The Ghost Tradition in Chinese Literature, Opera and Film

What is a ghost? How and why are ghosts represented in particular forms in a particular culture at particular historical moments? This course will explore the complex meanings, both literal and figurative, of ghosts and spirits in Chinese culture across a range of genres: the ghost story, opera, visual imagery, and film. Issues to be explored include: 1) the confrontation of individual mortality and collective anxieties over the loss of the historical past; 2) the relationship between the supernatural, gender, and sexuality; 3) the visualization of ghosts and spirits in art, theater, and cinema; 4) the politics of ghosts in modern times. Course readings will be in English translation, and no prior background is required, but students who read Chinese will be encouraged to work with sources in the original. This year's class will be designed to take full advantage of special Chicago events in spring 2014, notably the exhibition "Performing Images: Opera in Chinese Visual Culture" at the Smart Museum, and Mary Zimmerman's new production of The White Snake at the Goodman Theater.