Dream of Red Chambers

4.0 credits

This course introduces a beloved masterpiece of Chinese fiction, the eighteenth-century novel Dream of Red Chambers (Honglou meng). Students will come to understand this novel and its long-lasting cultural and literary significance through intensive reading and discussion of the text. We will analyze conventions of the Qing novelistic genre and spend time in close-reading of the text; at the same time, we will explore the novel’s philosophical preoccupations and engage with its rich and complex depictions of contemporary values, gender roles, class structure, literary practices, food and material culture, among other themes. No background in Chinese literature, culture, or language is assumed. Students may choose to read in English