Genji Chapters 52-54

▪                                                   view selections from Sennen no koi (2002) in class

Week 13 Classical resonance: Genji in the twentieth century

•               5/ 27 Memorial Day  read: Mishima Yukio, Lady Aoi

•                6/3 Graduation at The Bowl