a brief survey of contemporary korean and korean american fiction

Ewha International Summer College 2017
TOPIC IN KOREAN LITERATURE: A BRIEF SURVEY OF
CONTEMPORARY KOREAN AND KOREAN AMERICAN
FICTION
Instructor:
E-mail:
Texts:
Gary Pak, PhD (Department of English, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa)
[email protected], [email protected]
Fulton and Kwon, Modern Korean Fiction: An Anthology
Fenkl and Lew, Kori: The Beacon Anthology of Korean American Fiction
(Note: The class texts will be available @ Ewha ISC.)
Introduction—This course is a survey of contemporary Korean and Korean American fiction, which
includes short stories and excerpts from novels written from the turn of the 20th century to the turn of the
21st. The approach to analyzing these texts will be historical, political and ideological. We will start
with very brief historical accounts—both modern Korean history and the history of Korean immigration
to America. And, to deepen our understanding of this literature, we will screen three relevant films.
The class format will be lecture and discussion. For each class, students are required to have read the
texts assigned for the day and to be able to discuss them critically.
Evaluation—Plus and minus signs (+/-) will be used in the final course grading. Evaluation will be
based on the following:
o A short weekly reaction paper (3 total; worth 30% of course grade). DUE on
Thursday at 11:59 PM via e-mail attachment or another digital format, TBA. A late
entry will be penalized one full letter grade.
Each reaction paper should be based on one of the readings from the past week’s selection.
The topic is of your choice and should address a theme or approach to the reading or a
historical/theoretical idea as a result of your reaction to the text. Each paper must have a
specific focus, i.e., it must begin with a reasonable thesis and be supported with detailed
references from the readings. The minimum length is 250 words; it should be no longer than
500 words.
o A take-home final essay exam (worth 50% of course grade). DUE on Monday, July 17,
as an e-mail attachment, by 11:30 am. The exam will be comprehensive, covering all
what we have discussed in the course.
o Oral presentation in class (worth 10% of course grade). Each student will be required to
do a 5-10 minute oral presentation that focuses on a theme of one of the works to be
discussed in class.
o Class participation (worth 10% of course grade).
o Attendance. Students who miss 1/6 of class attendance fail the class. It means that if a
student misses more than 2 classes, the student will receive an ‘F’, i.e., starting with the 3rd
absence. (Note: This is the attendance policy of all Ewha International Summer College
courses.)
Ewha’s Grading Policy
Ewha ISC strictly keeps the following academic policy regulated by Ewha Womans University:
(1) International students shall be graded on absolute percentage, not a grade curve compared with other classmates.
(2) Ewha students must be graded in fixed curve in relation to the other Ewha students. The percentage of ‘A’ to a
maximum of 45% of the entire Ewha students and the total percentage of ‘A’ and ‘B’ to a maximum of 90%
within Ewha students. This means 10% of the Ewha students will end up getting ‘C’ or a lower grade.
However, this does not apply when the number of Ewha students is lower than 6.
Academic Honesty
A student must do her/his own work. All written work, including the final exam, must be written by the student.
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, submitting, to satisfy an academic requirement, any document that has
been copied in whole or in part from another individual’s work without identifying that individual; neglecting to
identify as a quotation a documented idea that has not been assimilated into the student’s language and style;
paraphrasing a passage so closely that the reader is misled as to the source; submitting the same written or oral
material in more than one course without obtaining authorization from the instructors involved. Valid evidence that
a student has committed plagiarism is justification for a student’s failure in the course.
CLASS READINGS AND DUE DATES
o Assignments are subject to change.
o Assignments and activities are to be prepared for the day as given.
o You are required to do three (3) short reaction papers. Reaction papers can be
turned in earlier than the due date and time, but no earlier than the Monday before.
o M = Modern Korean Fiction / K = Kori
WEEK ONE
June 20, T
Ewha International Summer College Opening Ceremony.
June 21, W Introduction to course: literary terms, literary themes, historical contexts and
Korean fiction. In-class reading of Hyon Chingon’s “A Lucky Day.”
