Lesson 1: Japanese and Chinese Literature (1/3)

Question 1

characterized by a set of distinct features and themes that have evolved over centuries; often harmonize ancient traditions, cultural values, and historical narratives with contemporary issues and societal changes, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between the old and the new

Answer 1

japanese literature

Question 2

one prominent characteristic of japanese literature

Answer 2

balance between tradition and modernity

Question 3

hallmark of japanese literature

Answer 3

deep appreciation for nature and the changing of seasons

Question 4

recurring theme in japanese literature

Answer 4

emotional depth

Question 5

one central feature of chinese literature

Answer 5

deep reverence for tradition and historical continuity

Question 6

one prominent trait in chinese literature

Answer 6

strong connection to nature and changing of seasons

Question 7

three Japanese authors

Answer 7

Osamu Dazai, Mishima Yukio, Hiromi Kawakami

Question 8

three chinese authors

Answer 8

Ba Jin, Lao She, Lu Xun

Question 9

works of dazai osamu

Answer 9

the setting sun and no longer human

Question 10

it is a tragic vividly painted story of life in postwar Japan. The narrator is Kazuko, a young woman born to gentility but now impoverished. Though she wears Western clothes, her outlook is Japanese; her life is static, and she recognizes that she is spiritually empty. In the course of the novel she survives the deaths of her aristocratic mother and her sensitive drug-addicted brother Naoji, an intellectual ravaged by his own and by the society’s spiritual failures. She also spends a sad, sordid night with the dissipated writer Uehara, and with him she conceives a child in the hope that it will be the first step in the moral revolution

Answer 10

The Setting Sun

Question 11

tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of the northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself “disqualified from being human”

Answer 11

No Longer Human

Question 12

who translated No Longer Human

Answer 12

Donald Keene

Question 13

when and how was The Setting Sun published

Answer 13

1947 as Shayo

Question 14

when was Osamu Dazai born

Answer 14

1909

Question 15

where and when did Osamu Dazai study

Answer 15

French Department of Tokyo University in 1930

Question 16

short story written by Osamu Dazai

Answer 16

Villon’s Wife

Question 17

this phrase came to be applied to all the Japanese impoverished and dislocated by the war, the succeeding inflation and land reforms

Answer 17

“people of the setting sun”

“land of the rising sun”

referencing “land of the rising sun”

Question 18

how did Osamu Dazai die

Answer 18

suicide in the Tamagawa Reservoir in Tokyo

Question 19

when was Osamu Dazai’s body found

Answer 19

June 19, 1948

Question 20

pseudonym of Mishima Yukio

Answer 20

Hiraoka Kimitake

Question 21

years of Mishima Yukio

Answer 21

1.14.1925-11.25.1970

Question 22

prolific writer who is regarded by many critics as the most mportant Japanese novelist of the 20th century.

Answer 22

Mishima Yukio

Question 23

where and what did Mishima Yukio study

Answer 23

law @ University of Tokyo 1948-49

Question 24

first novel of Mishima Yukio

Answer 24

Kamen no Kokuhaku (1949)

Question 25

a partly autobiographical work that describes with exceptional stylistic brilliance a homosexual who must mask his sexual preferences from the society around him.

Answer 25

Kamen no Kokuhaku

Question 26

works of Yukio Mishima

Answer 26

The Sound of Waves and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Question 27

details the coming of age of protagonist Shinji, a poor fisherman on the remote island of Uta-jima, and his romance with Hatsue, the beautiful daughter of the wealthy ship-owner Terukichi

Answer 27

The Sound of Waves

Question 28

Shinji Kubo lives with his mother, a pearl driver, and his younger brother, Hiroshi. He and his mother support the family because Shinji’s father has died in a previous war, but the family lives a peaceful life and Shinji is content to be a fisherman along with a master fisher, Jukichi, and another apprentice, Ryuji. This changes then Terukichi Miyata, after the death of his son, decides to reclaim the daughter who had been adopted by another family and aised as a pearl driver on another island. The beautiful Hatsue wins many admirers, including Shinji, and Shinji and Hatsue soon fall in love

Answer 28

The Sound of Waves

Question 29

loosely based on the burning of Kyoto’s Kinkaku-ji Temple by a young Buddhist acolyte in 1950. The temple was a national monument which had been spared by the American bombers during WWII, and the arons shocked Japan. The story is narrated by Mizoguchi, the young man who will burn the temple, who is afflicted with an ugly face and a stutter, and who recounts his obsession with beauty and the growth of his urge to destroy it. The novel also includes one of Mishima’s most memorable characters, Mizoguchi’s club-footed, deeply cynical friend Kashiwagi, who gives his own highly individual twist to the various Zen parables.

Answer 29

The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Question 30

english translator of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Answer 30

Ivan Marris (1959)

Question 31

film version of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion; most critically successful film to be made from a Mishima novel

Answer 31

Enjo (Conflagration)

Question 32

who made Enjo (Conflagation)

Answer 32

Kon Ichikawa

Question 33

one of Japan’s most popular contemporary novelists.

