Gogol and His Legacy: Witches, Con Men, and Runaway Noses
RUSS 277
Spring 2012
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
REES 277, RULE 277 |
This course will include close reading and analysis of the works of Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), who created a phantasmagorical world of devils and witches coexisting with the gritty details of life in St. Petersburg and the Russian provinces. We will also read works by later writers who either explicitly or implicitly placed themselves in the Gogolian tradition: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Fyodor Sologub, Andrei Bely, Mikhail Bulgakov, and Vladimir Nabokov. Gogol's satirical observations delighted socially-conscious contemporary critics, while his linguistic experimentation and subversion of the rules of logic inspired modernist writers of the 20th century. We will consider Gogol's response to Romantic aesthetics, his interest in the demonic, the influence of his formal and linguistic experimentation on later writers, and the history of his reception by Russian and Western writers and critics. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Intercultural Literacy, Interpretation
Both class discussion and papers will be focused on the interpretation of literary works. The course requires that students become familiar with the historical and cultural background of Russia from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RUSS |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (REES-MN)(REES-Lang/Lit/C) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Gogol, "The Nose," "The Overcoat," other stories
Gogol, MARRIAGE
Gogol, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
Gogol, DEAD SOULS
Dostoevsky, "The Eternal Husband"
Sologub, THE PETTY DEMON
Bely, excerpts from GOGOL'S ARTISTRY
Kharms, TODAY I WROTE NOTHING
Bulgakov, HEART OF A DOG, "The Adventures of Chichikov"
Nabokov, GOGOL
Nabokov, PNIN
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Examinations and Assignments:
Frequent short ungraded papers; three longer papers. Attendance and participation required. All written work must be submitted in hard copy. Conducted in English. |
| Instructor(s): Fusso,Susanne Grace Times: .M.W.F. 11:00AM-11:50AM; Location: FISK412; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 25 | | SR major: 2 | JR major: 2 | | |
| Seats Available: 9 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 5 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 5 | FR: 6 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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