SYLLABUS MID AND FAR EAST LITERATURE (ENGL. 332) On EAST/WEST: from ALI AND NINO, by Kurban Said; an Eastern ROMEO AND JULIET, ISLAMIC  Maybe that is the one real division between men: wood men and desert men. The Orient's dry intoxication comes from the desert, where hot wind and hot sand make men drunk, where the world is simple and without problems. The woods are full of questions. Only the desert does not ask, does not give, and does not promise anything. But the face of the soul comes from the wood. The desert man, I can see him, has but one face, and knows but one truth, and that truth fulfills him. The wood man has many faces. The fanatic comes from the woods. Maybe that's the main difference between East and West. from I CHING, CHINESE Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success from a ZEN Master, JAPANESE If I did not make you fight in every way possible in order to find the meaning and lead you finally to a state of non-fighting and of no effort from which you can see with your own eyes, I am sure that you would lose every chance of discovering yourself. THE WATERMELON HUNTER: A SUFI TEACHING STORY Once upon a time, there was a man who strayed from his own country into the world known as the Land of Fools. He soon saw a number of people flying in terror from a field where they had been trying to reap wheat. "There is a monster in that field," they told him. He looked and saw that it was a watermelon. He offered to kill the MONSTER. When he cut the melon from the stalk, he took a slice and began to eat. People became more terrified of him than of the melon, and drove him away with pitchforks, crying, "He will kill us next unless we get rid of him" It so happened that at another time another man strayed into the Land of Fools,, and the same thing happened to him. But instead of offering to help with the MONSTER, he agreed with people that IT must be dangerous, and that by tiptoeing away from it with the people he gained their confidence. He spent a long time with the people until he could teach them little by little the basic facts which would enable them not only to lose their fear of melons, but even to cultivate them.  from TAGORE, INDIA Love is an endless mystery, for it has nothing to explain it. I am none of the above wise persons. I can only introduce you to their wisdom and hope you will enjoy their melons. The EASTERN vs. the WESTERN The following represents a suggested list of attitudes and value differences between the East and the West. It has been provided by Tran Binh Trong, Richmond, VA. EASTERN WESTERN We live in time You live in space We're always at rest You're always on the move We're passive You're aggressive We like to contemplate You like to act We accept the world as it is You try to change it according to your blueprint We live in peace with nature; religion is our first love You try to impose your will on her; science is your passion We delight to think about the meaning of life You delight to think about the physics of life We believe in the freedom of silence You believe in the freedom of speech We lapse into meditation You strive for articulation We marry first, THEN we love You love first, THEN marry Our marriage is the BEGINNING of a love affair; it is an indissoluble bond Your marriage is the happy END of a romance; it is a contract Our love is mute Your love is vocal We try to conceal our love from the world You delight in showing it to others Self-abegnation is the secret of survival Self-assertiveness is the key of your success We're taught from the cradle to want less and less You are urged every day to want more and more The love of life is our ideal Conquest is your goal We glorify austerity and renunciation You emphasize gracious living and enjoyment Poverty is to us a badge of elevation It is to you a sign of degradation In the sunset years of life, we renounce the world and prepare ourselves for the hereafter You retire to enjoy the fruits of your labor BOOK LIST: IN EASTERN ORDER (i.e., no logical/Western order) Said, Kurban. Ali and Nino. Akutagawa, Ryunosuke. RASHOMON AND OTHER STORIES. Tagore, Rabindranath. GITANJALI. Markandaya, Kamela. NECTAR IN A SIEVE. Hoff, Benjamin. THE TAO OF POOH. (For Exam) Endo, Shusaku. SILENCE. Wiesel, Elie. NIGHT. Watson, Burton, trans. THE COLD MOUNTAIN OF HAN SHAN. FROM BIBLE: ESTHER. Choose any translation.  HANDOUTS: Poems of Mao Tse Tung CLOCK OVERHEAD FILM: NIGHT FOG BLACK RAIN From GITANJALI: look particularly at these famous Song-Poems: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13-21, 23, 24, 30-32, 34-37, 42, 45, 57, 58, 86, 87, 90-92.  CULTURAL EXPERIENCES AND HOLIDAY CELEBRATION: Both in AND out of classroom. OUT OF CLASS EVENTS are NOT MANDATORY. You do NOT have to attend. FOR ISRAEL: FEAST OF PURIM (Based on ESTHER & Jewish Calendar: Feb./Mar.) IN CLASS FOR JAPAN: JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY: IN CLASS URASENKE TEAHOUSE plus restaurant in New York City. A Wednesday in April OUT OF CLASS Japanese Dinner: Out of class. KITE DAY: around May 1-4. IN CLASS FOR CHINA: Chinese Restaurant for dinner. OUT OF CLASS FOR INDIA: Indian Restaurant for dinner. OUT OF CLASS THEMES SUGGESTED BY THE WORKS:  THEME 1: HOLOCAUSTS: ESTHER, STAR ETERNAL, NIGHT. Hebrew BLACK RAIN, Movie-Japanese THEME 2: CLASHES: Past vs Present/Old vs New/East vs West Ali & Nino - Islamic NECTAR IN A SIEVE. India SILENCE, Japanese THEME 3: ENLIGHTENMENT: COLD MOUNTAIN POEMS, TAO OF POOH. Chinese GITANJALI. Indian THEME 4: BIZARRE: RASHOMON & OTHER STORIES. Japanese NOTE: I am teaching this course by THEME, not by historical or geographical survey. SOME RULES: DISCUSSION is A MUST as the Orient/East is experiential Most of you, including