Day: March 25, 2019

Objectives
– Demonstrate the importance of literature (including fictional works) in understanding historical events, traditions, and customs.
– Connect legal themes in Hong Lou Meng to a wider historical overview of Chinese law.
– Emphasize how both codified and uncodified laws relates to cultural values, ideas, and history.
– Compare and contrast legal topics in modern China and the United States, using the law as a suggestive vehicle to understand societal similarities and differences between both nations.

Methods
– Powerpoint Presentation/Prezi Presentation
– Possible handout with key terms/ideas

Outline – Law and “Hong Lou Meng”
– Introduction to the Historical Context and the Novel
– Subject to audience present
– Unfamiliar audience – introduction to the dynastic cycle, explanation of the historical context of the Qing dynasty.
– Familiar audience – offer a more nuanced look at the Qing Dynasty, focus more on details of its failure than a broader historical context.
– Introduction of basic characters and connection to the major historical themes of the Qing Dynasty
– Themes include corruption, feudalism, weakening central government.
– Emphasizing what stories can tell us about history, life at a certain period, customs, etc.

Introduction to Chinese Law
– American audience: brief overview of American laws and ideas
– Explanation of common law, codified law, and uncodified law
– Explanation of Chinese law
– Brief overview of Tang Code, reformations under Qing dynasty
– Emphasis on explaining mediation, Chinese values under law (more emphasis on explanation if audience is American)
– China’s criminal law system during the Qing dynasty, codified and uncodified laws.

Hong Lou Meng’s Murder Trials and Codified Law
– Chapter 4 – Feng Yuan and the murder trial
– Details of the case.
– Explanation of court procedure.
– Verdict.
– Corruption, or Chinese values of filial piety?
– Chapter 103 – Murder trial after poisoning
– Details of the case.
– Explanation of court procedure.
– Verdict.
– Connection of two trials to Chinese customs.
– Extra emphasis and discussion on whether or not corruption was present in both cases.
– Connect to scholarly articles on topic, connecting to the historical events of the Qing dynasty and changes in Chinese law.

Uncodified Laws and Customs in Hong Lou Meng
– Explanation of the importance of concepts such as filial piety, hierarchies, etc. in controlling and shaping Chinese life.
– Comparison of the importance of codified law and uncodified law in governing daily life in the Qing dynasty – Examples from the novel of uncodified law governing daily life.
– Connect topics from the novel to historical understanding of law during the Qing dynasty.
– Connection to Chinese and American Law Today
– Summarize findings from Hong Lou Meng
– Connect understanding of the law during the Qing dynasty to Chinese law today
– Compare and contrast legal systems in America and China
– Wrap up.

Note:
– Outline heavily depends on the audience present. If it is an American audience, then there will be more emphasis on explaining Chinese law and connecting it to American law for reference. If there is a Chinese audience, then I will begin with Chinese law and compare it to American law only at the end.
– Historical context also depends on the audience present. If the audience is more knowledgable about China, then a broader overview will be condensed.
– In order to gauge audience interaction and understanding, I will use questions and landmark discussion topics to transition between topics. At the end, I will review my ideas and ask for questions.
– Keeping an engaging, easy-to-follow powerpoint is necessary to keep audience connected.
Video clips? Music? etc.

Reference Materials:
– Passages from Hong Lou Meng
– Chapter 4 – Murder Trial
– Chapter 103 – Chin-kuei’s death
– Scholarly Sources
– Xiaohuan Zhao, “Court Trials and Miscarriage of Justice in Dream of the Red Chamber”
– Valerie Hansen, “The Open Empire”