Waiyee Loh
Assistant Professor of World Literature
Department of English
Kanagawa University, Japan
Singapore Fiction and Film I
(AY 2023/2024, Semester 1)
Download course syllabus here: English in the Media I syllabus.pdf
Week 1. Introduction
What is "Singapore Literature"?
Lecture slides: W1. Introduction.pptx
Week 2. A brief history of modern Singapore
Lecture slides: W2. Brief hist of SG (for students).pptx
Week 3. National identity
Reading: Thumboo, "Ulysses by the Merlion"
Lecture slides: W3. National identity.pptx
PDF: Thumboo. Ulysses by the Merlion.pdf
Week 4. Nick's family: Singaporeans
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides: W4. Nick's family Singaporeans.pptx
Week 5. Nick's family: Chinese diaspora
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides: W5. Nick's family Chinese diaspora (for students).pptx
Week 6. Rachel's family: Chinese Americans
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides: W6. Rachel's family Chinese Americans (for students).pptx
Week 7. Nick's family: "flexible citizens"
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides: W7. Nick's family flexible citizens (for students).pptx
Week 8. Kitty Pong: mainland Chinese
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides: W8. Kitty Pong mainland Ch.pptx
Week 9. How "Singaporean" is Crazy Rich Asians?: Some thoughts on the novel
Reading: extracts from Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians
Reading: General Introduction to the Writing Singapore anthology
Lecture slides:
PDF: Writing SG General Intro.pdf
Week 10. Film screening
Reading: Chu, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides:
Week 11. Representing Singapore on screen
Reading: Chu, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides:
Week 12: How "Singaporean" is Crazy Rich Asians?: Reading the reviews
Reading: Chu, Crazy Rich Asians
Reading: selected film reviews and commentaries
Presentation
Lecture slides:
PDF:
W12. Guardian review of CRA.pdf
W12. Straits Times article on CRA.pdf
W12. Yahoo News review of CRA.pdf
W12. Vox commentary on CRA.pdf
Week 13. How "Singaporean" is Crazy Rich Asians?: Some thoughts on the film
Reading: Chu, Crazy Rich Asians
Lecture slides:
Week 14. Conclusion
Written assignment due
Lecture slides:
Assignment instructions: Assignment instructions.pdf