ENG 298 - China’s Greatest Novel: Dream of the Red Chamber

When a televised dramatization of Cao Xuequin’s Honglou meng, (Dream of the Red Chamber), was broadcast in China in the 1980s, the entire country would shut down as everyone went home to watch this beautiful tale of the rise and fall of the Jia family of Nanking. Universally recognized as China’s greatest novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, which we will read in English translation, is a romantic tragedy filled with unforgettable characters and set among the most beautiful and sophisticated achievements of traditional Chinese culture. In this course, which is co-taught by Prof. Drout and Prof. Jianyu-Huo, a scholar of Chinese literature, we will study the novel itself; the art, architecture, fashion, religion, and history depicted in its pages; and also the lasting effects of this masterpiece on more than two centuries of Chinese culture.

Credits 1

Notes
Fulfills pre-1800 requirement

Division
Arts and Humanities

Compass Attributes
Writing, Humanities