+1 862 207 3288 Analysis of Yi T’aejun, Janet Poole
Second Assignment: History 1601
Analysis of Yi T’aejun, Janet Poole, trans. Eastern Sentiments (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009)
Value: 15% of the final grade. Due date: On April 10, 2014, during the study period. Late Penalty: 5% penalty on the first day, 2% penalty on each subsequent day late, including weekends. The essay will not be accepted one week after the due date. Submission method: Assignment link on OWL. A hard-copy is not required. Length: Approximately 9 to 11 pages, not including footnotes and bibliography. It should be Times New Roman, 12 point, double-spaced, ordinary margin.
The following assignment is designed to develop your skills in analyzing a key primary source. In format it should be structured as an ordinary essay. The goal is to engage in a close reading of an important text from modern East Asia, Eastern Sentiments by Yi T’aejun. Yi T’aejun’s Eastern Sentiments recorded his thoughts about Korean culture, East Asian culture, modernity, tradition, and literature during the 1930s, which also saw the rise of Japanese fascism. Yi T’aejun, as a Korean, was a colonized person controlled by Japan, but was also a wealthy person, who in many ways benefited from the economic inequality of the era.
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Guide to the Assignment:
The purpose of the assignment is to engage in a detailed assessment of one aspect of Eastern Sentiments. Do not try to be comprehensive, although you should also have read the entire book.
You are encouraged to ask some of the following questions: What sort of information does Yi T’aejun present us? How does he understand his role in society? How does he understand the world, and the changes that he is experiencing? Given the likely censorship of the era, are there any coded criticisms of Japanese rule? Or is he really in many ways supporting Japanese rule?
With those questions in mind, I suggest the following topics:
Yi T’aejun is a modern author, but he comments positively on Korean tradition during a period of rapid change and urbanization under Japanese rule. Perhaps he is even looking at tradition from a somewhat essentialist point of view. Critically assess his understanding of tradition and modernity.
Yi T’aejun is writing, as a colonized person, during a period of the rise of Japanese imperialism and fascism. How does he locate Korea in East Asia? How does he relate Korean culture with a broader East Asian culture?
Translation: Please do not concern yourself with the fact that the texts have all been translated into English. Your job is not to evaluate the translations (which you will not be able to do, in any case, as you don’t read the source languages), but to evaluate the texts as historical sources.
Citation: Structure your footnotes according to Adam Bohnet’s house-style, including in my guide to essay writing (attached).
Hints:
It is very important to engage in a close reading of this text. Don’t talk in vague terms, but quote specific passages and analyze them in depth.
However, having finished the analysis, be sure to organize your discussion into paper with a clear thesis.
Research:
You should refer to at least four secondary sources (not including the textbook, which should, however be cited also). However, make sure that these sources are scholarly sources, and do not be too lazy. One brief reference to a source on a minor point will not count with me this time.
Remember, with Chinese language or Korean language sources, it is possible to obtain the articles in question via interlibrary loan.
Close Reading and Quotations:
The purpose of this assignment is, above all, to make a close reading of the text. To do this, students are encouraged to make effective use of well-selected quotations or detailed reference to the text. This is not to say that students should quote for the sake of quoting. However, as students are supposed to engage in close readings, students are strongly encouraged to fine key passages, and engage in a detailed reading of those passages. To this end, one might quote a portion of the text (either as a large block-quote or largely paraphrased with quotation of smaller phrases) and follow this quotation with a detailed discussion of the quotation. Burrow into the text like a parasite into its host, and extract sustenance from it.
Remember that this detailed discussion of the quotation should be one building block in your argument. Before you finish your paper, go through the paper carefully. First go through each paragraph, and ask if each part of the paragraph supports the over-all statement being made by the paragraph. Then go through each paragraph and ask if each paragraph supports the over-all argument of the essay as a whole. Then look at the introductory paragraph and especially the thesis statement and see if there is any way to tighten the introductory paragraph to make it clearer, sharper, and more interesting. Then go through the whole process again!
Remember also that writing is a long process, for which there is no end. The same is true of slow reading.
Finally, be sure to inform yourself thoroughly on the subject of plagiarism which is discussed below.
POLICY REGARDING PLAGIARISM
Preamble: Any written text (and supporting materials), whether printed (e.g. a book, an article, a pamphlet) or "manuscript" (e.g. ms. for a scholarly paper or a dissertation), is the property of its author[s]. Therefore, any use of any part of such materials must be acknowledged. When the use is "indirect", as in a summary of information and/or ideas, the "borrowing" is acknowledged with a footnote. When the "borrowing" is "direct", that is when a portion of the text or of the supporting material is quoted verbatim, the "borrowing" is acknowledged in two ways: (1) quotation marks around the material quoted, and (2) a footnote. It is worth repeating that both forms of acknowledgement are mandatory when the material is copied directly. Use of on-line sources, if permitted by your instructor, must be acknowledged as to specific source, date of access, etc.
Definition: Plagiarism, simply defined, is a form of theft. Were the plagiarised material to be subsequently published it could well lead to legal action against the culprit. Plagiarism generally takes one of two forms (with infinite variations). "Flagrant plagiarism" occurs when portions of one or more written texts are copied, but no quotation marks are used to indicate the borrowing … although a footnote may appear, which, as indicated above, is not sufficient. "Disguised plagiarism" occurs when the original text is paraphrased in such a way as to "disguise" the theft … changing a word here and there, etc., even if a footnote is provided. Example: The original text says "The Cabinet met three times in an effort to resolve the issue"; the "paraphrased" text says "The Cabinet met on three occasions in an effort to resolve the problem".
Plagiarism checking: The University of Western Ontario uses software for plagiarism checking. Students may be required to submit their written work in electronic form for checking. Plagiarism is a major academic offence. For further information see the section on Scholastic Offences in the Academic Calendar.
Penalties: The Department Chair will determine the appropriate penalty in consultation with the student’s course instructor. Penalties may include the following:
A. Inadvertent plagiarism by a beginning student will result in a warning to the student.
B. "Flagrant plagiarism" results in a "0" for the assignment.
C. "Disguised plagiarism" results in a "0" for the assignment.
D. Submission of an assignment which is also being submitted in another course (or has been submitted in another course in a previous year), results in a "0" for the assignment.
E. Submission of an assignment prepared by someone other than the alleged author results in a "0" FOR THE COURSE.
F. Instances of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean.
King’s University College
at The University of Western Ontario
Statement on Academic Offences:
King’s is committed to Academic Integrity.
Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of hat constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING ARE SERIOUS SCHOLASTIC OFFENCES. All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com)
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