East Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

Book Review Of, Japanese Kanji Power: A Workbook For Mastering Japanese Characters, Karen Curtin

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book review of Japanese Kanji Power: A Workbook for Mastering Japanese Characters, by John Millen

Book Review Of, Beneath The Sleepless Tossing Of The Planets: Selected Poems Of Makoto Ōoka, Jon Holt

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

Book review of Beneath the Sleepless Tossing of the Planets: Selected Poems ofcMakoto Ōoka.

A Textual Critique On Mencius' Perception Of "Tracing Back Intent Through Understanding", Hongqiu Huang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

One long-standing debate in Chinese literary criticism and hermeneutics has been over the meaning of "intent" (yi) in Mencius' notion of "tracing back intent through understanding (yiyi nizhi).The debate between the text-centred and the reader-centred is renown due to Qing scholar Wu Qi's (1615-75) positing his interpreting Mencius' "intent" as idea of antique scholars against what he understood to be Han-Song scholars' interpretation of it as personal opinion or conjecture opinion of ancient people. The Han-Song Confucian scholars understood Mencius' "intent" from the reader's perspective, as the intent of text-based reader. Scholars in the Ming and Qing dynasties referred to …

Forms, Approaches And Limitation Of Avant-Garde Art's Intervention In Society, Lei Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The concept of "the avant-garde" has both political and aesthetic connotation when applied to arts, which, to some degree, corresponds to its two approaches of intervening in society. It either abandons artistic autonomy and directly intervenes in society based on certain political ideas and party positions, or, it adheres to artistic autonomy and intervenes indirectly in society by maintaining a distance from society. There are thus irreconcilable contradictions between ideas and approaches of the avant-garde when it intervenes in society. This internal paradox makes it difficult for avant-garde art to truly intervene in society, and it also determines the efficacy …

Elegance And Naturalness: Two Aesthetic Dimensions Of Traditional Chinese Thought On The Qin Music, Jing Zhang, Shuzhi Zhao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The qin (a type of seven-stringed plucked musical instrument) music plays a very important role in traditional Chinese traditional culture. The qin is the most frequently used musical instrument in classical Chinese literature and is representative of elegant music. The rich history of the qin music has engendered engendered profound traditional aesthetic thought on it, which has two important dimensions: 1) the concept of "elegance" that centers on the idea of "music as education" in Confucian ideology, and 2) the concept of "naturalness" with that has its origins in Daoist thought. These two concepts become unified in the prolonged history …

Myth As A Meta-Narrative, Zhiqiang Xu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Seen from the phenomenological perspective, myth is not a primitive cultural phenomenon, but instead a permanent dimension in human culture, a meta-narrative with fundamental significance for human existence. Myth, as a meta-narrative, not only remains in the background of human existence to provide orientation, but also actively leads believers to return to their arche for authentic human existence. However, myth only occurs in the moment of human predicament, when it becomes necessary to promote the renewal of life by providing an absolute beginning.

Shakespeare And Econo-Literary Criticism, Min Jiao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

This article introduces the phases and practices of econo-literary criticism over the years to argue for the interdisciplinary studies of literature and economics. By explicating the fruitful research on Shakespearean works from the different perspectives of econo-literary criticism, it argues that this critical practice, through examining texts for their embedded economic forms, contents and contexts, can furnish new perspectives on literary texts as well as cultural and economic history, which, in turn, benefits the research of economics, whose innate ethic deficiencies are growingly felt recently.

The Cross-Cultural Perspective To Survey Chinese Literati Paintings In François Jullien's Study Of Chinese Painting Theories, Yunhua Liu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

François Jullien has consciously adopted a "Western self" to look at Chinese painting theories and take them as contributing to "the other." His theoretical base is also Western, or more specifically, derived from Heidegger, Levinas and Derrida. Jullien's goal is, arguably, to have a juncture and an approach to return to the European "l'impensé" by way of China, the "other." His study on Chinese painting theories is impressively novel, especially his insightful discussions on the nexus between Laozi (Daodejing) and Chinese painting theories. Also, his study provides methodological reference for Chinese scholars of comparative culture and comparative literature. That said, …

Understanding As Obstacle: Exercise As A Perspective For Intercultural Research, Pfizenmaier Ruben

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

This paper argues that modes of understanding built on familiarity with the other, as well as on contrastive opposition can become an obstacle in intercultural research. Built on a critique of Gadamer's idea of a fusion of horizons, it claims that intercultural research not only has to circumvent the danger of reducing the other under the familiar, but also has to prevent a construction of the other as exotic and absolutely different.

