21st Century Literature from

the Philippines and the World

Quarter 2 – Module 9:
Asian Contemporary Literature

SDO Taguig City and Pateros

Department of Education • Republic of the Philippines

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Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

The purpose of this module is to let the learners continue their education to finish the
subject even in the midst of difficulty. Included here are the topics based on the learning
competencies and objectives of K to 12 curriculum. The variations in the activities for each lesson
are made simpler yet didactic for an independent learning experience of the learners. The
instructions and methods used here are learner-friendly so you can expect that learners can
accomplish this module. Thus, you can motivate the learners to read actively and respond
critically to the given activities. You should advise them not to write anything in this module and
to use separate sheets in answering the activities and assessment.

For the learner:

This is a practical option to finish the subject even in the midst of difficulty. The purpose
of this module is for you to develop critical thinking skills using literary reading materials. The
lessons and activities are learner-centered and are made simpler yet educational for an
independent learning experience. The instructions and methods used here are easy to
understand for you to accomplish the activities thoroughly while learning the lessons
comprehensively.
With this module you are expected to become dynamic, versatile, creative and motivated
to finish the subject. You should read the instructions carefully for each activity. Do not write
anything in this module, keep it clean and well-maintained. You may write your answers on a
separate answer sheet.

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 Lesson
Asian Contemporary
1 Literature

This module contains activities and texts which will enable you to write a close
analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts, applying a reading approach, and
doing an adaptation of these, require from the learner the ability to identify
representative texts and authors from Asia.

Let’s Learn

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the context of a 21st century World Literature. The scope of this module
permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language used
recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow
the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read them can be
changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
At the end of answering this module, as a learner you will be able to write a
close analysis and critical interpretation of literary texts, applying a reading
approach, and doing an adaptation of these, require from the learner the ability to
identify representative texts and authors from Asia.

Let’s Try

Multiple Choice. Read and analyze the question and select the letter of your answer.
1. What is the collection of Indian Beast Fables?
A. Panchatantra C. The Rigveda
B. Mahabharata D. Vedas

2. Which of the following is a Sanskrit drama by Kalidasa that tells of a love between a
king and a woman who lives in the forest?
A. Mahabharata
B. Panchatantra
C. Ramayana
D. Shakuntala

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3. Who is the founder of Confucianism that emphasized the code of social conduct and
stressed the importance of discipline, morality and knowledge?
A. Lao Tzu C. Sun Tzu
B. Li Bai D. Confucius

4. What is the collection of series of which “Alladin”, “Sinbad” and “Alibaba” are perhaps
best known to western readers?
A. Zaynab C. Arabian Nights
B. Men in the Sun D. Epic of Gilgamesh

5. Who is regarded as the greatest haiku poet?

A. Kayabashi Issa C. Matsuo Basho
B. Yosa Buson D. Ryunusuke Akugatawa

6. Which of the following is a tale of a superhuman Sumerian King who searched for
everlasting life?
A. Sinbad C. One thousand and one nights
B. Aladdin D. The Epic of Gilgamesh

7. Who is the founder of Taoism who stressed freedom, simplicity, and the mystical
contemplation of nature?
A. Sun Tzu C. Li Bai
B. Confucius D. Lao Tzu

8. Who is the Sanskrit poet and dramatist, who is probably the greatest writer of all time
and considered as the Shakespeare of India?
A. Confucius C. Anita Desai
B. Kalidasa D. Anita Linda

9. Which of the following is the collection of sayings and ideas attributed to the Chinese
philosopher Confucius?
A. The Art of War C. The Tang Poems
B. The Analects D. The Confucius

10. Which of the following is the story that is considered as the world’s first true novel?
A. The Pillow Book C. The Tale of Genji
B. The Tale of Haike D. Epic of Gilgamesh

11. What is the other name of India?

A. Bharat C. Varsha
B. Rama D. Bharata

12. What period was the name India started to be widely used?
A. Colonial Period C. Prehistoric Period
B. Bharat Period D. English Colonization

13. What does Afro-Asian literature mirrors aside from customs and traditions?
A. Philosophy of Life C. Political Realms
B. Hope D. Aspirations

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14. When is the beginning of Asian and African Literature?
A. Ancient Period
B. Pre-historic period
C. Primitive period
D. Historic period

15. Which of the following is the importance of literature?

A. Literacy
B. Old and modern times
C. Progress
D. Love

Let’s Recall

Directions: Choose the letter from Column B that corresponds with the
statement from Column A.

Column A Column B

______ 1. It gives importance to the A. Communicate specific message

opinion of the author.

______ 2. It is the mission of B. Literary Text

informative texts.

______ 3. Basic components of multi - C. emotions, feelings of the author

media presentations

______ 4. The author of Literary text D. interaction and dynamism

may not give importance to ______.

