Russian 221

Fall 2018 Reading Schedule

 

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**Always bring the text(s) listed for that day to class**

Come to class ready to discuss the stories or novel listed for that day. Please report errors to me as you find them.

Aug. 23: Introduction: St. Petersburg, Romanticism. Pushkin, "The Snow Storm".

Aug 28: "The Shot"  (via email or Canvas); Radishchev--Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow; Translator's Introduction of Eugene Onegin; Wikipedia on "Decembrist Rebellion". 

Aug 30: Pushkin, Eugene Onegin, Chapters 1-2

Sept 4: Onegin, chs 3-6.

Sept 6: Onegin chs. 7-8 (no further); final discussion (bring text); Themes: Clashing values; poet and society; what is a person? Power of the Poet, the potential of human existence. 

Sept 11 Pushkin, “Queen of Spades” (online); "Introduction" to the Belkin Tales, Lermontov, Hero of Our Time, 1st half (through “Taman”). Themes: Point of view, reliability.

Sept 13 Finish Hero. Themes: chronology, structure; Realism and the turn to prose; alienation and tyranny. The natural and the supernatural.

Sept 18   Gogol, "The Overcoat" 

Sept 20 Gogol, reread  "The Overcoat" and answer questions posted to Canvas

Sept 25 Gogol, "Diary of a Madman,"  "Nevsky Avenue/Prospekt" (confirmed 9/18)

Sept 27 "The Nose". Themes: Language, rank, and logic. Choose paper topics. Tips on writing an analytical essay. 

Oct 2 First in-class essay test (one side of a page of hand-written notes allowed).

Oct 4 Fall Break 

Oct 9 Dostoevsky, The Double (first 2/3)

Oct 11  The Double (last 1/3)

Oct 16   First draft of paper due: Peer response in class

Oct 18 Dostoevsky,  “A Gentle Creature”

Oct 23 Paper 1, final draft due by email right before class; a short reading (TBA) will also be assigned and absence this day double-counted.

Oct 25  Gambler 1st 1/3

Oct. 30: Gambler final 2/3 

Nov. 1 Tolstoy, The Cossacks (1st 1/3)  

Nov 6 Tolstoy, The Cossacks, (last 2/3).

Nov 8 Tolstoy, "Master and Man" and "After the Ball.”
Nov 13 Tolstoy, "Death of Ivan Ilyich"; Ivan Turgenev, "Asya"(online/Canvas)           
Nov 15
Second in-class essay test (one side of a page of hand-written notes allowed). 
Nov 20
Chekhov, “Ward No. 6”; choose paper topics

Nov 22  Thanksgiving

Nov 29  Chekhov, “The Black Monk”

 

Dec 4 Paper 2 draft due in class for peer-editing

Paper final copies due Fri, Dec. 7, 12:30p.m. (exam time)  via email.