Introduction to 19th Century Russian Literature
RUSS 306L/MCLG 306L, fall semester 2015
Tues and Thurs, 2:10—3:30 pm, LA 234
Prof. Clint Walker
LA 330, x2501
clint.walker@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours: M, 10-11am, 12-1pm and W 10-11am in LA 330
Russian Literature of the 19th Century
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Regular attendance & timely reading of all assigned works
Active participation in class discussion (and timely preparation of discussion question sheets)
Possible In-Class Writing Assignments on Selected Works
One 4-5 page short paper
One longer 8-10 page paper* (minimum of two outside sources)
REQUIRED TEXTS from your instructor: [cost is $28]
Favorite Russian Fairy Tales
The Queen of Spades and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin
The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol
Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol
Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov
First Love and The Diary of a Superfluous Man by Ivan Turgenev
The Kreutzer Sonata and Other Short Stories by Lev Tolstoy
The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
Photocopies of The Bronze Horseman (Pushkin) and “Lady with the Little Dog” (Chekhov)
Available from the University Bookstore:
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (Pevear and Volokhonsky translation)
GRADING:
25%
Attendance, Class Participation and Discussion
25%
Discussion Question Sheets on Individual Works/In-Class Writing Assignments
20%
Short Paper (4-5 pages)
30%
Long Paper* (8-10 pages):
GRADING SCALE
A = 93-100
A- = 90-92
B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86
B- = 80-82
C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76
C- = 70-72
D+ = 68-69
D = 66-67
D- = 65
F = 64 and below
PAPER GUIDELINES:
All papers should be typed or done on a computer. Respect your work—give each paper a title
and include your name and the date! Use a standard 12 point font (Times New Roman
recommended) and double-space. Proofread each assignment for typos, poor wording,
mechanics, etc. Late work will be penalized one letter grade per day. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated in any form. Please ask if you have a question about what constitutes plagiarism, but on
the whole, if you consult another work for ideas, copy or paraphrase from another source, etc.,
then you need to acknowledge the source (including the work you consulted and the page
number/s) in your paper with a footnote..
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
It is essential to the learning process that students treat each other and the instructor with respect. Under the Student Conduct
Code, students who are found to be disruptive may be asked to leave the classroom. Disruptive behaviors may include but are not
limited to:
 Using electronic communication devices, including cell phones and laptops for purposes unrelated to ongoing class
activities.
 Carrying on side conversations that are distracting to the instructor and other students.
 Verbally interrupting the class with comments or questions not relevant to the course or to the current discussion.
 Failure to participate in assigned group activities.
 Significantly interfering with instructor’s work activities during or outside of class.
The University of Montana assures equal access to instruction through
collaboration between students with disabilities, instructors, and Disability
Services for Students (DSS). If you think you may have a disability
adversely affecting your academic performance and you have not already
registered with DSS, please contact DSS in Lommasson 154. I will be glad
to work with you and DSS to provide an appropriate accommodation.
Syllabus
September
Tues
1
Intro, Discussion of Syllabus and Expectations
Peter the Great, Founding of St. Petersburg, Europeanization
Pushkin: Bio, brief discussion of Ruslan and Liudmila, lyrics
Thurs
3
Russian Fairy Tales: “Sadko,” “Baba Yaga,” “The Firebird, the Horse
of Power, and Princess Vasilissa”
Tues
8
Pushkin, “The Shot,” “The Snowstorm,” “The Undertaker”
Thurs
10
Pushkin, “The Postmaster” (also known as “The Stationmaster”)
“Mistress into Maid” (also known as “The Lady Peasant”)
Tues
15
Pushkin, The Bronze Horseman, “The Queen of Spades”
Thurs
17
Gogol, “Nevsky Prospect,” “The Nose”
Tues
22
Gogol, “Diary of a Madman,” “The Overcoat”
Thurs
24
Gogol, Dead Souls (chaps 1-4, pp. 1-80)
Tues
29
Gogol, Dead Souls (chaps 5-10, pp. 80-158)
Thurs
1
Gogol, Dead Souls (chaps 11-the end of Part I, pp. 158-186)
Tues
6
Short Analytical Paper (4-5pp.) Due Today: Close analysis of
a short work or close analysis of one chapter of Dead Souls
October
In Class: Overview of Dead Souls (incl. a few words on Part II)
Lyrics by Rostopchina, Lermontov
Thurs
8
NO CLASS: Prof Walker leaves for ATSEEL-Wisconsin
Begin reading Hero of Our Time
Tues
13
Lermontov, Hero of Our Time (“Bela,” “Maxim Maximych,” “Taman”)
Thurs
15
Lermontov, Hero of Our Time, (“Princess Mary,” “The Fatalist”)
Tues
20
Turgenev, “First Love”
Thurs
22
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part I
Tues
27
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part II
Thurs
29
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part III
November
Tues
3
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part IV
Thurs
5
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part V
Tues
10
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Part VI
Thurs
12
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment, Epilogue and General Discussion
Tues
17
Tolstoy, “Death of Ivan Ilych”
Thurs
19
NO CLASS – Professor Walker at ASEEES
Outlines (1-2pp.) of Long Paper Due Today
(slide the outlines under my door in LA 330)
Tues
24
Tolstoy, “The Kreutzer Sonata”
Thurs
26
NO CLASS -- THANKSGIVING BREAK
Tues
1
Chekhov, “The Duel”
Thurs
3
Chekhov, “Anna on the Neck,” “The Man in a Case”
Tues
8
Chekhov, “The Darling,” “Lady with the Little Dog”
December
Thurs 10
Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard
long paper (8-10 pp.) for this course is due on Tues., Dec 15 by 5pm (in LA 330).