Time Schedule:
James D West
RUSS 230
Seattle Campus
Examines the greatest authors and masterpieces of Russian literature, including Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and Chekhov. All readings, discussions, and assignments are in English.
Class description
This course presents five of the 'big name' novels of Russian literature, in English translation, in the context of the Russian social and intellectual history that gave rise to them. Key questions will be: How did these books come to define Russian literature for the English-speaking world? Were they ever properly understood by their English-speaking admirers? Are the English translations even good enough to make that possible? The books will be presented not in chronological order, but in an order that corresponds to their increasing degree of 'foreignness' to the non-Russian reader.
Student learning goals
Read the 'classics' of Russian prose literature in translation, with some understanding of the civilization that produced them, and with an appropriate wariness about the vagaries of translation.
The experience of thinking critically about long novels in any language.
General method of instruction
Lectures with a discussion component, and class discussions.
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites. Reading any one-volume history of Russian would be helpful, particularly James Billington's 'The Icon and the Axe'.
Class assignments and grading
Midterm and final papers, and two quizzes to test familiarity with the class material.
Final paper 40%, mid-term 30%, two tests 10% each, remaining 10% for discussion participation.
