I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
V Literary and Artistic Studies
Dept/Program
MCLL/Russian; cross-listed Course #
MCLG 306V;
with Liberal Studies
LS 306V
Course Title
Introduction to 19th Century Russian Literature
Prerequisite
none
Credits
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Clint Walker
9-8-08
2501/Clint.Walker@mso.u
mt.edu
Program Chair
Robert Acker
Dean
Gerald Fetz
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
Instructor
Phone / Email
A historically contextualized survey of nineteenth-century Russian literature covering various
genres (novels, short stories, poetry). The course begins with the poetry and prose of Pushkin,
the recognized “Shakespeare” of Russian literature, and includes the work of Gogol, Turgenev,
Rostopchina, Pavlova, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov. Although the course addresses a
number of larger cultural issues, the dominant theme explored is Russian national identity and
Russia’s complex relation to Western Europe. Whenever appropriate, parallels are drawn
between Russia and the United States, whose literature еxplores similar questions but in very
different ways. Students are encouraged to relate Russia’s search for its national identity to
their own individual quests for self-definition. This is an introductory course and assumes no
prior knowledge about Russia.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
This course examines a wide range of
Criteria literary genres (novels, poems, short stories)
Courses cover a number of works in one or and periods. The class is taught seminarmore of the various forms of artistic style, with brief lecture followed by
representation; they also establish a moderated group and paired discussion.
framework and context for analysis of the Students complete focused writing
structure and significance of these works. In assignments in class and as homework. Texts
addition, these courses provide mechanisms are analyzed using a wide spectrum of
for students 1) to receive instruction on the critical approaches (formalism,
methods of analysis and criticism, 2) to develop structuralism, semiotics, gender theory,
arguments about the works from differing psychoanalysis, etc).
critical perspectives. V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Students analyze works in a number of
Learning goals Upon completion of this perspective, students literary periods (sentimentalism,
romanticism, realism, nascent modernism)
will be able to: using a wide range of critical approaches,
1. analyze works of art with respect to from formalism and semiotics to
structure and significance within literary deconstruction and gender studies.
and artistic traditions, including emergent Particular emphasis is placed on reading the
movements and forms; and text in its historical and cultural context in
order to develop and support arguments
2. develop coherent arguments that critique more convincingly.
these works from a variety of approaches, such as historical, aesthetic, cultural, psychological, political, and philosophical.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Prof. Clint Walker
LA 330, x2501
clint.walker@mso.umt.edu
Office Hours: M, T, W 11-12, LA330
Introduction to 19th Century Russian Literature
MCLG 306V/RUSS 306V, spring semester
Tues and Thurs, 2:10-3:30pm, LA 234
19th Century Russian Literature
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
Regular attendance and timely reading of all assigned works.
Active participation in class discussion.
Two-three in-class response papers (1/2-1 page, handwritten)
One 4-6 page short paper
Midterm
One longer 8-10 page research paper* (minimum of two outside sources,
at least one of which is not web-based)
Final exam.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Available from your instructor:
Saint Petersburg: Places and History (White Star Publishers, 2002). Cost: $5.25
“The Queen of Spades” by Alexander Pushkin, poems (packet). Cost: $.75
Available in the bookstore:
The Portable Nineteenth-Century Russian Reader Ed. George Gibian
The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol. Trans. R. Pevear and L. Volokhonsky.
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Trans. R. Pevear and L. Volokhonsky
Stories by Anton Chekhov. Trans. R. Pevear and L. Volokhonsky.
Feel free to shop around for textbooks to save money, but be sure you have the texts in
time to read them before class discussion. I strongly recommend the PevearVolokhonsky translations for the three titles listed above (Gogol, Dostoevsky,
Chekhov). NB -- I have about ten new copies of The Portable Nineteenth-Century
Russian Reader that I will sell to students for $5.25 (which is what I paid for them) on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
GRADING:
15%
Attendance and Class Participation
5%
In-Class Response Papers (NB – these may not be made up!)
15%
Midterm
15%
Short Paper (4-6 pages) Pushkin or Gogol
30%
Longer Research Paper* (8-10 pages): Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov
20%
Final Exam
*An outline and bibliography will constitute 10% of your grade for the longer paper.
