JCU Logo
JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 311"
COURSE NAME: "The Russian Novel in Translation"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2022
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Stephanie Richards
EMAIL: [email protected]
 HOURS: TTH 10:00 AM 11:15 AM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above.
OFFICE HOURS: by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
In this course, students will be introduced to Russian literature's distinct and profound contributions to global literature and culture. We will discuss the rise and development of the Russian novel, providing historical background for this development and analyzing several foundational examples. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students in 300-level literature classes are required to produce 5-6,000 words of critical writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:

In this course, students will be introduced to Russian literature's distinct and profound contributions to global literature and culture. We will discuss the rise and development of the Russian novel, providing historical background for this development and analyzing several foundational examples.

Nineteenth century Russia was remarkable for its sheer concentration of literary genius. It is often noted that within one man's lifetime (Lev Tolstoy's), Russia produced more world-famous literature than any century before or after. While in Western Europe, philosophy, morality, and religious questions were separated into distinct disciplines, writers and critics fulfilled all these functions in Russia, thus making the philosophical novels of Dostoevsky one of its greatest achievements. Russian novels of the twentieth century maintained close ties to their predecessors, while taking on a particular political bent and challenging religious boundaries.

Through a close analysis of the context and content of selected Russian novels, students will understand the distinct features of the Russian novel tradition in relation to its contemporary European counterpart. This course will provide valuable historical and cultural context for a wide range of students, from those studying political science and history to international affairs and business. We will read three novels from the nineteenth century (Gogol’s Dead Souls, Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov, and Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina), and two from the twentieth century (Bely’s Petersburg and Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita). 

 
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course, students will 1) be able to analyze and discuss major themes and ideas that appear throughout the novels we have studied; 2) better understand the literary genre of the novel; 3) have an enriched understanding of the major historical and cultural global player, Russia; 4) be better equipped to perform comparative analyses of texts and intercultural thinking in general; 5) be able to communicate complex ideas in an organized and efficient written format.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
The Master and MargaritaMikhail BulgakovPenguin Classics9780141180144 Please find the book online or at Almost Corner Bookshop. It is important you use the translation by Volokhonsky and Pevear. Almost Corner Bookshop 
The Brothers KaramazovFyodor DostoevskyFarrar, Straus, Giroux, OR Picador9780374528379, 9781250788450 Please find the book online or at the Almost Corner Bookshop. It is important you use the translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky Almost Corner Bookshop 
Anna KareninaLeo TolstoyPenguin Books9780143035008 Please find the book online or at Almost Corner Bookshop. It is important you use the Volokhonsky and Pevear translation, Almost Corner Bookshop 
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Paper 1 - Short Paper800-1000 word analytical paper — topics will be provided by the professor. If you wish to write on another topic, it must be approved by the professor. Students will submit an outline, which they will receive feedback on and which will count for a percentage of the paper grade. Essays should include research and conform to MLA standards. 15%
quizzesEach novel will be followed by a quiz on general information taken from your reading and our class discussions of the texts, e.g., character names, plot details, major ideas, publication information15%
presentationStudents will do one 5-7 minute presentation on an academic article.10%
participationStudents are required to attend and participate in class. Participation requires having read the assigned materials and being prepared to speak about them. Your grade will be lowered if you miss more than three classes.10%
Paper 2 - Long Paper3000-4000 word analytical paper — topics will be provided by the professor. If you wish to write on another topic, it must be approved by the professor. Students will submit an outline, which they will receive feedback on and which will count as a percentage of the final paper grade. Essays should include research and conform to MLA standards. 35%
In-class writing assignment800-1000 words. The assignment is in two parts. 1) You will be given a passage to analyze and write about in-class. 2) You will revise the in-class writing at home.15%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.
-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND EXAMINATION POLICY
You cannot make-up a major exam (midterm or final) without the permission of the Dean’s Office. The Dean’s Office will grant such permission only when the absence was caused by a serious impediment, such as a documented illness, hospitalization or death in the immediate family (in which you must attend the funeral) or other situations of similar gravity. Absences due to other meaningful conflicts, such as job interviews, family celebrations, travel difficulties, student misunderstandings or personal convenience, will not be excused. Students who will be absent from a major exam must notify the Dean’s Office prior to that exam. Absences from class due to the observance of a religious holiday will normally be excused. Individual students who will have to miss class to observe a religious holiday should notify the instructor by the end of the Add/Drop period to make prior arrangements for making up any work that will be missed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.
SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE (subject to change - see Moodle for most updated information):

 

Week 1:     Introduction to the course; general historical background on Russian literature and major writers in comparison with the Western European literary tradition; selected readings from Gogol. Introduction to relevant databases for performing academic research on Russian literature

 

Week 2:     Background on The Petersburg Text. Gogol’s “Nevsky Prospect,” “The Nose,” and “The Overcoat.” Selected readings from Kat Scollins, Acts of Logos in Pushkin and Gogol. In-class close reading module.

 

Week 3:     Finish Gogol. Begin reading Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov.  Quiz on Gogol’s stories. information workshop at the Frohring Library, arranged with a librarian, on how to conduct academic research. 

 

Week 4:     Introduction to Dostoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov; historical background and philosophical context; Selected readings from Berdiaev. Students will be assigned an article to read on BK, on which they will do a 5-7 minute presentation in class

 

Week 5 2/18-2/20:     Dostoevsky Brothers Karamazov; in-class close reading written exercise on BK.

Week 6 2/25-2/27:     Dostoevsky Brothers Karamazov; student presentations on BK; How can we summarize Dostoevsky’s moral philosophy in BK? Focus on “The Grand Inquisitor”; Quiz on Brother Karamazov; outline of short paper due.

Week 7:     Dostoevsky Brothers Karamazov; How can we summarize Dostoevsky’s moral philosophy in BK? Focus on “The Grand Inquisitor” continued. 

 

Week 8:     Background for Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina; Tolstoy’s “What is Art?”; Amy Mandelker “Beyond the Motivations of Realism: Tolstoy, the Victorian Novel, and Iconic Aesthetics” (1993) handout provided;  Students will be assigned an article to read on AK, on which they will do a 5-7 minute presentation in class; short paper due.

 

Week 9:     Tolstoy Anna Karenina; How is AK working within and deviating from the Victorian novel tradition? What moral paradigm is presented in the novel? Student presentations on article on AK

 

Week 10:     Tolstoy Anna Karenina.

  

Week 11:   Tolstoy Anna Karenina; we will view parts of the recent film production of AK and compare and contrast it with the novel; Quiz on Anna Karenina 

 

Week 12:   Background for Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita: The Soviet Period —  how did literature change? what was Stalinist Terror? Students will be assigned an article to read from The Master and Margarita: A Critical Companion edited by Laura D. Weeks, on which they will do a 5-7 minute presentation in class. Bulgakov Master and Margarita; explore Kevin Moss’s companion website

http://cr.middlebury.edu/bulgakov/public_html/timeline1.html 

 

Week 13:   Bulgakov Master and Margarita; Student presentations on Master and Margarita article; outline of long paper due.  

Week 14:   Student presentations on Master and Margarita articles. Bulgakov Master and Margarita; We will conclude the course with selected readings from recent Nobel Prize winner Svetlana Alexievich, who affirms her work — although very different in form — is in close dialogue with the polyphonic novels of Dostoevsky and Tolstoy and some other contemporary authors. Final draft of long paper due.