CHIN 50.01 Advanced Chinese - Dream of the Red Chamber (5th-year level)

In this Chinese language course, through selected readings of chapters from Dream of the Red Chamber and discussions on related topics, students will become familiar with the language of classical Chinese novels and enhance their ability to read Chinese classical literary works. Specifically, students will gain insights into the characteristics and common techniques of character depiction in Chinese novels, as well as learn the understanding and application of idioms and formal language. They will also analyze the differences between written and spoken language, further improving their Chinese writing skills and abilities in structured expression.

Dream of the Red Chamber was written in the 18th century and has long been celebrated as one of the great works of classical Chinese literature. The story revolves around the tragic love and marriage of Jia Baoyu, Lin Daiyu, and Xue Baochai, as well as the rise and fall of four prominent families: the Jia, Shi, Xue, and Wang. It features a multitude of vividly depicted characters. The language of the novel is mature, elegant, and vivid. There are numerous adaptations of Dream of the Red Chamber in the forms of poetry, opera, fiction, film, TV, painting, and more, translated into over 20 languages.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:LIT; WCult:NW

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Department-Specific Course Categories

Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages