Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus & Information

Sei Shonagon - Pillow Book
September 6th & 8th
September 13th & 15th
Endo Shusako - Silence
September 20th & 22nd
September 27th & 29th
Mishima Yukio - Temple of the Golden Pavilion
October 4th & 6th
October 11th & 13th
Yoshimoto Banana - Asleep
October 18th & 20th
October 25th & 27th
Murakami Haruki - Norwegian Wood
November 1st & 3rd
November 8th & 10th
Enchi Fumiko - Masks
November 15th & 17th
November 22nd & 24th
Review
November 29th & December 1st

The recommended texts for the course will be discussed throughout the term and should be read before and after the Mid-Term assignment.
See support material available on Library Reserve.

Assignment Deadlines: Nb. There is a 3% per day late penalty for assignments, documented medical or bereavement leave excepted.

1. Mid term paper, two thousand words: due October 20th at midnight in the Instructor's Department mailbox. Assignment sheet with suggested topics will be handed out in lecture on October 6th. Criteria will include literary analysis, engagement with course themes and writing mechanics.
2. Group e-text project: in collaboration with the Course Instructor, create a web log dedicated to a distinct topic the works from the course reading list. Groups set & assignment sheet handed out September 22nd. Seminar time will be set aside throughout the term to work with the Instructor on this project
3. Individual class presentation: schedule and assignment sheet handed out in seminar. A five minute presentation on one of a choice of topics to be blogged, with five minutes more for class response. Five minutes is a firm limit: the Instructor will blow the whistle ....
4. Final Paper, three thousand five hundred words: due December 1st at midnight in the Instructor's Department mailbox.

Course Approach

The course is working toward an understanding of and appreciation for the Japanese novel. Lectures will posit Samuel Huntingdon's "Clash of Civilisations" thesis as the basis for the relationship between Japan and the West. Strong emphasis will be given to the Japanese aesthetic and some work will be done on translation theory, based on Sakai Naoki's book, on Course Reserve.

Course requirement weighting:
10% Course participation
10% Seminar presentation
20% Group blogging project
20% Mid-term paper (approx. 2000 words)
40% Final Paper (approx. 3500 words)

Nb: “Participation requires both participation in seminar and attendance and punctuality at lecture and seminar."

Instructor Contact:

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 13:30 – 14:20 in rm 6094. Also ogden@sfu.ca and http://japanesenovel.blogspot.com. Use campus mail accounts only for email contact, please.