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CS92PROD
Speak, Memory: Autobiography and Memoir in Russian Literature
RUSS 220
Spring 2007 not offered
Crosslisting: REES 220

Memoirs and autobiographical prose have been a major genre of Russian literature, particularly for women, since the 18th century. They offer a chance for the individual to make sense of his or her relationship to larger historical forces and allow writers of fiction and poetry to reflect on the tensions between biography and the creative process. We will read major works from the 18th century to the present, including Nadezhda Durova's account of her life on the front lines in the Napoleonic Wars; Dostoevsky's prison memoirs; the poet Mandelstam's reminiscences of a prerevolutionary childhood and his wife's account of Stalin's terror; and intense memories of childhood by Marina Tsvetaeva and Vladimir Nabokov. Attention will be paid throughout the course to related theoretical problems (narratology, feminism, historiography, etc.). All works will be read in English translation.

Essential Capabilities: None
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RUSS
Course Format: Lecture/DiscussionGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: None
Fulfills a Major Requirement for: (COL)(CWRC)(REES-MN)(REES-Lang/Lit/C)

Last Updated on MAR-28-2024
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