myself, are not from the Orient/East; therefore, here's your chance to volunteer an opinion/reaction. I'll begin each discussion drawing out your comments. If I feel some background is necessary, I'll deliver it. If you do NOT participate, your grade drops a letter. EVENTS will be described in detail, will require some help/cooperation by providing food, flowers, paper plates, other utensils; and maybe a small monetary contribution. Some EXAMPLES: for KITE DAY, you all need to buy a kite (They are cheap & found in most stores starting in March); for PURIM, help pick up food & noisemakers. SIGN UP FOR OUT OF CLASS EXPERIENCES: If you sign, you must attend as reservations have been made. If you become ill, send a substitute. I shall make VERY sure that that person is made welcome & feels at ease. You MUST MUST NEVER NEVER stand up a host in the Orient/East/My Class. That's called HOSPITALITY upon which Asian peoples place great store. GUEST SPEAKERS: If they exist in Scranton are & are willing, they will be introduced into the syllabus as their schedule allows. If you know someone with a particular ORIENTAL gift/talent, let me know. I've had all manner of hands-on demonstrations. WRITTEN WORK SECTION: MIDTERM/POST MIDTERM JOURNALS, PLUS EXAM JOURNALS for MIDTERM and POST MIDTERM in place of TESTS/EXAMS Due at Midterm and Post Midterm (i.e., a few weeks before finals) Correction: In Person. You come to me. A chance to dialogue on what you have chosen as your SPECIFIC reflection\on a particular work. FOR EACH ENTRY: If written/printed 2 solid pages with no padding If creatively approached through paint, poetry, music, etc. medium, you must still SPECIFICALLY let me know what part of the work INSPIRED this artistic creation. Give page numbers, etc. from THE LITTLE PRINCE: "You are responsible for what you tame." What you choose to write/paint/create, you MUST responsibly carry out. With POETRY SELECTIONS: Pick SEVERAL poems. Number of poems will be indicated CONCRETE EXAMPLE & ARTICULATE DISCUSSION WITH ME make the difference between a C/B/A grade. Be VERY SPECIFIC. SOME RULES: "To every person his/her due" says Aristotle Past experience has taught me to respect those students who do their work with CARE and ON TIME. To protect those serious students who care, I have instituted a policy called JUSTICE Each of you may choose dates within a 2 week period to meet with me personally with your journals. You may switch dates with others; but appointments MUST MUST MUST be kept. This ONE ON ONE approach reaps great benefits. I can say more in 10 minute slots than I could ever write. If you want to recall what I say, you may bring a tape recorder. NO SHOW JOURNAL: Drop in grade EXCEPTIONS: If you would like to present ONE (not more than one) presentation in class, I'd be willing to exempt a journal entry. IN SIGNING UP FOR TIMES TO SEE ME: Please only one person per 10 minute slot. If NO TIMES listed are convenient to you, consult with me to schedule another arrangement. If (as has happened in the past) some books don't come or are delayed, you may make substitutions by consulting me. If we fall behind schedule, please be mature enough to do readings we have NOT done in class. I'll know you have not done them, have limited knowledge, and are on your own. Remember that other courses require OUTSIDE/UNGUIDED reading. Also, I know that these works are new to you. DO NOTE that most works are small. JOURNALS: MIDTERM and POST MIDTERM 4 entries each time Some are mix and match indicated by a SLASH/sign Have set each entry by size and material MIDTERM SELECTIONS Ali and Nino ESTHER CHOICES exist for 3 and 4 Choices indicated by SLASH/Line NIGHT/NECTAR IN A SIEVE 3 Selections of STAR ETERNAL/4 Poems of Mao POST MIDTERM SELECTIONS BLACK RAIN, Movie SILENCE 2 Stories from RASHOMON 4 poems from GITANJALI or 5 poems from COLD MOUNTAIN All selections are small EXAM PAPER: Based on TAO OF POOH BASIC RULES: May be handed in with Post Midterm journal. You will NOT receive back this paper. I need a souvenir of your presence with me MUST MUST MUST be handed in LAST DAY OF CLASS. Failure to do so is an F MUST MUST MUST be TYPED (6 pages approximately) TAO OF POOH is a book written by a Westerner. The characters are Western (from WINNIE THE POOH stories): but the philosophy is Chinese & is adaptable to any culture. As an old ZEN poem says: "If you don't get it from yourself, where will you go for it." TRANSLATED POOH: If Winnie and friends get it, why can't you EXPLAIN by CONCRETE EXAMPLE (i.e. quotes) how the characters in this book use the principles of the TAO in their lives and adventures. All the TAO principles are in this book. The Pooh characters comment on them.  What follows is a WEEKLY SCHEDULE of books/works. NOTE: FEAST OF PURIM, as based on Jewish calendar will be supplied into syllabus at appropriate time. SYLLABUS PROPER THE "LONG MARCH" OF THE SEMESTER "LONG MARCH" is a Chinese/Mao concept WEEK 1 1st class: KOAN ON TEA ASSIGNMENT: Read ALL PAGES OF SYLLABUS Ask any and all questions next class 2nd and 3rd class: Answer your syllabus questions/concerns Intro to Eastern Lit and themes WEEK 2 ALI and NINO WEEK 3 and 4 ESTHER/FEAST OF PURIM WEEK 5 FILM: NIGHT AND FOG STAR ETERNAL handout WEEK 6 NIGHT WEEK 7 FILM: BLACK RAIN WEEK 8 BLACK RAIN WEEK 9 Poems of MAO WEEK 10 Finish Poems of Mao NECTAR IN A SIEVE WEEK 11 and 12 SILENCE TEA CEREMONY WEEK 13 COLD MOUNTAIN POEMS; GITANJALI WEEK 14 and 15 GITANJALI; RASHOMON LAST CLASS: EXAM PAPER due on TAO OF POOH. NO EXCUSES "one time/one meeting" - Zen EACH SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Contact us at: 570-348-6219. E-mail: English@marywood.edu.

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