Non-Fictionality Of Lu Xun's Old Tales Retold: On The Stylistic Effect Of Literary Game On Lu Xun's Historical Writing, Jianhuai Li, Guangya Zhao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Lu Xun's Old Tales Retold can be regarded as an absolutely unique voice in the history of China's "New Literature." It demonstrates an originality as non-fictionality of the stories, with imagistic modernist discourse interacting with with the ancient discourse. This resulted in a multi-voiced image-full textual world which contributes to the alienation of literary discourse, the estrangement of aesthetic experience, and the rhetoric effect of parody and irony. It hence broke the boundaries of reality and fiction, undermined the authenticity of historical writing, removed the barriers between fiction and non-fiction as well as those between literature and non-literature, and deconstructed …

"Aesthetic Dignity Of Words": Aestheticism In Theodor W. Adorno's Early Theory On The Philosophy Of Language, Yaochong Wang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

As a key piece of writing of Theodor W. Adorno's early theory on philosophy of language, Theses on the Language of the Philosopher has lacked scholarly attention for a prolonged period of time. In recent years, Western scholars realize that the philosophy of language in classic critical theory affords potential ideological resources to reflect on the linguistic turn.The new generation of German scholars in critical theory also propose a "language paradigm", which promotes the revival of Adorno's philosophy of language. Adorno's historical contribution to the philosophy of language is based on his creative extension of Walter Benjamin's theology/philosophy of language …

A Study Of The "World" Metaphor In Contemporary Western Narrative Theories, Jianguo Yang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

From the last 20 years of the 20th century, the metaphor of "world" found its way into narrative studies, resulting in a set of new narrative concepts as possible worlds, fictional worlds, and story worlds. With the help of these concepts, narrative researchers could break away from the text-focusedness in classical structuralist narratology and direct the focus of study to such problem as the ontological status of fictional narratives, the immersion effect of literary reading, and the flow of stories in transmedia channels. This article begins with an introduction of the definitions, historical development, and current situations of three major …

An Interpretation Of Painting For Preservation Of Life From The Perspective Of Aesthetic Life-Rearing, Fanren Zeng, Ruoyu Huang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The aesthetic life-rearing lies at the heart of various forms of Chinese Buddhist art, and is also reflected in Feng Zikai's Paintings for the Preservation of Life collaborated with Master Hongyi (Li Shutong). Upon the request of Master Hongyi, Feng drew 450 pictures during a course of forty-six years, finished with poems and essays by noted calligraphers including Master Hongyi. The collaboration aims to spread the Buddhist purity of mind and compassion to beings, illustrating the doctrine that preservation of life preserves mind, and becomes an unprecedented Buddhist masterpiece. Buddhist concepts such as pure mind, compassion, benevolence, agape for beings, …

Canon Model: On The Repetitive Structure Of Oral Narration, Ruoran Huang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Repetition scatters in narrative, and it shows the heterogeneous isomorphism with differences integrated with repetitions. Due to the shared textuality thinking between inherent musicality of oral literature and polyphony, canon model with its contrapuntal compositional technique is universally found in the compositional mechanism of oral literature, – and creates a narration of repetition based on imitation under temporal principle and counterpoint under spatial principle. Within a single text and across multiple texts, canon model may take the forms of parallel canon, mirror canon and endless canon based on the development of plot. The former two forms can further be divided …

Events Toward The Future: Event Theory Turn From The Perspective Of Contemporary Thinkers, Jiang Lan

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

A turn is seen in event theory in the 21st century intellectual history, and the highlighting of the issue of event manifests man's aspiration to change the world. Event is a singularity, and cannot be reduced to a discourse or degree in an established order, since it itself constitutes a challenge to the discursive structure of the order. The emergence of an event signifies the occupation of a new place, so that absolute transformations can be made in new places and spaces. This is the starting point from which contemporary thinkers, such as Gilles Deleuze, Slovaj Žižek, and Alain Badiou, …

Meng Haoran's Poetic Ideas Reflected In His Fusion Of Ancient-Style And Regulated Verses Into Five-Character Poetry, Zhao Yang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The fusion of ancient-style and regulated verses in Meng Haoran's five-character poetry exemplifies the complicated relationship between ancient-style and contemporary-style regulated verses in the High Tang. His "regulated verses with ancient quality" had either gentle or steep patterns of tonality, and developed more flexible and consistent structures in variations of parallelism. On the other hand, his "ancient-style verses with regulated quality" were often delicate and fluent in parallelistic transformations. During the High Tang, poetry creations of these two types often shared some themes, and were also related to Meng's political frustrations or personal leisure which in turn reflected the subjectivity …

