At the beginning of the twenty-first century, we are perfectly positioned to assess
the revolutionary changes that swept over Russia during the last hundred years,
as well as the impact of revolution on the country's literature. In this course, we
will focus on the development of Russian prose fiction in general, and the
Russian novel in particular, placing emphasis on the revolutions that marked the
beginning and end of the twentieth century in Russia and their reflection in the
country's literature. We will pay special attention to the pre-Revolutionary
avant-garde, the rise and fall of Soviet literature, and the emergence of
Postmodernism in Russia. Readings by Belyi, Bulgakov, Pasternak, Nabokov,
Solzhenitsyn, and others. Knowledge of Russian is not required. All readings
will be in English.
Format: lecture/discussion. Requirements: active class participation, three short
papers, a group project, and a final research paper.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 19). Preference given to
Russian and Comparative Literature majors.