June 22, Th M 13-34; 59-63 (Kim Tongin, Yi T’aejun, Kim Yujung).
WEEK TWO
June 26, M
June 27, T
June 28, W
June 29, Th
M 65-111 (Yi Sang, Yi Hyosok, Ch’ae Mansik).
Screening of Yu Hyon-mok’s Obaltan.
M 113-161 (Ch’oe Chonghui, Hwang Sunwon, Yi Hoch’ol).
M 163-180; 195-232 (Kim Sungok, Kim Pukhyang, Cho Sehui). DUE Short
Paper #1 by 11:59 PM.
WEEK THREE
July 3, M
M 233-268 (Ch’oe Illam, Pak Wanseo).
July 4, T
M 251-290 (Yi Ch’ongjun, Yi Munyol). Screening of Im Kwon-taek’s Festival.
July 5, W
M 329-382 (O Chonghui, Ch’oe Yun, Kim Yongha).
July 6, Th
K “Introduction”; 3-42 (Patti Kim, Me-K Ahn, Gary Pak). DUE Short Paper #2
by 11:59 PM.
WEEK FOUR
July 10, M
K 43-81 (Chang-rae Lee, Leonard Chang, Heinz Insu Fenkl).
July 11, T
K 85-141 (Younghill Kang, Ronyoung Kim, Richard Kim). Screening of Justin
Lin’s Better Luck Tomorrow.
July 12, W
K 145-206 (Susan Choi, Sukhee Ryu, Ty Pak).
July 13, Th K 207-217, 226-257 (Walter Lew, Nora Okja Keller, Therese Cha). DUE Short
Paper #3 by 11:59 PM. Overview and Preparation for Final Exam.
WEEK FIVE
July 17, M
Final exam DUE 11:30 am via e-mail.
July 18, T
Ewha ISC Closing Ceremony, 11 am @ TBA.
Ewha International Summer College 2015
Professor Gary Pak
Topic in Korean Literature: A Brief Survey of Contemporary Korean and Korean American Literature
LITERARY TERMINOLOGY, THEMES, HISTORICAL CONTEXTS, ETC.
NOTE: The following list is not exhaustive. Additional terms, themes, etc. will be added as needed as the course progresses.
LITERARY TERMS
Fictional elements
Point-of view
Plot
Characters
Setting
Conflict/contradiction
Narrative/narrative technique
Types of fiction
Short short
Short story
Novella
Novel
Telling/showing
Dialectics/binary/duality
Art for art’s sake vs. all art is political
THEMES
Family relationships:
mother / daughter; m / s; f / s; f / d
husband / wife / grandparents
Gender issues
South Korean / North Korean issues
Regional issues: re Korean provinces, North-South Koreas, etc.
Assimilation
Language issues
Modernization vs. traditional values
Modernism
Post-Modernism
Class
Caste
Gender
Immigrant issues / 1.5 generation
Adoptee themes
HISTORICAL CONTEXTS
Donghak Peasants Revolution 1894
Japanese colonialism 1910-1945 / annexation in 1910
Korean War (yuk-i-o / 6-25) 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953
Kwangju Rebellion 1980 (Democratization Movement; May 18 to 27, 1980)
Seoul Olympics 1988
World Cup 2002
Difference waves of Korean immigration / Korean diaspora
Contemporary Political Figures and Presidents of Korea:
Kim Gu (1876-1948)
Syngman Rhee (1875-1965; in office, 1948-1960)
Park Chung Hee (1917-1979; in office, 1962-1978)
Chun Doo-Hwan (1931- ; in office, 1980-1988)
Roh Tae-Woo (1932- ; in office, 1988-1993)
Kim Young-sam (1927- ; in office, 1993-1998)
Kim Dae Jung (1925-2009; in office, 1998-2003) / “Sunshine Policy”
Roh Moo-hyun (1946-2009; in office, 2004-2008)
Lee Myung-bak (1941- ; in office, 2009-2013)
Park Geun-hye (1952- ; in office 2013-present)
KOREAN TERMS
Han/haan
Chong
Hyeung
Hanryu