Description and Objectives

This course explores the intricacies and struggles of the human spirit as expressed in the literature and depictions of the Russian people, from the formation of Kievan Rus’ to the waning years of Tsarist Russia. The core of the class is a companionship of Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov and Tarkovsky’s epic film Andrei Rublev, an imaginative depiction of the life of the exemplar of Russian iconography. Supplemental and highlighting materials in the form of images, short stories, and music will appear to illuminate particular themes or events.

Russian Literature 862-1880 Syllabus

 

 

Textbooks

 

• Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• Andrei Rublev, by Andrei Tarkovsky
• Selections from The Lay of Igor, The Primary Chronicle, Gogol, Mussorgsky, Tolstoy, et al.

Course Requirements

• Completion of all readings and assignments by the given due date.
• Active class participation.
• Evidence of care in preparation for written and performance assignments
• Above all, written assignments turned in early and often.

Successful Students

Successful students will be on time, with books and notes in hand, and be prepared to engage the material.  They will display attentiveness to detail and foster habits of creative initiative and a collaborative spirit. Above all, they will turn in writing assignments early and often.