JAPA 340: Topics in Japanese Literature

JAPA 340-002: Demonic Women in Japanese Fiction
(Spring 2019)

03:00 PM to 04:15 PM TR

Thompson Hall L004

Section Information for Spring 2019

JAPA 340 - 002: Demonic Women in Japanese Fiction

This course investigates both the paranormal and the psychological in an attempt to understand the cultural and universal themes and issues underlying the literary trope of the demonic woman in Japan. We will begin our journey into the realm of the mysterious with the romances and folklore of premodern Japan before projecting forward to the postwar era, a time of changing social roles and deeply hidden resentments. As we progress from the 1950s to the 2010s, we will examine the political ideologies that cast women as miscreants, deviants, and villains. We will also delve into theories concerning abjection and the uncanny, which render women as strangers in their own monstrous bodies. Along the way we will explore constructions of gender and sexuality as we study demonic men, queerness that resists binary categorization, and posthuman technophobia. By the end of this course, students will have developed a better understanding of how history and society inform the scary stories we tell ourselves about what frightens and fascinates us.    

Tags:

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Study of selected topics in Japanese literature in English translation. Content varies. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different with permission of department. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Mason Core: Literature
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies, Non-Western Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: ENGH 101 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

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