SCIENZE UMANISTICHEScience of Language for interculture and educationAcademic Year 2022/2023

9793918 - LETTERATURA CINESE

Teacher: JINZE CUI

Expected Learning Outcomes

1) To be interested and curious in the subject, building up motivation for further reading habit and future career development;

2) To understand the socio-political context of contemporary Chinese social mentality / public discourse, and the role of modern literature in nation-building, answering the ‘why-to-learn’ question;

3) To master an efficient self-study method, answering the ‘how-to-learn’ question;

4) To be familiar with the key modern and contemporary Chinese writers, as well as related social and cultural context;

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5) To be able to hold independent, critical and contextualised thinking over cross-cultural affairs;

6) To some extent, to be able to understand the aesthetics of contemporary Chinese language.

Course Structure

On-site / traditional teaching. 54 hours in total. The courses will be conducted as a mixture of teaching and collective reading and discussion, invoking multimedia resources such as novel-based movies and opera show videos.

Required Prerequisites

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1) Basic knowledge and reading skill of contemporary Chinese language (the course will be taught primarily in Chinese);

2) Basic knowledge of Classical Chinese literature;

3) Basic knowledge of Chinese modern history.

Attendance of Lessons

6-8 hours per week.

Detailed Course Content

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1) Modern literature:

A, 1917-1927 – Luxun & Nahan; Guo Moruo & Nüshen;

B, 1928-1937 – Laoshe & Luotuo Xiangzi; Maodun & Ziye; Bajin & Jiliu Sanbuqu; Shen Congwen & Biancheng; Caoyu & Leiyu;

C, 1937-1949 – Qian Zhongshu & Weicheng; Zhang Ailing & Chuanqi;

2) Contemporary literature:

A, 1949-1989 – Zhang Xianliang & Nanren De Yiban Shi Nüren; Acheng & Qiwang; Moyan & Hong Gaoliang;

B, 1990-2000 – Sutong & Qiqie Chengqun; Wang Shuo & Dongwu Xiongmeng; Wang Anyi & Changhenge.

Textbook Information

1) Wang Xiaoman 王小曼, Zhongguo Xiandangdai Wenxue 中国现当代文学 (Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature), Peking University Press, 2015, ISBN 978-7-301-25931-3;

2) Nicoletta Pesaro, “Letteratura cinese moderna e contemporanea”, in Guido

Samarani e Maurizio Scarpari (a cura di), LA CINA, vol. III (VERSO LA MODERNITA'), Torino, Einaudi, 2009, pp. 693-745

Author	Title	Publisher	Year	ISBN
Wang Xiaoman 王小曼	Zhongguo Xiandangdai Wenxue 中国现当代文学 (Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature)	Peking University Press	2015	978-7-301-25931-3

Course Planning

	Subjects	Text References
1	Introduction I	The reasons of studying Chinese modern and contemporary literature: Taking the Chinese public debate over Fangfang’s Wuhan Diary as a breaking-through point.
2	Introduction II	The method and limits of talking about Chinese modern and contemporary literature: Taking the Chinese public debate over Moyan’s Nobel Prize as an example.
3	Main content I	Modern Chinese literature
4	Main content II	Contemporary Chinese literature
5	Concluding section	The critical spirit of contemporary Chinese intellectuals: Thematic reading and analysis of Wang Xiaobo’s Wo De Jingshen Jiayuan.

Learning Assessment

Learning Assessment Procedures

Oral test.

Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises

1) Please make a brief introduction to Luxun’s 鲁迅 works and their influence in China’s modern nation-building.

2) What are the main achievements of Caoyu’s 曹禺 drama Thunder Storm 雷雨?

3) What is the social context of ‘Scar Literature 伤痕文学’ in Chinese contemporary literature? Can you raise one representative writer and introduce his / her works? What is the influence of this literature school in China’s public ethos today?

4) Do you like Moyan’s 莫言 Red Sorghum 红高粱, and why?

5) What are the main criticism / argument in Wang Xiaobo’s 王小波 works about? Can you raise some examples?

6) Please make a brief introduction to your favourite modern / contemporary Chinese writer and his / her works (social / historical context, artistic characteristics, significances etc.). Explain why you made this choice (personal understanding and sensibility).

*Underlined contents can be freely replaced by any personal choices of the student based on the actual programme of the course.

Versione in italiano