Modern Chinese fiction is a potentially powerful means for enhancing our understanding of present-day China. In recent years, with the rapid growth of translations of this literature into English, this potential is increasingly being realized. With the aim of understanding the people and culture of China, this courses examines twentieth–century fiction, in translation from late imperial times to the present. Selected novels and short stories will be read and discussed in relation top the social setting of the time. The course examines these influential works by using categories such as class and gender throughout. At the end of the semester, students should be able to intelligently discuss the general historical trends of twentieth century China that have impacted in the ways that Chinese writers fictionalise their world. Students should also have in-depth knowledge of the major works of several of the most important Chinese writers in the last hundred years.

Essay 40% Tutorial Presentation 20% Final Exam 40%. Graduate students attend joint classes with undergraduates but may expect more rigorous assessment and additional assignment work, tailored to the graduate students’ interests. Graduate students may expect a final assignment rather than an exam.

2 lectures, 1 tutorial per week

Permission of coordinator