East Asian Languages and Literatures
308 Hall of Graduate Studies, 432.2860
www.yale.edu/eall/
M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Chair
John Whittier Treat
Director of Graduate Studies
Edward Kamens (310 HGS, 432.2862, edward.kamens@yale.edu)
Professors
Kang-i Sun Chang, Edward Kamens, Haun Saussy (Comparative Literature), John Treat
Associate Professor
Christopher Hill
Assistant Professors
Aaron Gerow, Reginald Jackson, Paize Keulemans, Jing Tsu
Senior Lecturer
Koichi Shinohara (Religious Studies)
Lecturers
Chi-wah Chan, Charles Laughlin
Senior Lectors
Seungja Choi, Koichi Hiroe, Zhengguo Kang, Ninghui Liang, Yoshiko Maruyama, John Montanaro, Ling Mu, Michiaki Murata, Hiroyo Nishimura, Masahiko Seto, Mari Stever, Wei Su, Peisong Xu, William Zhou
Lectors
Hsiu-hsien Chan, Min Chen, Angela Lee-Smith, Li Li, Rongzhen Li, Fan Liu, Yu-Lin Saussy, Jianhua Shen, Haiwen Wang
Fields of Study
Fields for doctoral study are Chinese literature and Japanese literature. (See also the Combined Ph.D. Program in Film Studies.) Although the primary emphasis is on these East Asian subjects, the department welcomes applicants who are seeking to integrate their interests in Chinese or Japanese literature with interdisciplinary studies in such fields as history, history of art, linguistics, religious studies, comparative literature, film studies, literary theory and criticism, and the social sciences.
Special Admissions Requirements
The department requires entering students in Chinese or Japanese (and the Combined Program in Film Studies) to have completed at least three years of study, or the equivalent, of either Chinese or Japanese. Students applying in Chinese are expected to have completed at least one year of literary Chinese. Students applying in premodern Japanese are expected to have completed at least one year of literary Japanese. This is a doctoral program; no students are admitted for master’s degrees.
Special Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree
During the first three years of study, students are required to take at least fourteen term courses. Usually students complete twelve term courses in years 1 and 2, and then take two tutorials or two seminars in year 3. Students concentrating in Chinese or Japanese literature are encouraged to take at least one term course in Western literature or literary theory. All students must prove their proficiency in French, German, Russian, or another European language that the director of graduate studies deems appropriate, by the beginning of the second year. In some cases, with the approval of the director of graduate studies, students in Chinese literature may substitute modern Japanese and students in Japanese literature may substitute modern Chinese for a European language. By the end of the third year, students specializing in premodern Japanese literature must pass a reading test in literary Chinese. At the end of the second full academic year, the student must take a written examination in the language of his or her specialization, including both its modern and premodern forms.
At the end of each academic year, until a student is admitted to candidacy, a faculty committee will review the student’s progress. For the second year review, the student must submit a revised seminar research paper, on a topic selected in consultation with the adviser, no later than April 1 of the fourth term. No later than the end of the sixth term the student will take the qualifying oral examination. The exam will cover three fields distinguished by period and/or genre in one or more East Asian national literatures or in other fields closely related to the student’s developing specialization. These fields and accompanying reading lists will be selected in consultation with the examiners and the director of graduate studies in order to allow the student to demonstrate knowledge and command of a range of topics. After having successfully passed the qualifying oral examination, students will be required to submit a dissertation prospectus to the department for approval by October 1 of the seventh term in order to complete the process of admission to candidacy for the Ph.D.
Opportunities to obtain experience in teaching language and literature form an important part of this program. Students in East Asian Languages and Literatures normally teach in their third and fourth years in the Graduate School.
Combined Ph.D. Program
The Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures also offers, in conjunction with the Program in Film Studies, a combined Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures and Film Studies. For further details, see Film Studies. Applicants to the combined program must indicate on their application that they are applying both to Film Studies and to East Asian Languages and Literatures. All documentation within the application should include this information.
Master’s Degrees
M.Phil. The successful completion of all predissertation requirements, including the qualifying examination, will make a student eligible for an M.Phil. degree.
M.A. (en route to the Ph.D.). The successful completion of twelve term courses and languages required in the first two years of study will make a student eligible for an M.A. degree.
Additional program materials are available at the department Web site, www.yale.edu/eall/.
Courses
Courses in Chinese language at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels are listed in Yale College Programs of Study.
CHNS 500au, Man and Nature in Chinese Literature. Kang-i Sun Chang.
TTh 1–2.15
An exploration of concepts of man and nature in traditional Chinese literature with special attention to aesthetic and cultural meanings. Topics include Taoism, Buddhism, and lyricism; body and sexuality; contemplation and self-cultivation; travel in literature; landscape and the art of description; images of Utopian communities as compared to the Western notion of Utopia; ideas of self-identity; dream, pilgrimage, and allegory (as seen in the Journey to the West and The Tower of Myriad Mirrors). All readings in translation; no knowledge of Chinese required.
