FYW-1299 Samurai: Real and Imagined History

FYW (First Year Writing)
The idea that samurai were brave warriors with a strict honor code who served their lords with undying loyalty has captured the imagination of many different audiences from premodern to modern Japan and across the world but how does this imagined ideal relate to the real warriors who lived and (occasionally) fought in Japan? Students will discuss themes such as orientalism gender and nationalism in considering samurai as both real people of the past and also creations of various imaginations. 4