This class will take as its focus the development and place of genres focusing on crime and detection in traditional China and the fate of these genres in Modern China. We will investigate the legal system that forms the background of these stories and compare it with pre-modern and modern legal systems in the West. We will see how the “facts” of cases are proven and how the “motivation” of criminals is established in Chinese works. Attention will also be paid to how the Chinese legal system is represented as well as the broader question of the relationship of fictional literature and reality. The Chinese genres and subgenres of court case literature will be identified and compared with similar/related genres in the West (e.g., the picaresque novel, criminal biographies, crime fiction, the detective short story, and novel, “Judge Dee Novels,” etc.). Working through this material, students will get new perspectives on Chinese literature, culture, and society.

Intended Audience:

Undergraduates interested in Chinese culture in general, issues of justice, detection, and judicial process, Chinese literature, literary representations of history and society

Class Format:

Two 90-minute meetings weekly