AFRO-ASIAN LITERATURE
COURSE OUTLINE
Second Semester AY2019-2020
Part I: India - The Mystic Land (South Asia)
A. Literary Periods of Indian Literature
B. Religions
C. Religious and Philosophical Works
1. Vedas
2. Epics
D. Major Writers of Indian Literature
E. Famous Literary Masterpieces
F. Literary Readings/ Representative Selections
1. The Ramayana (excerpts) by Valmiki
2. The Gitanjali (excerpts) by Rabindranath Tagore
3. The Panchatantra
 The Duel Between the Elephant and the
Sparrow
 The Ass and the Lion
 The Lionmakers
G. Additional Readings
1. A Man Called Mahatma by Leo Rosten
2. Works of the Three Indian Poets (Kalidasa, Togore
and Bhartrihari)
3. The Story of Savitri and Satyavan (excerpts from the
Mahabharata)
Part II. China - The Red Dragon (East Asia)
A. Historical Background
B. Philosophy and Religion
C. Philosophical Works
D. Chinese Poetry
E. Conventions of Chinese Theater
F. Famous Literary Masterpieces
Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature
1. Water Margin
2. Journey to the West
3. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
4. Dream of the Red Chamber
G. Major Writers of Chinese Literature
H. Literary Readings/Representative Selections
1. The Trial of the Stone (Chinese Folktale)
2. The Analects of Confucius
3. A Country Boy Quits in School by Lao Hsiang
4. A Little Accident by Lu Hsun
5. Poems from The Book of Odes
I. Additional Readings
1. Works of the Chinese Poets (Li Po, Tu Fu, Po-
Ch-I, Meng Hauran, Li Bai)
2. Verses from the Book of Tao
Part III. Japan - Land of the Rising Sun (East Asia)
A. Historical Background
B. Religious Traditions
C. Socio-Political Concepts
D. Poetry and Prose
E. Novels, Short Stories and Plays
F. Major Writers of Japanese Literature
G. Literary Readings/Representative Selections
1. The Wise Old Woman (Japanese Folktale)
2. The Thief Who Became a Disciple (Zen Story)
3. The Spider’s Thread by Akutagawa Ryunosuke
4. Haiku of Matsu Basho
5. The Blowfish by Wang Rengshu
H. Additional Readings
1. Japanese Poetry from Manyo Shu and Kokin Shu
2. My Native Village (poem) by Sei Ito
3. The Picture Wife (retold) by Keigo Seiki
4. Japanese Folktales
a. The Story of the Aged Mother
b. The Happy Mirror
5. The Birds of Sorrow (Noh Play)
Part IV. Israel, Persia and Arabia - The Differing Neighbors (Middle
East)
A. Literary Backgrounds
B. Characteristics of Literature
C. Major Writers of Hebrew, Persian and Arabian Literature
D. Literary Readings/Representative Selections
1. Hebrew Literature
a. The Story of Ruth (Hebrew Literature)
b. Psalms
2. Arabian Literature
a. The Wonder Tree (Arabian Folktale)
b. Arabian Poetry (excerpts from Koran)
c. The Bewildered Arab by Jami
3. Persian Literature
a. Rubaiyat (excerpts) by Omar Khayyam
b. The Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor (excerpts
from Arabian Nights)
Part V. Island and Mainland Southeast Asia - Lands of Rich Cultural
Heritage
A. Literature of Island Southeast Asia (Indonesia and
Philippines)
B. Literature of Mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand,
Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore)
C. Literary Readings/Representative Selections
1. Island Southeast Asia
a. Guno and Koyo (Indonesian Literature)
b. My Father Goes to Court by Carlos Bulosan
(Philippine Literature)
c. New Yorker in Tondo by Marcelino Agana
(Philippine Literature)
2. Mainland Southeast Asia
a. The Gold Harvest (Thai Literature)
b. My Thai Cat by Pratoomeratha Zeng (Thai
Literature)
c. Rice Pounding Songs (Burmese Literature)
d. On the Three Evils by Prime Minister U Nu
(Burmese Literature)
e. Catch Me a Star (excerpts) by Bernard
Ming-Deh Harisson (Malaysian Literature)
f. To Grandma by Tan Seok Hoon
(Singaporean Literature)
D. Additional Readings
1. The Interview by Patrick Ng Kah Onn (Malaysian
Literature)
2. Little Ironies by Catherine Lim (Malaysian Literature)
3. God Can Die by Edwin Thumbo (Singaporean
Literature)
4. The Old Man, His Son, and their Bike by M. Ibrahim (
Singaporean Literature)
5. The Lotteries of Haji Zakaria (Indonesian Literature)
6. Why Women Wash the Dishes by Filomena
Colendrino (Philippine Literature)
Part VI: Africa – The Dark Continent
A. Introduction to African Culture
B. The Rise of Africa’s Great Civilization
C. Literary Forms in African Literature
D. The Negritude
E. Famous African Novels and Poetry
F. Major Writers of African Literature
G. Literary Readings/Representative Selections
1. The Wrestling Contest Between the Cat and the
Tortoise (African Fable)
2. Africa (poem) by David Diop
3. The Two Brothers (from Egyptian Literature)
4. And So to School by William Conton
5. The Swamp Dwellers by Wole Soyinka
 6. Things Fall Apart (novel) by Chinua Achebe

H. Additional Readings
1. The Leopard (folklore from Central Africa)
2. Once Upon a Time by Gabriel Okara