AIP 301 Ghost Stories and Fox Tales in Chinese Culture (IP)
Are ghost stories only for entertainment? What else can we gain from reading ghost stories? The living and the dead lived in tandem throughout the ages in China. Concepts of death reflect on the image we have of life. So the reported behavior of ghosts may tell us much about the condition of the living. In the particular culture of China, fox tales often revealed similar characteristics as those of the ghost stories. In this course we will read both ghost stories and fox tales from a wide array of Chinese sources in English translation, including official history, personal anecdotes, collections of jokes, fiction, and drama. We will explore how these stories have reflected the transformations of Chinese social and political institutions, the changes of mentalities throughout history, and the critical roles gender and sexuality play in these transformations. Comparison of Chinese ghost stories and European ghost stories in selection will also be a focus.