I. Theme: Indonesian Shadow Plays
       Instructor: Peter Suwarno

           The purpose of this course is to introduce the Javanese traditional shadow plays called wayang in order to explain    major  Indonesian cultural values. Wayang is a highly developed art form expressive of traditional Javanese values which are significant in understanding Indonesian social and political life. By the end of the semester, the students are expected to have an understanding of major cultural values found in wayang as well as their implications in characteristics, attitudes, and belief systems of the Indonesian people.
           Activities in this class will include video and slide presentations, lectures, and in class discussions on wayang. The  student assignments consist of readings and homework's in the form of essays containing ideas and critiques of specific issues related to the readings. Reading assignments and discussion topics will cover several specific aspects of wayang as follows:
1) Introduction to Wayang: Ramayana and Mahabharata.
2) Various wayang plays: Five major wayang plays.
    a) Arjuna Wiwaha
    b) Dewa Ruci
    c) The Death of Karna
    d) Bisma
    e) .........
3) Wayang and human characters
4) The puppet masters
5) Wayang and the Javanese Communities
6) Wayang, Javanese culture and Indonesian politics
7) Wayang, past, present, and future
8) etc.
           The final grade will be based on: midterm exam, final exam, and a final term paper. If you have any question regarding this class please email: peter.suwarno@asu.edu

II. Other Themes: Southeast Asian Novels and Short Stories

Course : Southeast Asian Literature in Translation
HUM 494/FLA 420 . Spring Semester
Instructor : Peter Suwarno
Email : suwarno@asu.edu
Phone : (480) 965-3862
Fax : (480) 965-0135

The purpose of this course is to aid the students in exploring and obtaining knowledge of Southeast Asian cultural values through examining Indonesian, Vietnamese and the Philippines Novels: This Earth of Mankind (Indonesia), Paradise of the Blind (Vietnamese), and The Umbrella Country (The Philippines) and Thai short stories. By the end of the semester, the students are expected to understand and be able to appreciate cultural values as well as recent development of these Southeast Asian countries as depicted in the novels and short stories.
Class activities will include lectures and in class discussions based on assigned readings, including: the novels, short stories, and scholarly works related to the readings. To have a productive discussion, students are expected to come to class prepared and actively participate in the discussion.
Class evaluation will be based on students' attendance and class participation (30%), mid-term exam (20%), final exam (30%) and a 10-page term paper based on one of the novels (20%).

Required Readings:

1) Toer, Pramoedya, A. (1990). This Earth of Mankind.
Translated by: Max Lane. Toronto: Pinguin Books

2) Huong, Duong T. (1999) Paradise of the Blind. N.Y.: Penguin Books

3) Realuyo, Bino A. (1998). The Umbrella Country. NY: Ballantine Books

Class Scheduled Actisities:

1) Week I - January 21 & 23 Introduction and Intro to Indonesian Literature
2) Week II - January 28 & 30 TEOMK-1-5
3) Week III - February 4 & 6 TEOMK-6-11
4) Week IV - February 11 & 13 TEOMK-12-19
5) Week V - February 18 & 20 Indonesian Movie
6) Week VI - February 25 & 27 Intro To Vietnamese Literature and POTB 1- 4
7) Week VII - March 4 & 6 POTB 5 - 8
8) Week VIII - March 11 & 13 POTB 9 - 12 & Mid Term Exam
9) Week IX - March 18 & 20 Spring Break
10) Week X - March 25 & 27 TUC pp. 3- 159
11) Week XI - April 1 & 3 TUC pp. 160-234
12) Week XII - April 8 & 10 TUC pp. 235-298
13) Week XIII - April 15 & 17 Indonesian Short Stories and Poems
14) Week XIV - April 22 & 24 Thai Short Stories
15) Week XV - April 29 & May 1 Thai Short Stories & Reviews (Final paper due)
16) Week XVI - (arranged) Final Exam