Answer 33

Hiromi Kawakami

Question 34

birthdate of Hiromi Kawakami

Answer 34

1958, Tokyo

Question 35

two awards of Hiromi Kawakami

Answer 35

Pascal Short Story Prize for New Writers and Akutagawa Prize

Question 36

works of Hiromi Kawakami`

Answer 36

Strange Weather in Tokyo and The Nakano Thrift Shop

Question 37

Tsukiko is in her late 30s and living alone when one night, seh happens to meet one of her former high school teachers, ‘Sensei’, in the bar. He is at least thirty years her senior, retired, and she presumes, a widower. After this initial encounter, the pair continue to meet occasionally to share food and drink sake, and as a seasons pass - from sprint cherry blossom to autumnal mushrooms - Tsukiko and Sensei come to develop a hesitant intimacy which tilts awkwardly and poignantly into love

Answer 37

Strang Weather in Tokyo

Question 38

among the jumble of paperweights, plates, typewriters, and general bric-a-brace in Mr Nakano’s thrift store, there are treasures to be found. Each piece carries its own story of love and loss - or so it seems to Hitomi, when she takes a job there working behind the till. Nor are her fellow employees any less curious or weatherworn than the items they sell. There’s the store’s owner, Mr Nakano, an enigmatic ladies’ man with several ex-wives; Sakiko, his sensuous, unreadable lover, his sister, Masayo, an artist whose free-spirited creations mask hidden sorrows. And finally there’s Hitomi’s fellow employee, Takeo, whose abrupt and taciturn manner Hitomi finds, to her consternation, increasingly disarming.

Answer 38

The Nakano Thrift Shop

Question 39

he is one of the greatest writers of modern and contemporary chinese literature. his major works “the family and cold nights” are based upon a theme of love and humanity, and are rated bery high internationally. in his book, he consistently calls for the modernization of china. after reinstatement from the cultural revolution, not only was he critical of the social situation, but also offered sincere () criticism. through his literary activities, his influence on society has been immeasureable

Answer 39

Ba Jin

Question 40

books of Ba Jin

Answer 40

Family
Spring

Question 41

one of the most popular chinese novels of that time, vividly reflects that turmoil and serves as a basis for understanding what followed

Answer 41

Family

Question 42

second volume of the Torrent Trilogy. is is about GaoShuming’s rebeliion and fight against the corruptive feudal faily and her pursuit of freedom. with the assistance and encouragement of her brothers Juexin, Jueming, Juehei, and her friends Qing and Chengjianyun, she arrived in Shanghai successfully and begin her revolution career and free life

Answer 42

Spring

Question 43

bornon Feb. 3, 1899 in Beijing, China, was a renowned chinese writer and playwright

Answer 43

Lao She

Question 44

real name of Lao She

Answer 44

Shu Qingchun

Question 45

works of Lao She

Answer 45

Rickshaw Boy and Teahouse

Question 46

celebrated chinese play that takes place in a beijing teahouse, serving as a microcosm of chinese society over three distinct eras from 1898 to 19488. through a diverse cast of characters, it offers a poignant exploration of societal changes, blending humor and drama. the play’s enduring appeal lies in its insightful character development and its ability to reflect the shifting political and cultural landsccapes in china during the time of tremendous transformation

Answer 46

teahouse

Question 47

a classic chinese novel published in 1937. revolves around the life of the protagonist Xiangzi who works as a rickshaw puller in the streets of Beijing. the novel opens with Xiangzi as a poor and uneducated young man who starts his career as a rickshaw puller in the bustling city of Beijing. through hardwork, determination, and frugality, Xiangzi eventually purchases his own rickshaw, symbolizing his aspirations for a better life. it depicts his struggles, dreams, and the challenges he faces in a harsh urban environment. Xiangzi’s journey is a poignant exploration of the human condition and the pursuit of the chinese dream amid adversity

Answer 47

Rickshaw Boy

Question 48

real name of Lu Xun

Answer 48

Zhou Shuren

Question 49

an influential chinese writer, essayist, and translator who is commonly considered the father of modern chinese literature. known for his satirical observations of early 20th century chinese society. he is celebrated as a pioneer of modern vernacular chinese literature and was one of the most important thinkers of his time

Answer 49

Lu Xun

Question 50

works of Lu Xun

Answer 50

Diary of a Madman and The True Story of Ah Q (A-Q Zhengzhuan)

Question 51

story narrated by a first-persona protagonist who believes that he has discovered a shocking and horrifying truth about the people around him. he is a man who goes mad and believes his fellow towns-people and his brother are cannibals who want to eat him. a narrator shares the madman’s diary entries, in which the madman reveals his paranoia that everyone wants to eat him and that he, himself, is probably a cannibal

Answer 51

diary of a madman

Question 52

it tells the story of ah q, a bumbling and self-deceptive character who personifies many of the flaws and weakenesses of chinese society during the early 20th century. the novella is a critique of the chinese national character and the social and political conditions of the time. the novella is divided into several chapters, each of which highlights different episodes of Ah Q’s lifes; a daydreamer who believs he is the hero of his own story. he often perceives himself as victorious, even when he has been defeated and humiliated. he uses the term “spiritual victories” to describe his ability to maintain his self-esteem despite his numerous failures

Answer 52

the true story of ah q (A-Q zhengzhuan)