Rus 224/WL 224/EN 311: Twentieth-Century Russian Literature in Translation
Course Syllabus Spring 2012
|
Time:
11:00-12:15 TR |
Phone:
348-5720 |
|
Instructor:
Andrew M. Drozd |
Office: 210
B. B. Comer |
|
Location: Lloyd Hall 131 |
Office Hours: 10:00-10:50 TR |
|
E-mail:
adrozd@bama.ua.edu |
TEXTS:
To Purchase: A. Bely, Petersburg;
E. Zamyatin, We; V. Kataev, Time,
Forward!; M. Bulgakov, Master and Margarita;
B. Pasternak; Doctor
Zhivago; A. Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of
Ivan Denisovich; V.
Voinovich, The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of
Private Ivan Chonkin;
Clarence Brown, The Portable Twentieth-Century Russian
Reader.
On Gorgas Library Reserve: Carl R. Proffer,
From Karamzin to Bunin; George Gibian, The
Portable Nineteenth-Century Russian Reader; Vladimir Markov, Modern Russian Poetry; F. D.
Reeve, Anthology
of Russian Plays, Vol. 2; Nicholas
Luker,
An Anthology of
Russian Neo-realism;
Robert Chandler, Russian
Short Stories
from Pushkin to Buida; Mark Lipovetsky and Valentina
Brougher, 50 Writers;
Gerald S. Smith, Contemporary
Russian Poetry; Olga
Andreyev Carlisle and Rose Styron, Modern
Russian Poetry; Sergei Zalygin, The
New Soviet Fiction; Helena Goscilo and Byron Lindsey,
Glasnost: An Anthology of Russian Literature under
Gorbachev; V.
Rasputin, Siberia on
Fire; V.
Shukshin, Roubles in
Words Kopeks in
Figures; V. Pelevin, A Werewolf
Problem in Central Russia.
Gorgas
Electronic Book:
V. S. Soloviev, Politics,
Law, Morality.
DESCRIPTION:
Survey of modern Russian literature from the latter two
decades of the 19th
century to the present. Trends covered include Neo-Realism,
Symbolism, Acmeism,
Futurism and Socialist Realism. This course covers poetry,
drama and prose
(short story and novel). All materials are read in English. No knowledge of Russian
is required for
this course. Three (3) credit hours. This course is
cross-listed with Rus,
WL and EN. All materials to be studied and assignments to be
submitted apply to
all three sections.
Overall, this course addresses the ability to deal with
questions of values,
ethics and esthetics as they are represented in literature and
related fields
in the Humanities which will be the focus. This course
emphasizes the history
and appreciation of the Humanities, rather than simply the
ability to perform
tasks at the written level. Nevertheless, this course will
include substantial
in-class and out-of-class writing that encourages the
development of critical
thinking and requires students to analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate knowledge.
Prerequisite: None.
COURSE
PHILOSOPHY and GOALS: The reading for this course is focused exclusively on primary
works of Russian literature. While general histories of
Russian literature and
critical works certainly have their value, they are best
appreciated once the
student has read a sufficient number of novels, stories and
plays. As a result
none are assigned so that the student may read a larger
number of texts. The requisite
biographical and cultural background will be provided in the
lectures. The student will follow the further flowering of modern
Russian literature
in the so-called Silver Age as well as developments in the
Soviet period and
after. The student will become familiar with the classic
works of
twentieth-century Russian literature and such trends as
Symbolism, Acmeism, Futurism
and Socialist Realism which dominated the literary scene. In
addition, the
student will analyze and discuss literary works in a manner
that consists of
more than mere plot summary. As a result of this course the
student will become
aware that Russian authors are often acutely aware of their
predecessors and
contemporaries (both Russian and Western) and engaged in
dialogue with them.
Finally, the student will develop some familiarity with the
course of Russian
history and basic elements of Russian culture.
REQUIREMENTS:
Two exams and a comprehensive final exam. The written
exams will consist of
a section of items to identify briefly as well as longer
questions that require
the student to analyze various aspects of the assigned
readings. If you have a conflict
with a test date, I will allow you to take the exam early,
provided that you
inform me beforehand.
There will also be an essay of 2-3 pages due on each of
the seven novels
read for the course. The essays are not to be research papers
but neither are
they to be mere plot summaries. Rather the student is to
analyze some aspect of
the novel. Several possible themes for each essay will be
provided by the
instructor although students are free to come up with their
own. The essays are
due on the day discussion of each novel begins. Late essays
will be accepted
but will be penalized with a loss of at least ten points.
Testing Schedule (Subject to change):
Exam One: Thursday, Feb 16
Exam Two: Tuesday, April 3
Comprehensive Final Exam: Thursday, May 3, 8:00-10:30AM
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is
required, will be recorded, and will be a significant
component of your grade.
GRADING:
Everything is
graded on the 100-point
scale. The final course grade will be based on your
performance on the two
exams, each worth 20% of your final grade, attendance which is
worth 15%, the
essays which are worth 20% and the final exam which is worth
25%. All course grades are given on a +/- basis. For an
explanation of the
policy, see the Undergraduate
Catalog.
Academic
misconduct
policy:
All
students in attendance at the
The
Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy
will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
DISABILITY
STATEMENT:
If
you are registered with the Office of
Disability Services, please make an appointment with me as
soon as possible to
discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. If
you have a
disability, but have not contacted the Office of Disability
Services, please
call 348-4285 or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East to
register for services.
Students who may need course adaptations because of a
disability are welcome to
make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students
with disabilities
must be registered with the Office of Disability Services,
133-B Martha Parham
Hall East, before receiving academic adjustments.
EMERGENCY
STATEMENT:
20th-century Russian Literature Course Page