ENH2710

Orientations: reading Asia

Proposed to be offered next in 1999

M Ackland

8 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton

Objectives Upon completion of this subject students should have gained an understanding of the cultural diversity of the Asian region, the legacy of colonialism in South-East Asia, and issues of tourism, war guilt and the formation of national and regional identity.

Synopsis This subject studies perceptions of `East' and `West' in a range of twentieth-century texts set in Asian societies. The subject examines the ideological positions and imaginative meanings indicated by the literary conventions used by Western writers to construct `the East'. Two representative literary encounters will be examined: (1) the British imperial presence in India; and (2) the contemporary Australian cultural `discovery' of Asia, especially South-East Asia. The middle part of this three-part subject focuses on the `inside' views of Asian writers writing in English, observing in particular their representation of the dynamics of Asian societies in the post-colonial era. Specific foci include India, Hong Kong, China and Japan.

Assessment Essay (3000 words): 50%
* Test (1.5 hours): 25%
* Seminar participation/seminar paper (1500 words): 25%

Prescribed texts

Desai A Baumgartner's Bombay Penguin
Gerster R (ed.) Hotel Asia: An Australian anthology Penguin
Ishiguro K An artist of the floating world Faber
Kipling R Kim Penguin
Lim C Or else, the lightning God Heinemann
Mo T The monkey king Abacus
Mishima Temple of the golden pavilion Penguin
Rushdie S Midnight's children Faber

Recommended texts

Said E Orientalism Penguin