Course Description

Human turned overnight into a cockroach, monster coming to life, animals morphing into humans — tales of transformation are ubiquitous in the popular imagination. What concerns are dramatized through the physical shift and how is metamorphosis used to make moral and socioeconomic-political critique? How does metamorphosis relate to philosophical visions of the universe? This course explores dimensions of metamorphosis on both the human and cosmological planes.

Through a range of literary and philosophical texts from East and West, we shall examine metamorphosis as a cross-cultural trope used to express a range of topics: the duality of human nature, the mixed consequences of progress and science, the modern human condition, the dynamic of the universe etc. Past tales of transformation speak to us today with renewed urgency, in our environmental and humanistic crises in the AI age, in our continuing struggle for justice and equality amid deepening alienation. We will thus also explore the critical potential of storytelling and imagination in equipping us to deal with the challenges of micro and macro transformations in the world.

Course Learning Outcomes

On completing the course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the idea of metamorphosis through a number of literary and media manifestations from different times and cultures.
2. Produce critical analyses of written and multimedia texts and situate them in a larger historical and social framework.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the ideological and cultural nature of storytelling and textual/media adaptation.
4. Demonstrate how the interconnectedness of people across time through their creative thoughts and artistic products.
5. Relate stories of transformation to situations of cultural and social conflict and change.

Offer Semester and Day of Teaching

Second semester (Wed)

Study Load

Assessment: 100% coursework

Required Reading

Core readings or excerpts will be taken from the following list:

• Kafka, F. (2009). The metamorphosis and other stories. [Translated by J. Crick] Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Kahn, C. H., & Heraclitus. (1979). The art and thought of Heraclitus: An edition of the fragments with translation and commentary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Mair, V. (Ed.). (1994). Columbia anthology of traditional Chinese literature. New York: Columbia University Press. [“Miss Ren, or The Fox Lady” (pp. 1024-1032)]
• Ovid (1993). The metamorphoses of Ovid. [A new verse translation by A. Mandelbaum.] San Diego: Harcourt, Inc.
• Shelley, M. (1992). Frankenstein: Or, the modern Prometheus. [Edited by M. Hindle] London: Penguin.
• Stevenson, R. L. (2003). Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: An authoritative text, backgrounds and contexts, performance adaptations, criticism. [Edited by K. Linehan] New York: Norton.
• Wu, C. (1961). Monkey. [Translated by A. Waley] Harmondsworth: Penguin. 
• Zhuangzi. (1968). The complete works of Chuang Tzu. [Translated by B. Watson] New York: Columbia University Press.

All readings and course materials will be available on Moodle with short texts related to each week’s course topic.

The course may include one film screening. Additional film and media excerpts will be introduced in class and/or posted on Moodle.

Please refer to the course web page for updated and detailed information.

Course Co-ordinator and Teacher(s)