Playful Reception Of Classics: On Parodization Of Du Fu's Poems In The Song Dynasty, Hua Yao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Playful writings are relatively less researched on in Chinese literary criticism, compared with the more exuberant discussions such as the parody theory in the Western literary tradition. This paper takes as example the parodizations of Du Fu's poems in the Song dynasty to explore the parodical writing and its implications in the reception of canonical poetry. As Du Fu's poetry was canonized in the Song Dynasty, increasingly more parodies of Du Fu's poems were seen. The popularity and publicity of Du Fu's poetry prompted the parodization, while his unique style and textual features became the basis for parodies, both of …

The Interaction Of Yin And Yang: Ouyang Xiu's Idea Of Music And His Poetics, Wei Cheng

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Ouyang Xiu regarded poetry as derived from music and he would prescribe poetry with his idea of music. His idea can be traced back to "Records of Music (yue ji)" in The Book of Rites, as he argued that music is originated from the vital energy (qi) of Yin and Yang. However, he abstracted the materiality from poetry and thus attributed emotional appeal to both music and poetry as their main function. In Ouyang's view, the imbalance of vital energy between Yin and Yang manifests in the diversity of emotions in music and poetry, while the circulation of the vital …

The Political Dimension Of "Empty Signifier": From Levi-Strauss To Žižek, Weijing Xiao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The political dimension of signifier is a hidden clue that runs through structuralism to post-Marxism. Empty signifier has no specific signification but can embrace all signifiers. Its theoretical foundations are the difference and arbitrariness of language systems, the signifier chain, anchor point, and object a as developed by Lacan. Levi-Strauss' analysis of the "excess of signifier" and "Mana" in treatment of shamanism has the connotation of empty signifier. Laclau believed that the process of cohesion from floating signifiers to the master signifier with "links" is the process of leadership competition and formation, where the dominant signifier has to absorb the …

The Politics Of Form: The Correlation Between Formal Reconstructions In Free Verse And Anarchism, Guohui Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Formal reconstruction was a common phenomenon in the early stage of the Third Republic of France and in Britain during the First World War when free verse passed its stage of formal liberation. Rather than differentiating free verse from prose, the deeper rationale of formal reconstruction is that free verse has been contaminated by the "mauvais sang (bad blood)" of aesthetic anarchism that satisfied the poets' craving for anti-formal poetry in the early stage. As anarchism did not fare very well under the press of political conservatism in the late 19th-century France and 1910s Britain, free verse, as a result, …

The Shift From "Thought" To "Spirit" In Lu Xun Studies Since 1976: A Case Study Of Wang Furen's A Mirror Of China's Anti-Feudal Ideological Revolution, Jian Wang, Guoen Chen

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

It is commonly accepted that 1976 was a turning point for Lu Xun studies, but what remains obscure is through what ways the shift eventuated. This article, by focusing on Wang Furen's study of Lu Xun, attempts to outline the shift with the two keywords "thought" and "spirit", and highlights his contribution of integrating factors of intellectuals and reality into Lu Xun studies, which is inspired by the epistemological turn. This attempt becomes the origin of a more individualized and enlightenment-oriented approaches to Lu Xun. It is in this latter period that the concept of "spirit" is emphasized, because it …

Toward "Rhapsodie": On Jean-Pierre Sarrazac's Modern And Contemporary Dramatic Poetics, Yinghui Zhao

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Central to Jean-Pierre Sarrazac's dramatic thought is "rhapsodie", a concept with united heterogeneities. The original meaning of this word is "stitching," and Sarrazac uses it to define modern and contemporary theatre, aiming to highlight the characteristics of comprehensiveness, flexibility, and heterogeneous unity. He takes modern and contemporary theatre as a continuation of and an exploration into contemporary theatre after the so-called "theatre crisis" at the end of the 19th century, and maintains that as theatricality is intertwined with the elements of "epic" and "lyric," once excluded from Aristotelian theatrical theory, traditional theatre has been developing toward an open artform. The …

The Interwoven Existences Of Official Catholicism And Magical Practice In The Lived Religiosity Of A Transylvanian Hungarian Village, Cecília Sándor