______ 5. Difference of a literary text

from other texts E. Grammar

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 Let’s Explore

Activity 1 Asian Flavors

In this activity, identify the Asian country that each picture depicts or suggests.
1. _____________________________ 2. ________________________________

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-
NC

3. _____________________________ 4. ________________________________

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-
ND

5. _____________________________ 6. ________________________________

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 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC- This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND
ND

Let’s Elaborate

Contemporary Asian Literature

The Modernist literary movement should not be confused with the standard
dictionary definition of modern. Modernism in literature is not about time. Rather, it
defines a body of literature with certain characteristics.
Chinese literature is now in a post – New Period, which is increasingly market-
oriented. David Der-wei Wang, one of the most insightful sinologists, sums up the
tendencies: “Writing in a postmodern era, Chinese writers have come to realize that
writing does not have to be equated with political action and that literature cannot solve
all social problems, as Lu Xun’s successors expected it to. Writing now becomes a
facetious gesture, a playful action, that titillates rather than teaches, flirts rather than
indicts”. The post – New Period poses a set of challenges to the cultural dominant of the
New Period: (1) The radical experimentation in the latest writing opposes and
deconstructs the humanistic depth of the New Period. The self-evidence of one’s
humanity is lost, and literature becomes ever more formalist. (2) The new realist fiction
not only is a strong reaction to the avant-garde but also transcends the traditional
realist aesthetic.
Some of the characteristics of Modern Japanese Literature are: (a) it is marked
by strong and intentional break with tradition and the nation-oriented and group
orientation values; (b) its works believed that the world is created in the act of perceiving
it, that is, the world is what we say it is; (c) it championed individuality and celebration
of inner strength, and (d) it is concerned with the sub-conscious.
Until the 1980s Korean literature was largely unknown outside of the peninsula.
The kind of works translated has become increasingly diverse, and the quality of the
translations has improved. Flowers of Fire (1974) was one of the first anthologies of
Korean literature published in English. In non-English-speaking countries there are
fewer Korean works translated, though LTI Korea has also promoted translations in
German, Spanish, French and Polish. The increased popularity of Korean film has
increased interest in Korean mass market literature, particularly in Japan and China.
In the years following independence, the humanistic and progressive trends
represented by earlier writers such as Manik Bandyopadhyay and Mulk Raj Anand

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continued to flourish in fiction from every region in India. Indian writers of every
description, those who live abroad and those who live in India, those who write in
English and those who write in the Indian languages; continue to produce vibrant
works, and to command avid readerships. Both the Asian American writer Bharati
Mukherjee, in the short story "The Tenant" (1988), and the Chennai (Madras)-based
author Manjula Padmanabhan, in her English short story "Mrs. Ganapathy's Modest
Triumph" (1996), are interested in a recurrent theme in South Asian fiction: single
women and the Indian arranged marriage system.
Twentieth century Thai writers tended to produce light fiction rather than
literature. But increasingly, individual writers are being recognized for producing more
serious works, including writers like Kukrit Pramoj, Kulap Saipradit, (penname
Siburapha), Suweeriya Sirisingh (penname Botan), Chart Korbjitti, Prabda Yoon,
Duanwad Pimwana, and Pitchaya Sudbanthad. Some of their works have been
translated into English. The Isan region of Thailand has produced two literary social
critics in Khamsing Srinawk and Pira Sudham. Notably, Pira Sudham writes in English.
The Palestinian poet Mahmud Darwish remains one of the most active voices in
contemporary Arabic poetry; Memory for Forgetfulness (1982) is perhaps his most
famous diwan (collection of poetry). The Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani (1923–1998), known
for his often-frosty relations with his own and other state governments, wrote political
poetry in the guise of romance and quasi-erotic pieces. His works are often
misrecognized as the latter in the West; translated collections of his poems often bear
misleading references to love in their titles. In the late-twentieth century the genre
opened to women, following the publication of Moroccan writer Fatima Mernissi's
Dreams of Trespass (1994). (The childhood memoir of Turkish feminist and intellectual
Halide Edib Adivar [1884–1964], House with Wisteria, was published in the mid-1900s.)
Well-known Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan (1917–2003; A Mountainous Journey, 1985),
Syrian author Siham Tergeman (Daughter of Damascus, 1994), and Moroccan short-
story writer Leila Abouzeid and others have published memoirs.

For more information, you may follow this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlI2yty9gyU.

Let’s Dig In

Activity 2 Contemporary Asian Literature

To be able to write a good close analysis of a literary work, you must have a
good grasp of the common characteristics of some Asian literature. In this activity,
identify the unique characteristics of Asian Literature based on the previous text
you have explored. Identify the country from which each characteristic is reflected.
______________________ 1. Writers tend to produce light fiction
______________________ 2. Their modern works tend to revolve on themes of single
women and arranged marriage systems.

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______________________ 3. A poet from this region wrote political poetry in disguise
of romance and quasi-erotic poems.
______________________ 4. Its modern literature is playful and flirting rather than
educating and indicting.
______________________ 5. Writings were more concerned of the subconscious

Activity 3 Contemporary Text Analysis

Now that you have successfully determined the characteristics of Asian
literature, in this activity you will analyze a literary text from Vietnam. Read the
text and answer the questions that follow.
Elegy

By Mong-Lan
Vietnam

& what if hope crashes through the door what if

that lasts a somersault?

hope for serendipity

even if a series of meals were all between us

even if the aeons lined up out

of order

what are years if not measured by trees

Narrative Voice:
1. Who is speaking in this passage?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

2. What narrative perspective is being used in this passage?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

3. What does the narrative voice tell you?

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Tone:
4. Is the speaker being straightforward, factual, open?

