Class Detail
LIT 131D - 01 Literature in a Global Context
2022 Summer Quarter
Class Details
- Career
- Undergraduate
- Grading
- Student Option
- Class Number
- 70397
- Type
- Lecture
- Instruction Mode
- Synchronous Online
- Credits
- 5 units
- General Education
- TA
- Status
- Open
- Available Seats
- 64
- Enrollment Capacity
- 100
- Enrolled
- 36
- Wait List Capacity
- 0
- Wait List Total
- 0
OpenDescription
Comparative examination of fiction in the modern world and of fictional responses to social change and crisis. Course topic changes; see the Class Search for current topic. Critical approach designations: Geographies, Power and Subjectivities. Distribution requirements: Global. May be repeated for credit.
Class Notes
From the Instructor: "King Kong vs. Godzilla: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and Japanese Empires" Course Description: Central to filmic analysis of King Kong and Godzilla, the class analyzes the triangulation of the United States, Japan, and the Pacific Islands as the geopolitical space of colonialism and imperialism in the global contexts through interdisciplinary approaches.
Expanded course description as follows: Beyond the genre of monster films, King Kong and Godzilla became cultural icons in the 20 th century and have kept their popularity up to now. The first King Kong film was released in 1933 when Americans were still recovering from the Great Depression. Meanwhile, Godzilla in 1954 was made as a response to the end of the U.S. occupation in Japan (1945-1952). Both monsters, situating their habitats in the Pacific, are imaginative vehicles of U.S. and Japanese national powers in relations with the Pacific Islands. Using the Pacific Ocean as a colonial space, King Kong and Godzilla present their monstrous figures as an imaginary U.S. and Japanese imperialism. More specifically, Micronesia is discussed as a crucial space due to the Japanese colonization until 1945 and the U.S. mandate by the United Nations afterwards. The original plots of King Kong and Godzilla have been altered and modified in their later films to capture the contemporary interests and issues of the two empires. By historicizing the bilateral imperial competitions in the Pacific, this class will analyze the triangulation of the United States, Japan, and the Pacific Islands as the geopolitical space of colonialism and imperialism in the global contexts through a comparative study of the two empires. Central to filmic analysis of King Kong and Godzilla, the class further investigates the U.S. and Japanese empires through interdisciplinary approaches of literature, history, and visual culture. With a mixture of literary texts, ranging from Euro-U.S. canonical works to newly translated Japanese texts, this class will offer a variety of viewpoints from different nations and eras.
Expanded course description as follows: Beyond the genre of monster films, King Kong and Godzilla became cultural icons in the 20 th century and have kept their popularity up to now. The first King Kong film was released in 1933 when Americans were still recovering from the Great Depression. Meanwhile, Godzilla in 1954 was made as a response to the end of the U.S. occupation in Japan (1945-1952). Both monsters, situating their habitats in the Pacific, are imaginative vehicles of U.S. and Japanese national powers in relations with the Pacific Islands. Using the Pacific Ocean as a colonial space, King Kong and Godzilla present their monstrous figures as an imaginary U.S. and Japanese imperialism. More specifically, Micronesia is discussed as a crucial space due to the Japanese colonization until 1945 and the U.S. mandate by the United Nations afterwards. The original plots of King Kong and Godzilla have been altered and modified in their later films to capture the contemporary interests and issues of the two empires. By historicizing the bilateral imperial competitions in the Pacific, this class will analyze the triangulation of the United States, Japan, and the Pacific Islands as the geopolitical space of colonialism and imperialism in the global contexts through a comparative study of the two empires. Central to filmic analysis of King Kong and Godzilla, the class further investigates the U.S. and Japanese empires through interdisciplinary approaches of literature, history, and visual culture. With a mixture of literary texts, ranging from Euro-U.S. canonical works to newly translated Japanese texts, this class will offer a variety of viewpoints from different nations and eras.
Meeting Information
| Days & Times | Room | Instructor | Meeting Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| TuTh 01:00PM-04:30PM | Remote Instruction | Obayashi,Y. | 06/20/22 - 07/22/22 |