1. LANG 3570: Narrative Ethics in Asian Lit.& Film
Instructor: Dr. Li Guo
Fall 2016

2. Welcome
Self-introduction: in pairs, discuss the following questions and write them down on the cards.
Your name
What is your favorite book?
What brought you to this class?
What is your passion?
What is your guilty pleasure?

3. What Asian characters have you read from books or seen from movies
What Asian characters have you read from books or seen from movies? Which one is most provocative? Why? How do these characters portray Asian cultures and peoples?

4. Syllabus
Discuss the syllabus in groups, do you have any questions about course policies and assignments?

5. Tao Te Ching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8WOYI3uj44
In groups of three, discuss the passages from Tao Te Ching. After five minutes, prepare three questions related to the reading.

6. Questions:
According to Lao Tzu, What is permanence and what is change? How do we live in light of what these are?
What is the sage’s relationship with others and his surroundings? How does the sage manage his affairs?
What other philosophical or religious systems does the Tao Te Ching bear a resemblance to?

7. Fairy tales
The folk tale is a story, passed down orally from generation to generation. At each telling the story has been told a little differently, thus making it more interesting and more dramatic over time.

8. Common motifs:
Folk tales take on the characteristics of the culture and customs of the people of their country of origin. The stories are filled with magic and adventure; stories where the brave and true triumph and evil is punished.
Special beginning and/or ending words
Moral choice
Magic and enchantments
Recurring rituals/patterns/ numbers
Universal truth

9. Read any three versions of “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow”, compare their similarities and differences in delivering the content and style of the story. What do the stories tell us about animal ethics in traditional Asian folktales?

10. Friday:
Please read, Monkey, Chapter 1: “The Birth of the Monkey” (11-19). Find two or three passages in the text that are of critical value to you, and share with class on Friday. We may do short brainstorm writing in class.