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 except in the case of a real
emergency. NB – Computer problems, dogs with bowel problems, etc. are not valid
emergencies. 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) in your paper with a footnote.
IN-CLASS RESPONSE PAPERS (3 total):
Two-three times during the course of the semester you will be asked to write short in-class
response papers based on the reading for the day. You will be given a choice of at least two
topics and will have about ten minutes to write on one of them. You may use your books and
notes for reference, but no extra time will be given. If you have done the reading, ten minutes
will be plenty of time to respond to one of the topics. The response papers will be graded on a
scale of 1-10, with ten being the highest possible grade. NB – If you miss class the day of an inclass response, you will get no credit for that day’s response. Class attendance counts for part
of your class grade, and the in-class response papers are intended to emphasize this fact and to
reward those who come to class and keep up with the reading assignments. I fully realize that
students sometimes miss class for valid reasons. Therefore, attendance at one Russian film
screening during the semester can be substituted for one of the in-class response papers (NB -there will be two-three films screened in the evening during the course of the semester. I will
announce the films well in advance of the screenings.)
Syllabus
January
Tues, 22
Introduction, Discussion of Syllabus
Peter the Great and Russian Culture
Founding of St. Petersburg
Read: Saint Petersburg: Places and History, pp. 8-13
Pushkin, “The Shot” (in The Portable 19th-Century RR)
Pushkin, selected lyrics (in Portable 19th-Century RR)
Thurs 24
Petersburg, Pushkin and the Flowering of Russian Literature
Pushkin: Lyrics, “The Shot”
Trailer to Onegin by Martha Fiennes
Read: Saint Petersburg: Places and History, pp. 20-25, 60-65
Read: Pushkin: The Bronze Horseman (in Portable 19th-Century
RR)
Tues
29
Pushkin: The Bronze Horseman
Read: Saint Petersburg: Places and History, pp. 29-30
Pushkin, “The Queen of Spades” (packet)
Thurs 31
Pushkin: “The Queen of Spades”
Read: Saint Petersburg: Places and History, pp. 89-93
Read: Gogol, “Nevsky Prospect” (in Collected Tales of…Gogol)
February
Tues
5
Gogol, “Nevsky Prospect,” “The Nose”
Thurs 7
Gogol, “Diary of a Madman”
Tues
Gogol, “The Overcoat”
12
Thurs 14
Turgenev, “First Love” (in The Portable 19th-Century RR)
Tues
Rostopchina, Pavlova (poems on xerox)
19
Thurs 21
work
Short Paper (4-6 pages) Due Today: close analysis of a short
In Class Lecture:
Dostoevsky’s Biography
Dostoevsky’s Petersburg
Serfdom, Suffering and Freedom
Tues
26
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Part I)
Thurs 28
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Part II)
Tues
4
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Part III)
Thurs 6
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Part IV)
Tues
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Part V)
March
11
Thurs 13
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (VI)
Tues 18
Discussion)
Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment (Epilogue & General
Thurs 20
Midterm Exam (Pushkin through Dostoevsky)
Tues
25
SPRING BREAK
Thurs 27
SPRING BREAK
Tues
1
Tolstoy, “The Death of Ivan Ilych” (in Portable 19th-Century RR)
Thurs 3
Tolstoy, “The Death of Ivan Ilych” (in Portable 19th-Century RR)
Tues
Tolstoy, “Master and Man”
April
8
Thurs 10
Chekhov, “Anyuta,” “The Darling” (in Stories)
Tues
15
Thurs 17
Chekhov, “Gusev,” “The Black Monk”
Chekhov, “Rothschild’s Fiddle,” “Man in a Case”
Outline and Bibliography of Long Paper Due Today
Tues
22
Chekhov, “Ward No. 6”
Thurs 24
Chekhov, “Anna on the Neck,” “The House with the Mezzanine”
Tues
Chekhov, “In the Ravine”
29
May
Thurs 1
Long Paper (8-10 pp.) Due Today
Course Wrap-Up
Your final exam for this course will be on Thurs., May 8 from 1:10pm-3:10pm.
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.