Wahlfachkurs "Moderne chinesische Literatur" an einem Gymnasium

Abstract

The present article summarizes experiences made with an optional course on modern Chinese literature held at a high school (students 17-19 yrs old) in Basle, Switzerland, with 2 hrs/wk during one semester. With the general aim of giving glimpses into a non-Western culture and its literature, particulary in response to Western impact during this century, the course was divided in two parts: 1) introduction to pre-modern literature, by genres: philosophy and essayism, poetry, and fiction (one 2 hrs session each), 2) presentation of Lu Xun, Ding Ling, Yu Dafu, and Cao Yu with selected readings in translation (see note 1, two sessions each). A three-fold approach formed the guidelines: 1) contrasting within the texts and to Western modern tradition, 2) de-exotism by showing anthropological and cultural similarities, 3) information on the social and historical Chinese background. Participants were expected to make an individual or collective presentation of each author. Topics of discussion, also with reference to Western works (such as Goethe´s Werther), were the individual´s exploration of its role in society and the literary means and forms used for this search, with stress on the different types diary-like notes as paradigm for emotion. Post June 4^th exile literature with Liu Binyan and Bei Dao as representatives closed the course. Students proved to be generally unexperienced in any “close reading”, i.e. literary knowledge drawn from secondary sources prevailed, particularly for poetry, where as Ding Ling´s strive for a female identity was vividly received.