Fall 2006 • LIT 295 Jeremy RobinsonLec: T•R 12:30-2pm (E-F) [email protected] hours: M 10-11am, W•F 2-3pm Red House #12 tel x5310Literature in the Age of the SamuraiFor almost seven hundred years, from the 12th to the 19th century, Japan was ruled by thesamurai warrior class. However, the values that defined that class shifted radically asthey were forced to adapt to changing circumstances. This class examines the ever-changing and often contradictory roles of the samurai through the lens of Japaneseliterature, from the early view of warriors as uncultured brutes inferior to the refinedaristocracy, to their seizing of political power in the Kamakura period, to theirtransformation into a class of bureaucrats in the Edo. The course also focuses on the wayin which the samurai have been mythologized and transformed into an ideal of virtuousbehavior, both at the time of their ascendance and well into the modern period.This course makes extensive use of the university’s Blackboard online learningenvironment, both to distribute readings and as a forum for submitting and responding toreaction papers. Access Blackboard at blackboard.wlu.edu, and login using your W&LUsername and Password. The Blackboard interface is fairly straightforward, but if youhave no experience using the system or are uncomfortable with computers, let me knowimmediately so we can help you get started. Becoming experienced with usingBlackboard is vital to your success in this course.Evaluation will be on the basis of class attendance and participation, online reactionpapers and responses, a midterm exam, and a final exam.Attendance and Participation 15%Six Online Reaction Papers 6 x 5% = 30%Ten Online Responses 10 x 2% = 20%Midterm Exam 15%Final Exam 20%Most important, both to your grade and to the success of the class, is keeping up on thereadings and being ready and willing to discuss them. For each day’s readings, select atleast one quote from the texts and come to class ready to discuss its significance and yourreasons for choosing it. Throughout the semester you will also be required to postreaction papers and responses to the Blackboard online discussion board. A reactionpaper should be approximately 1 1/2 to 2 pages long and should articulate your reactionto that day’s readings. It does not need to be a formal argumentative essay, but it shouldbe more substantive than mere summary. It is intended to give your interpretation of thematerial in light of your own experience and the issues we raise in class, and should showan active engagement with the text. Remember: you aren’t expected to be an expert onthe topic, just an engaged reader. Reaction papers must be posted online by midnightthe day before the class in which the readings are to be discussed, in order to give yourfellow students time to read them and respond before class. Late reaction papers areuseless to fostering online discussion and thus will not be accepted. Six of these papersare required over the course of the semester and you may choose any of the readings towhich you wish to respond, but you may not write more than one in any given week.Although there will be many days when you do not write a reaction paper yourself, otherstudents’ reaction papers are considered a part of the required readings for all students,and you should make a point of reading the other students’ reactions, and perhaps writingan online response to them, before coming to class (the response deadline). The onlineresponses are less formal than the reaction papers and should respond not only to the textitself, but to the other students’ reactions. There is no set length for these responses, butthey should show a willingness to engage with other students’ ideas rather than relyingonly on one’s own interpretation. A minimum of ten of these responses are required overthe course of the semester, but you are encouraged to write more. These onlinediscussions will be the jumping off point for in-class discussion.There are five required texts for this course:The Tales of the Heike, Burton Watson & Haruo Shirane trans.Legends of the Samurai, Sato Hiroaki (LOS)Code of the Samurai, Thomas Cleary trans.Chûshingura: The Treasury of Loyal Retainers, Donald Keene, trans.Musui’s Story, Katsu KokichiAdditional readings will be made available in pdf format in the “Materials” section ofBlackboard. These readings are identified on the syllabus with a  mark. Frequentlyused texts (and the abbreviations by which they are identified on the syllabus) are listedbelow, and are also on reserve at the library.Classical Japanese Prose, Helen Craig McCullough, ed. (CJP)Sources of Japanese Tradition, vol. 1 William deBary, et. al. (SJT1)Sources of Japanese Tradition, vol. 2 William deBary, et. al. (SJT2)Early Modern Japanese Literature, Haruo Shirane, ed. (EMJL)In addition to the required readings, some days also list recommended films. These canbe viewed at the Tucker Multimedia Center (TMC) at any time the week prior to thatdate. The films are not required (and DO NOT replace that day’s readings), but you maychoose to write a reaction paper based on these films on that day.This class encompasses time slots E & F (12:20-2:20pm), but will normally run from12:30 until 2:00. Note, however, that on some days the discussion may run beyond 2:00and on some days I may announce that you should arrive at 12:20 for the next session inorder to accommodate extra time for film clips, midterm exam, etc. The final examperiod for Fall ‘06 is from December 9th-15th. Final exam envelopes will be provided bythe department and must be filled out and returned to the instructor during the last weekof classes. EALL final exams are distributed through the German Department on the 2ndfloor of Tucker Hall, and you will be required to take the exam in designated rooms inTucker Hall. Bring a blue book.Course ScheduleGetting Started Syllabus and IntroductionThursday, September 7th Syllabus, Introduction to CourseBackground: The Heian PeriodWeek One Oral Literature and the Military TaleTuesday, September 12th Early Kamakura LiteratureReadings: Hôjôki (CJP pp. 377-392) Konjaku monogatari (LOS pp. 19-36, 47-60, 71-92)Thursday, September 14th Military Tales and Picture ScrollsReadings: Hôgen monogatari, Heiji monogatari (SJT1 pp. 265-276) “The Heiji Scroll Paintings” (Reischauer pp.447-457) -- Also view Tale of Heiji picture scroll