Asia is a region of the world that many of us are familiar in some way or another—through popular culture, food, travel, or family. But given the diversity of the region, what do we really mean when we use the words “Asia” or “Asians”? What assumptions do we have when we use such terms? What sorts of historical events have informed our assumptions? We will be exploring such questions in this course through a variety of texts and films written and directed by Asian and non-Asian writers alike to think about the ways Asia and Asians have been (self-)represented and what the effects of those representations have been.
In this Writing Intensive course, you will write 4 literary analysis papers and weekly blogs. You will also have a midterm and final and potential reading quizzes. Class participation will also be a major component of your grade.
Required Texts:
- David Hwang, M. BUTTERFLY
- Pearl S. Buck, THE GOOD EARTH
- Arthur Golden, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA
- E.M. Forster, A PASSAGE TO INDIA
- Karen Tei Yamashita, CIRCLE K CYCLES
There will also be additional short readings that will be available on Laulima. We will also be watching films:
- BETTER LUCK TOMORROW (2002)
- and KUNG FU PANDA (2008).