Unit 2

English 203:  Literature of the NonWestern World

Questions:

Chat: Consider these questions before you log-on to the chat session.  You do not have to write essay answers, but you should look at relevant passages of the text & jot down several points before the chat session so that you can easily contribute to the discussion.  Remember that I examine a log of each chat session to award points to to those who make apt comments.

• Explain how the romantic banter & barter work in #18: e.g., she threw a quince to me, I gave her a gem.  What does the young woman offer, literally & figuratively?  What does the man offer literally & figuratively?
• Explain how hsiao (filial piety) & the Confucian 5 Human Relationships are evident in #24.
• Explain the image of the dead doe in #63.  What is the connotation of a doe?  How does the connotation affect the character in the poem?  Does the lady wish to break off the illicit affair?  How do you know?  Refer to a specific line.
• Characterize or describe the speaker in #56.
• #54 illustrates a polite argument.  Explain the position of each of the 2 characters.  What are they talking about?  What does each person advocate?