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____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Does the voice carry any emotion? Or is it detached from its subject?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Do you hear irony (what is said is different from what is meant)? If so, where?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Rhetorical and Literary devices:

7. Do you notice any figurative language, such as metaphors and similes? Specify.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

8. Do you observe any imagery? Highlight.

____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

9. Is the sound of the language and sentences important (e.g., rhyme, repetition,
choppy or long sentences)?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

10. What is the effect of these devices and techniques? (e.g., do they add emphasis or
connect key ideas?)
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s Remember

What do we need to check and examine prior to close analysis of a literary text?
Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

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 Let’s Apply

Activity 4 Close Analysis of a Literary Text

Close reading or textual analysis is deep analysis of how a literary text
works; it is both a reading process and something you include in a literary analysis
paper, though in a refined form.
Fiction writers and poets build texts out of many central components,
including subject, form, and specific word choices. Literary analysis involves
examining these components, which allows us to find in small parts of the text clues
to help us understand the whole. For example, if an author writes a novel in the
form of a personal journal about a character’s daily life, but that journal reads like
a series of lab reports, what do we learn about that character? What is the effect of
picking a word like “tome” instead of “book”? In effect, you are putting the author’s
choices under a microscope.
The subject of a literary text is simply what the text is about. What is its plot?
What is its most important topic? What image does it describe? It’s easy to think of
novels and stories as having plots, but sometimes it helps to think of poetry as
having a kind of plot as well. When you examine the subject of a text, you want to
develop some preliminary ideas about the text and make sure you understand its
major concerns before you dig deeper.

Form is how a text is put together. When you look at a text, observe how the
author has arranged it. If it is a novel, is it written in the first person? How is the
novel divided? If it is a short story, why did the author choose to write short-form
fiction instead of a novel or novella? Examining the form of a text can help you
develop a starting set of questions in your reading, which then may guide further
questions stemming from even closer attention to the specific words the author
chooses. A little background research on form and what different forms can mean
makes it easier to figure out why and how the author’s choices are important.

Directions: Choose any Asian literary text from the 21st century selections that you
wish to do a close analysis (Asian contemporary fiction, or Asian contemporary poem).
The question guide from Activity 3 will be your guide in accomplishing your 700-word
close analysis. Make sure to address the literary devices used and the contexts. Write it
on a separate paper.

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 Let’s Evaluate

1. Which of the following is a deep analysis of how a literary text works?

A. Textual Analysis C. Literary Analysis
B. Close Analysis D. Literary text Analysis

2. What defines a body of literature with certain characteristics?

A. Modernism
B. Chinese literature
C. Modern Japanese literature
D. Korean Literature

3. Who said writing must not be equated with political action?

A. David Der-wei Wang C. David Wang Lee
B. David Maslow D. David Tzu

4. Which of the following works believed that the world is created in the act of
perceiving it?
A. Chinese Literature C. Korean Literature
B. Modern Japanese Literature D. Indian Writers

5. Which of the following literature does Flowers of Fire (1974) belong to?
A. Korean Literature C. Chinese Literature
B. Philippine Literature D. Modern Japanese Literature

6. From what country does Manik Bandyopadhyay and Mulk Raj Anand belong
to?
A. Uzbekistan C. India
B. Sri Lanka D. Tajikistan

7. What is the subject of a literary text?

A. Love C. Beauty
B. Hope D. The subject itself

8. What is it called when the text is put together?

A. Build C. Form
B. Syntax D. Create

9. Which of the following central components does Fiction writers use?

A. Subject and Form C. Subject and Syntax
B. Subject and Predicate D. Subject and Language

10. Which of the following writers tended to produce light fiction rather than
literature?
A. Japanese C. Filipino

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 B. Chinese D. Thai

11. The Palestinian poet __________ remains one of the most active voices in
contemporary Arabic poetry.
A. Mahmud Darwish C. Mahmud Darchi
B. Mahmud Darwism D. Marmud Darwish

12. Textual Analysis is also known as what?

A. Close Reading C. Open Reading
B. Close ended Reading D. Open ended Reading

13. Which of the following is the most famous work of Mahmud Darwish?
A. Memory for Forgetfulness C. Memory of Hope
B. Memory of Love D. Memory of my Wife

14. Which of the following doesn’t belong to Asian Contemporary Literature?

A. Japanese Literature
B. Chinese Literature
C. Canadian Literature
D. Thai Literature

15. It is a reading process.

A. Close Reading
B. Textual Analysis
C. Both A AND B
D. None of the above

Let’s Extend

Directions: On a separate piece of paper, write the most important things you
have learned from this module.

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