CHNS 501bu, Women and Literature in Traditional China. Kang-i Sun Chang.
TTh 1–2.15
This course focuses on major women writers in traditional China, as well as representations of women in works by male authors. Topics include the dichotomy of yin and yang, women and the fox spirits, the power of women’s writing, women in exile, Daoist nuns, widow poets, courtesans and the literati culture, women’s poetry clubs, Women’s Script (nushu), the cross-dressing ladies, footbinding and representations of the female body, food and sexuality, notions of qing (love), aesthetics of illness, women and revolution, and the function of memory in women’s literature. All readings in translation; no knowledge of Chinese required. Also WGSS 770b.
CHNS 560u, Introduction to Literary Chinese. Paize Keulemans and staff.
TTh 9–10.15
Reading and interpretation of texts in various styles of literary Chinese (wenyan), with attention to basic problems of syntax and literary style. After CHNS 133 or 150 or equivalent.
CHNS 570au, Advanced Readings in Modern Chinese Literature. Jing Tsu.
TTh 2.30–3.45
Close textural analysis of modern Chinese literature in the original language. Concentration on criticism, comprehension, and translations of selected texts from the 1960s to the present. Issues of narrative techniques, approaches toward reading, and the vicissitudes of Chinese literature in the contemporary period.
CHNS 574au, Modern Chinese Literature. Jing Tsu.
TTh 11.35–12.50
An introductory course to modern Chinese literature. Possible themes include cultural go-betweens; sensations such as those of body and sexuality; diaspora, translation, and nationalism; globalization and homeland; and everyday life. All readings in translation; no knowledge of Chinese required.
CHNS 590bu, Materials and Methods for Research in Chinese Studies. Chi-wah Chan.
W 3.30–5.20
Lectures, discussion, and written exercises designed to develop skills in using traditional Chinese research materials. Prerequisite: CHNS 150 or equivalent.
CHNS 602a, Readings in Classical Chinese Prose. Kang-i Sun Chang.
T 2.30–4.20
Close reading of selected texts in classical Chinese prose. Major textbooks will include the Four Books (Sishu, especially Mencius), New Tales of the World (Shishuo xinyu), and Selections of Tang Classical Tales (Tang chuanqi xuan). Topics include the relationships between literature and politics, exile and reclusion, literary style and personality. All primary readings in Chinese. Lecture and discussion in English—though occasionally in Chinese (depending on the circumstances). Recommended for qualified students (including advanced undergraduate students) with a primary interest in pre-modern Chinese literature and culture.
CHNS 603b, Readings in Classical Chinese Poetry. Kang-i Sun Chang.
T 2.30–4.20
Close reading of classical Chinese poetry in the original language. Textbooks include the canonical Anthology of Ancient Poetry (Gukshi yuan) and Three Hundred Poems from the Tang (Tangshi sanbai shou). Works by poets such as Tao Qian, Bao Zhao, Yu Xin, Wang Wei, Li Bai, and Du Fu are read,with an emphasis on issues of cultural identity, memory, and intertextuality. Poems drawn from the novel The Dream of the Red Chamber are also discussed. All primary readings in Chinese. Lecture and discussion in English—though occasionally in Chinese (depending on the circumstances). Recommended for qualified students (including advanced undergraduate students) with a primary interest in pre-modern Chinese poetry.
CHNS 615bu, Readings in Early Chinese Thought. Haun Saussy.
T 9.25–11.15
Readings from major thinkers of early China, with attention to literary form, reciprocal influence, and textual history as well as the ideas that are transmitted. Texts are chosen from major authors such as Confucius, Laozi, Mencius, Zhuanggzi, Xunzi, Han Fei, the Huainan zi, and the Lüshi chunqiu. After CHNS 560 or equivalent. Also CPLT 542b.
CHNS 687b, Cities in Modern Chinese Literature. Jing Tsu.
W 9.25–11.15
This course examines evolving conceptions of the city in modern Chinese literature beginning in the late Qing. We consider issues of space, globalization, tourism, and visuality, capitalism and consumption, coloniality, technology, cosmopolitanism, and other relevant theoretical perspectives. Possible authors include Lao She, Mao Dun, Zhang Henshui, Shi Zhecun, Mu Shiying, Zhang Ailing, Xi Xi, Dong Qizhang, Ye Si, Shi Shuqing, and Huang Biyun.
CHNS 826a, Late Imperial Beijing in Vernacular Literature: Peking Opera, Storytelling, Novel. Paize Keulemans.