Journal of Global Catholicism

During the last five years I have been doing field research in a Transylvanian Hungarian village, Sânsimion (Hu: Csíkszentsimon). I present my research on this religiously homogenous, Catholic community’s worldview. Based on interviews conducted with members of the village’s various age groups, I map religious and magical knowledge passed down through the generations, using the theoretical frame of collective memory and religious transmission. Second, I highlight two different but coexisting “constructions of reality” in this rural community. By “constructions of reality,” I mean interpretations of reality expressed in narrative discourses and local magical practices that are closely and inextricably interwoven …

The Sage Without A Country: The Political And Literary Life Of Dr. Shih-Shun Liu (劉 師 舜) (1900-1996), Caleb Yung-Jen Liu

History

Shih-Shun Liu was my great-grandfather as well as a diplomat for the Republic of China from the late 1920s until 1958. While his life is relatively left unknown to many historians, his contributions to the Kuomintang are significant and help us to understand the inside workings of the ROC and its diplomacy during this time period. Liu was a beneficiary of the Boxer Indemnity scholarship provided by the United States and made use of his love for education and poetry to pursue a literary career that defined the second portion of his life. Liu’s life as a scholar and diplomat …

Useful And Effective Worksheets To Enhance Communicative And Reading Skills For Japanese Language Learners, Masako Nunn

Q2S Enhancing Pedagogy

The purpose of this project is to create useful and effective worksheets to accord with the current textbook (Genki I, published by the Japan Times) in the aim of enhancing Japanese language learners’ communicative and reading skills. Therefore, this project includes the following worksheets in learning Japanese language in accord with the current textbook, Genki I (2^nd edition) to enhance communicative and reading practice. This package includes the following: 1) worksheet; 2) worksheet answers; 3) vocabulary worksheet; 4) three PowerPoints with voice recorded; 5) reading supplement- PowerPoint with vocabulary and sentence practice; 6) reading supplement with auditory aid; 7) …

Why The Territorial Dispute Between Japan And China Cannot Be Resolved, Hiroshi Saito

Japanese Society and Culture

This essay aims to suggest that the different idea of war would be a legal ground of each one on the territorial dispute between two States. There are three different time stages for the idea about war. The first stage is “the present time” which the developed states including Japan belong to and armed forces cannot be used to resolve international problems. The second is” the past time” especially time before the World War Two in which some developing states including China use armed forces to international conflicts. The third is “the ancient time” in which dictatorial or collapsed states …

Daijosai And The Separation Of Religion And State, Thomas Makoto Naruse

Japanese Society and Culture

Daijosai, which is regarded as an indispensable ceremony for the accession of the throne, is a Shinto ceremony. Therefore, as Japanese Constitution defines separation of church and state, it is not held as a national ceremony (a state act) but held as a ceremony of the imperial house. On the other hand, since it is said to be an indispensable ceremony for the accession of the throne, government finds public significance, and the cost is covered by the national expenses. Criticisms that claim violation of separation of church and state arise, and many lawsuits were filed.

This article reveals …

What Does Corporal Punishment In Schools Mean? : Trend Of Case Law, Hitoshi Miyahara

Japanese Society and Culture

Since the Meiji era, school education statutes have consistently prohibited corporal punishment. However, corporal punishment never disappeared from schools. We have to consider the reasons why teachers are unable to avoid them. The Supreme Court of Japan has ruled that corporal punishment is illegal, but that teachers could adopt certain forms of “physical contact” in the course of instruction. Their conduct becomes illegal only when they abuse their power. Case law indicates that a decision on whether they abused it is made after considering all circumstances, for example the necessity to use force, purpose of instruction, and method of discipline.

The Aesthetic Society And Its Gatekeepers, Aaron Francis Ward

Japanese Society and Culture

The current study draws on Saito’s (2007) application to western context of the Japanese practice of appreciating the aesthetic and ethical aspects of everyday objects, examined through the complexity of aesthetic evaluation. Bourdieu’s (1984a) moderating variable cultural capital is used to advance an understanding of perceptual and linguistic complexity in daily aesthetic consumption. By engaging participants in a quasi-experiment of multi-sensory trials of everyday products (lemon squeezers), an examination was made of how language use reveals embodied knowledge of daily consumption practice. As the participants’ volumes of cultural capital increased, there was a greater tendency to categorize the stimuli according …

Foreword To Brian Victoria, Zen Terror: Portrait Of An Assassin, James Mark Shields

Other Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.