Waiyee Loh
Assistant Professor of World Literature
Department of English
Kanagawa University, Japan
The British Empire in East Asia: Victorian and Neo-Victorian Perspectives II
(AY 2023/2024, Semester 2)
Download course syllabus here: Advanced Seminar in World Lit II syllabus.pdf
Week 1. Introduction
Britain and Japan: Friends and Foes
Lecture slides: W1. Introduction (for students).pptx
Week 2. British perspectives: Samurai stories
Reading: extracts from Mitford, Tales of Old Japan
Lecture slides: W2. Mitford samurai (for students).pptx
PDF: Mitford. The 47 Ronins.pdf
Week 3. British perspectives: Old and New Japan
Reading: extracts from Mitford, Tales of Old Japan and Mitford's Japan
Lecture slides:
PDF: Mitford. Note and Civil War.pdf
Week 4. Walking tour of Yokohama historic sites
Saturday 21 October, 9.30AM to approx. 4PM
Lecture slides:
Week 5. British perspectives: Travel writing
Reading: extracts from Hearn, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan
Lecture slides:
PDF: Hearn. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan.pdf
Week 6. British perspectives: Weird tales
Reading: extracts from Hearn, Kwaidan
Lecture slides:
PDF: Hearn. Kwaidan.pdf
Week 7. British perspectives: British Aestheticism and Japan
Reading: Paintings by J. M. Whistler
Lecture slides:
PDF: W7. Ukiyo-e and Whistler images.pdf
Week 8. British perspectives: British Aestheticism and Japan
Reading: Wilde, "The Decay of Lying"
Lecture slides:
PDF: Wilde. The Decay of Lying.pdf
Week 9. Japanese responses: The samurai spirit
Reading: extracts from Nitobe, Bushido
Lecture slides:
PDF: Nitobe. Bushido.pdf
Week 10. Japanese responses: Japanese Aesthetics and pan-Asianism
Reading: extracts from Okakura, Ideals of the East
Lecture slides:
PDF: Okakura. Ideals of the East.pdf
Week 11. Post-imperial responses: Neo-Victorian Britain
Reading: extracts from Toboso, Kuroshitsuji
Lecture slides:
Week 12. Post-imperial responses: Japan and Korea
Film screening of Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden
Week 13. Post-imperial responses: Japan and Korea
Reading: Park, The Handmaiden
Lecture slides:
Week 14. Conclusion
How to engage in comparative analysis of your assignment
Preparing for your Graduation Project
Lecture slides:
Week 15. Essay due
Assignment instructions: Assignment instructions.pdf
Recommended reading list: Recommended reading list.pdf