W 2.30–4.20
This class investigates three popular forms of nineteenth-century literature produced in and describing the city of Beijing: Peking Opera, storytelling, and the vernacular novel. What is the relationship between these three forms of literature and is it even possible to understand any of these forms if read in isolation? What is the relationship between these popular literary forms and everyday life on the streets on the one hand and literati identity on the other? How did such vulgar Beijing forms co-opt/subvert/perpetuate the political splendor of Beijing as the capital of the extensive Manchu dynasty? To answer these questions we read (and watch) important texts belonging to these three genres, including the opera/novel Precious Mirror for Evaluating Flowers (Pin hua bao jian), the storyteller novel Tale of Romance and Heroism (Ernü yingxiong zhuan), drum-song texts including The Three Knights and Five Gallants (San xia wu yi), and read and watch Peking operas such as The Green Peony (Lü mudan) and Everlasting Blessings and Peace (Yongqing shengping). In addition, we look at literati poetry, personal memoirs, travel guides, maps, as well as other forms of visual media produced during this period.
CHNS 839b, History and Aesthetics in the Ming-Qing Transition. Annping Chin.
W 3.30–5.20
The course focuses on what the Chinese wrote and thought about history and aesthetics around the time of the Manchu conquest. Readings in Chinese include the works of Huang Zongxi, Gu Yanwu, Wang Fuzhi, Li Yu, and Zhang Dai. Also HIST 871b.
CHNS 862a, Readings in Middle-Period Documents. Valerie Hansen.
T 1.30–3.20
A survey of the historical genres of pre-modern China: the dynastic histories, other chronicles, gazetteers, literati notes, and Buddhist and Daoist canons. How to determine what different information these sources contain for research topics in different fields. Prerequisite: at least one term of classical Chinese. Also HIST 862a.
CHNS 900, Directed Readings. Faculty.
Offered by permission of instructor and DGS to meet special needs not met by regular courses.
CHNS 990, Directed Research. Faculty.
Offered as needed with permission of instructor and DGS for student preparation of dissertation prospectus.
Courses in Japanese language at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels are listed in Yale College Programs of Study.
JAPN 560au, Introduction to Literary Japanese. Edward Kamens.
MWF 9.25–10.15
Introduction to the grammar and style of the premodern literary language (bungotai) through a variety of texts. Prerequisite: JAPN 150 or equivalent.
JAPN 561bu, Readings in Literary Japanese. Reginald Jackson.
TTh 11.35–12.50
Close analytical reading of a selection of texts from the Nara through Tokugawa period: prose, poetry, and various genres. After JAPN 560a or equivalent.
JAPN 565a, Literary Chinese (Kambun) for Students of Japanese. Stanley Weinstein.
HTBA
An introduction to the traditional Japanese method of reading literary Chinese texts. Selections from the dynastic histories and pre-Ch’in philosophers.
JAPN 573au, Introduction to Japanese Theater. Reginald Jackson.
MW 2.30–3.45
Exploration of a variety of Japanese theatrical forms from the fourteenth century to the present, including Noh, Kyôgen, Bunraku, Kabuki, Shimpa, Shingeki, Butoh, and Takarazuka, with a strong emphasis on understanding these forms in their historical and performative contexts. No Japanese language or theater background assumed or required.
JAPN 581bu, Japanese Literature after 1970. John Treat.
TTh 2.30–3.45
A continuation of JAPN 578a. Study of Japanese literature published between 1970 and the present. Writers may include Murakami Ryu, Maruya Saiichi, Shimada Masahiko, Nakagami Kenji, Yoshimoto Banana, Yamada Eimi, Murakami Haruki, and Medoruma Shun. No knowledge of Japanese required.
JAPN 586au, Japanese Cinema before 1960. Aaron Gerow.
TTh 11.35–12.50
An investigation of the history of Japanese cinema to 1960, including the social, cultural, and industrial backgrounds to its development. Periods covered include the silent era, the coming of sound and the wartime period, the occupation era, the golden age of the 1950s, and the new modernism of the late 1950s. No knowledge of Japanese required.
JAPN 702b, Readings in Classical Prose and Poetry. Edward Kamens.
F 9.25–11.15
Close reading of works in various genres and styles from the eighth through the twelfth century; research in traditional commentaries and contemporary criticism. In spring 2008 the seminar focuses on readings in monogatari and related prose works.
JAPN 730a, Japanese Bodies. Reginald Jackson.
Th 1.30–3.20
An exploration of representations of the body and notions of embodiment in the context of pre-modern Japanese cultural production.
JAPN 871b, Readings in Japanese Film Theory. Aaron Gerow.
T 1.30–3.20, screenings W 7–9 p.m.
Theorizations of film and culture in Japan from the 1910s to the present. Through readings in the works of a variety of authors, the course explores both the articulations of cinema in Japanese intellectual discourse and how this embodies the shifting position of film in Japanese popular cultural history. Also FILM 871b.
JAPN 885a, Modern Japanese Novel. John Treat.
W 2.30–4.20
A seminar primarily designed as a three-year course in which graduate students specializing in Japanese literature are required to read major works of modern Japanese fiction in the original.
JAPN 900, Directed Readings. Faculty.
Offered by permission of instructor and DGS to meet special needs not met by regular courses.
JAPN 990, Directed Research. Faculty.
Offered as needed with permission of instructor and DGS for student preparation of dissertation prospectus.
Courses in Korean language at the elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels are listed in Yale College Programs of Study.
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