This is the first of two annotation assignments of the semester. I will mark this assignment out of a score of 10, with 10 being the highest. Please pay attention to the following expectations.
You will read four chapters of Henrietta Harrison’s The Man Awakened from Dreams [Preview with Google Books]. Along the way, you will use Kami to add notes, comments, or questions to the text directly. At the end of the text, I expect you to write a paragraph or two (like a discussion post) that reflects on the book, your notes, or your questions. You can do this directly on your version of the book via Kami, but if you prefer to write out your notes in a Word document (page number + comments + final reflection) that’s fine as well. Please do whichever you prefer.
I am looking for a total of 20–25 meaningful notes spaced out throughout the four chapters of the reading. The preface is important background (read it!) but I would suggest not marking it up since it’s really just an introduction to the book. You could do five notes per chapter, or it could mean 10 in one chapter and the rest in the others. You are welcome to add more than 25 if you’d like. If you do add more than 25, I will make a note in the gradebook that you went above and beyond for the assignment and keep that in mind down the road, but I am not expecting more than 25 so don’t feel pressure. I’d much rather you enjoy the text and comment when you see fit.
How I will mark this assignment:
2 Points: The correct number of notes on the text (20–25+). Please number your notes so I can quickly see the amount.
3 Points: The quality of the notes, including each note being 2–3 sentences containing your thoughts, reflections, or questions. A note should not simply be a question mark or 4 words. You do not have to do intensive research for these notes. I just want to see how you think about history, sources, identities, gender, politics, and so on. All you have to do is tell me what you think about what is written.
3 Points: The inclusion of at least 5 “cited notes” in the 20–25 total. For 5 of your notes, cite a book (our textbook or a book from Google Books is fine) that answers a question or identifies a place you don’t know. Let me provide an example:
Zeng Guofan (highlighted). Zeng was a prominent Qing official of the 19th century. He received the jinshi degree, was instrumental in ending the Taiping Rebellion, and later served as a major figure in the Self-Strengthening Movement. Zeng’s works had a major impact on Liu Dapeng, who saw Zeng as a model Confucian official during these tumultuous times. The fact that Zeng’s letters were published during his lifetime reveals how widely celebrated he was as a figure during the late Qing period. My question is: did Liu base his own diary on the letters of Zeng Guofan? Was diary and letter-writing becoming more popular in the late Qing period, or was such writing a way for elites to express their status and document their careers? From my brief foray into these questions, it appears that an increasing number of letter writing manuals were published at this time. Citation for Zeng: Spence, The Search for Modern China (2012), pp. 174–175; 180–181. Citation for letters: Danni Cai, “Epistolary Knowledge for Mass Consumption: Letter Manuals in Late Qing and Republican China (ca. 1831–1949)” (2020), pp. 13–15.
Since I just did Zeng Guofan (the above example would count as “one” cited note), I ask you not to replicate this choice in your own versions. I am okay with a few place-names that you want to look up, but don’t overdo it on geography. For instance, if you are curious about the capital of Shanxi Province (Taiyuan) and want to highlight it and make a note briefly introducing its history or significance, that’s fine, but I would discourage you from only including place-names. The same applies to the titles of classical texts or famous philosophers in China. A couple of those is fine, but I don’t want to just see highlights for “The Analects” or “Confucius.” Try to pick a range of topics, and again, follow your own instincts with details you find really interesting and striking. There are so many great possibilities to choose from in this book, and I am looking forward to learning from all of you through reading your reflections. Use this opportunity to challenge yourself.
2 Points: A thoughtful reflection at the end of the text. What did you think of Liu Dapeng? How did Liu change over time? What did you learn about this era from his life? Was Liu “representative” of this period? Who is he representative of? Another way to think about this is: Liu was not famous during his day, but why is he important for us? There are no right answers that I’m exactly looking for, and rest assured I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
This assignment is due during session 10.
