The Character of Yukichi Fukuzawa History Book Review

Essay assignment                                                                              Date due_________________

Fukuzawa Yukichi

The Autobiography of Yukichi Fukuzawa

     FUKUZAWA Yukichi (l835-1901) was an educator whose life and career spanned the late Tokugawa and Meiji Periods.  He was on the scene through Japan’s transition from a feudal society to a modernized economy.  Building on the advantage of his early travels to American and Europe, he became Japan’s foremost commentator on the Western world in the late 19^th century.  His Autobiography reveals his grappling with the revolutionary changes of the era, and displays the character traits that enabled him to survive and lead in new forms of education.

     Write an essay using one of the themes below as a starting point.  Utilize information gathered from the book as well as your understanding of Japanese history and culture and the flow of ideas from one society to another.   Do not take up space summarizing the book, but rather focus on those segments or elements which directly relate to the question, problem or analysis you undertake.  If you are using one of the suggested thought-starters, state it at the beginning.  If you are creating your own question or issue, also state it at the beginning.  The use of published or internet sources other than the assigned book is not required; if you do use another source, you must directly acknowledge it in a footnote or endnote; including the source in a bibliography is good but not sufficient.  Failure to cite external sources – which is plagiarism – will be severely penalized.  If you quote from the assigned book, give only a page number in parentheses, e.g.: (pg. 45).

     Papers should be double-spaced and stapled in the upper left corner.  Number your pages.  An unnumbered title page should contain a creative title for your paper; the name, number and section of the course; and the date due.  The total length of the assignment should be four to six pages, not including the title page. 

     The paper is due in hard copy in class on the date given in the course syllabus.  Before that, you must submit your paper on-line to SafeAssign through UBlearns.  (If you need help using SafeAssign, see UBlearns Help.)  Late papers will be penalized five points for the first day late and one point per weekday (MTWRF) after that.  No paper will be accepted later than the time of the next examination.  Late papers should be handed to the grader in person.  Students are responsible for keeping a copy of their papers in case the original is lost.

     Some suggestions for writing:  The highest grades will be given to those essays that are probing and insightful, take a unique approach, and reveal acquaintance with the book and the historical and social contexts that it reveals.  Top papers are written in a well-organized manner with quality prose and style.  One approach for a potentially excellent paper is to solve a question or a problem.  The introductory paragraph includes that question and a tentative answer in the form of a thesis.  The content paragraphs provide information that addresses the problem.  The final paragraph clearly states the answer to the question.  Good – but not necessarily excellent – papers state a theme in the opening paragraph, followed by narrative paragraphs explaining or substantiating the theme.  The theme is reiterated in the conclusion.   Thoughtful reflections on your own life experience or comparisons to national, educational, and intellectual development in other locales, etc., are welcome.  Utilize Spellcheck.  Students are urged to avail themselves of the peer review services of The Center for Excellence in Writing (209 Baldy Hall; 

Summary:

Read the book carefully

Select a question, problem, or theme

Write the essay

Submit on-line to SafeAssign

Submit hard copy in class, on time

Options for essay theme

1. Describe conditions and social relations in the village of Nakatsu.  How does this setting form the backdrop for the life of innovation and reform that follows in the Autobiography?

1. What was it like to be a student in late Tokugawa Japan?  Contrast the conditions and values of this education with those Fukuzawa sought to establish in Keio Gikuju.  Reflect on your experience of student life.

1. What can we learn about the epoch of the Meiji Restoration from the vantage-point of Fukuzawa?

1. Describe the founding and early operations of Keio Gijuku.  What does this experience tell us about intellectual life and society of early Meiji Japan?  How did Fukuzawa try to make student life part of the educational package?  Reflect on the UB student experience.

1. What values did Fukuzawa try to inculcate in his students and members of his family?  How do these represent change from the conventional mores of the time in Japan?

1. While Fukuzawa advocated drastic revisions in thought and learning, he was also a person of prudence and moderation.  Discuss such apparent contradictions in his character.  Was the real Fukuzawa a rebel or a conservative?

1. The theme of cultural conflict is common to the writings of Endo Shusaku and Fukuzawa Yukichi.

1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the autobiographical medium for conveying the material and messages of this book?

1. What is the message of this book?  Critique the effectiveness of the format and style of the book as means to convey its intended message.

10.  Discuss selected metaphors, symbols, and other literary devices used by the author.

11.  Analyze one scene or episode in the book.  What literary devices does the author employ to give it depth and meaning?  Describe the function it plays in the book.

12.  Wild Card.  Create and respond to a question of your own creation.