EAST-2315 East Asian Heroes

This course Introduces literary works that have contributed to discourses about heroes in contemporary East Asia. We will study how the portrayals of heroes reflect historical, social, and cultural changes. Classical and early modern literary texts are analyzed in the contexts of contemporary cultural products. Discussions focus on how narratives of heroes have been one of the most indispensable sources for the construction of political and cultural identities. We also examine how narratives about heroes have evolved to express historically and culturally specific experience and agendas. (Offered every year).