| Course ID: | CMLT 3600. 3 hours. |
| Course Title: | Gods, Ghosts, and Demons in East Asian Literature |
Course
Description: | The study of the development of traditional East Asian fantasy
fiction. Throughout the class, students will read mythological
accounts, accounts of anomaly, Buddhist and Daoist treaties,
popular religious tales, and masterpieces of fantasy fiction and
explore how the structure of Chinese fiction is related to
religious and mythological visions and the functions of gods,
ghosts, and demons in fantasy fiction. |
| Oasis Title: | Gods in East Asian Literature |
| Grading System: | A-F (Traditional) |
|
| Course Objectives: | Through writing short essays, posting questions and comments
online, doing presentations, and in-class discussions, students
will learn to think and write critically. After the course, you
will have a firm grasp of East Asian mythology, Buddhism,
Daoism, and fantasy fiction in traditional East Asian society. |
| Topical Outline: | 1. Queen Mother of the West in the Mythological Account
Guideways through Mountains and Seas
2. King Mu's Religious and Military Journey in the Romance of
King Mu
3. The Cult of Dragon and the Invocation of Rain
4. Records of Searching Deities in the Jin dynasty
5. Demons in the Records of the Listener in the Song Dynasty
6. The Cult of Guanyin
7. God of War, Guangong
8. Goddess of Nine Heavens, Goddess of War and Romance
9. Journey to the West
10. Ghosts and Demons in Feng Menglong's Vernacular Stories in
the late Ming
11. Pu Songling's supernatural tales in the Qing |