SSI1 130 | Transgressive Desires in Chinese Fiction

In a world where feelings of meaninglessness have become a widespread problem, what is the meaning of concepts such as fate, love, trust, risk, and security? Literature, which has played an important role in the search for self-realization in many cultures, is one place where one might begin to find an answer. This course focuses on the concept of self in relation to society as it was explored in vernacular short stories in seventeenth-century China, a period of great change in many realms--economic, social, philosophical, technological, among others. Through analysis of the vernacular short stories--a central fictional genre of the time--students will explore such questions as what constitutes a "self" in this transitional period? How might self-actualization go against social conventions and expectations? How does literature attempt to solve this tension and bring self and society into reconciliation? How does fiction invite readers to share other people's (i.e. fictional characters) experiences of making decisions and living through the consequences--for oneself and one's family--of those decisions? As the course progress, students may find that the Chinese tradition has both similarities and fundamental differences from the West. Affiliate department: Asian Languages and Cultures.