LITR 091CH. Spcl Tpcs in Eng: Taiwan in Transition under Japanese Colonial Rule: Literature, Material Culture, Social movements

(Cross-listed as CHIN 091)
Special Topic Fall 2025:

This course examines the cultural and socio-political transformations of Taiwan during the period of Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945). During this pivotal period, the island was unified under a single authority for the first time, compelling a diverse population to grapple with questions of collective identity and political autonomy. By engaging with a broad range of literary works and interdisciplinary scholarship, students will explore the complex legacy of Japanese colonial modernity and its ongoing impact on Taiwan’s cultural and political evolution. The course will address a central paradox: the coexistence of bitter memories of colonial oppression with a favorable view of Japan’s legacy among many Taiwanese. Designed to foster critical thinking about the entanglements of culture, politics, and identity formation, the course will guide students to develop a nuanced understanding of the dual facets of coloniality and modernization in a global context.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for ASIA, CPLT, PEAC
Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: Literatures in Translation
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/modern-languages-literatures

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