JPN 441 - Erotic Love in Traditional Japanese Literature (712 - 1868)

A survey of the literary treatment of erotic or amorous love in the Japanese tradition from the 7th to the 20th centuries. It is both a chronological introduction to the literary tradition and also an investigation of Japanese conceptions of love. The development of images of love in western literature has been analyzed in relation to the actions of the Christian church of the 12th century, resulting in a polarity between pure love and physical lust. In Japan we see a quite different development responding to Shinto, Buddhist and Confucian world-views, to changing social and political organization, and to advances in technology. The raw materials of the course are English language translations of Japanese literature and art from the major genres and periods between the 8th and 19th centuries.