Different ways in which historical narratives are written allow for different understandings

The act of writing history cannot transcend history and often is itself history. How do the different ways in which historical narratives are written allow for different understandings? Using examples from in class readings and lectures, discuss who is writing, from what position, for what purpose, and how this may change the way historical narratives are presented and/or understood. You may want to consider some of the following: opium trade in China, Japanese colonialism in East Asia, conflicts between opposing political forces in China and Korea, among others. Why do authors choose particular examples and how do they support their arguments? What are the utilities and limits of primary sources? Make sure to use specific examples from course materials that concern the writing of history to develop your argument. Generalized statements such as “the victor writes history” or “this person is biased” do not constitute a concrete historical or historiographical argument. You should cite at a minimum two articles, lecture, and the textbook and engage material relevant to all three major regions (China, Korea, Japan). Please note that this is not a research paper and extra reading/citation is limited to maximally ONE additional authoritative or scholarly source, if necessary. Top-notch essays will reflect a good understanding and careful analysis of the readings, textbook, lectures, and tutorial discussions. Your thesis statement should be a direct answer to the assignment question, which asks you to make connections across readings and lectures. 1. Proper citation of sources is a fundamental essay writing skill expected of all university students. Please use Chicago style. Any essay submitted without citations will receive a mark of ‘0.’ 2. As you are welcome to use information discussed in lectures; this, too, needs to be cited by lecture title and date.