21H.155 | Spring 2017 | Undergraduate

Modern Japan: 1868 to Present

Assignments

Essay 3

Essay 3: A historically-informed review of a significant example of a post-WWII or contemporary Japanese cultural product

Write a historically-informed review of a significant example of a post-WWII or contemporary Japanese cultural product, such as a film or a novel. Analyze the significance of your chosen subject in terms of the broader social, political, and/or cultural trends in modern Japanese history. What are the key historical themes and contexts that should inform the interpretation and evaluation your subject?

While you are free to choose your subject from among a broad range of post-1945 cultural products, your choice must be approved by the instructor.

Make your case by citing specific examples from your selected source. The arguments you make based on the analysis of your chosen source should, in turn, be supported and supplemented by references to primary as well as secondary sources assigned in class, along with references to lecture notes and the recommended Gordon text. In addition, cite at least two outside, scholarly sources, such as an article in an academic journal or a scholarly monograph, that help you analyze your chosen source.

Essay Format

Your essay should be formatted in the following manner:

  • Give the essay a title
  • 2,500 words (roughly equivalent to 10 pages)
  • 12-pt. Times or Times New Roman font
  • Double-spaced
  • 1-inch margin
  • Citations given in footnotes in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style Citation Quick Guide
  • Microsoft Word or PDF file

This essay is due during Session 25.

Course Info

Departments
As Taught In
Spring 2017
Learning Resource Types
Written Assignments
Lecture Notes