Session 3 Lecture

[Jennifer Chang]

I really enjoyed today's lecture with Professor Miyake. I appreciated the fact that we explored the role of gender through several analyses of literature throughout the different time periods in Japan. Because we were able to interact with the prose and poetry, I feel I have a greater depth of understanding of women and men in each Japanese era. This is definitely an exercise I'd like to do with my own students, even with pieces of literature in other ancient civilizations that we explore in 6th grade. 

The reading with Shikibu was also a really great way to introduce the blatant gender differences in classical Japan, and also how there were gender differentiated languages (Classical Chinese vs Japanese). This would be a great activity in which students can critically discuss why Shikibu pretended to be unable to read, why she had to teach the empress in secret, why her father said it was pity she was not born a man.