I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
V Literary and Artistic Studies
Dept/Program
MCLL/Russian; cross-listed Course #
MCLG 307V/
with Liberal Studies
RUSS 307V; LS 307V
Course Title
Introduction to 20th 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 twentieth-century Russian and Soviet literature covering
various genres (novels, short stories, poetry). Reading for the course includes: the poetry of the
Russian Symbolists, Acmeists and Futurists; the short stories of Bunin, Babel, Zoshchenko,
Kharms, Solzhenitsyn, Rasputin and Petrushevskaya; and the novels of Platonov, Bulgakov,
Erofeev and Boris Akunin. Brief lectures on the Russian Revolution(s) of 1917, Stalinism, the
Thaw, the Cold War, Brezhnev stagnation, perestroika, and the post-Soviet era help students
place the works within a historical and cultural context. Students are encouraged to compare
and contrast Russian and Soviet works with works written around the same period in the United
States and elsewhere. Crude Soviet experimentation in the artificial shaping of consciousness is
used as a framework for exploring similar mechanisms at play in American culture. This is an
introductory course and assumes no prior knowledge about the Soviet Union or 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 in the development of Russian
more of the various forms of artistic and Soviet literature. The class is taught
representation; they also establish a seminar-style, with brief lecture followed by
framework and context for analysis of the moderated group and paired discussion.
structure and significance of these works. In Students complete focused writing
addition, these courses provide mechanisms assignments in class and as homework. Texts
for students 1) to receive instruction on the are analyzed using a wide spectrum of
methods of analysis and criticism, 2) to develop critical approaches (formalism,
arguments about the works from differing structuralism, semiotics, gender theory,
critical perspectives.
psychoanalysis, etc).
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
Learning goals Upon completion of this perspective, students Students analyze works during several
literary periods (modernism, socialist
will be able to: realism, postmodernism/post-Soviet) using a
1. analyze works of art with respect to wide range of critical approaches, from
structure and significance within literary formalism and structuralism to
and artistic traditions, including emergent psychoanalysis and deconstruction.
movements and forms; and Particular emphasis is placed on reading the
text in a historical and cultural context
2. develop coherent arguments that critique (especially with regard to socialist realism,
these works from a variety of approaches, which meant vastly different things during
such as historical, aesthetic, cultural, different historical periods) in order to
psychological, political, and philosophical. appreciate the wide variety of factors that
helped shape it.
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 20th Century Russian Literature
MCLG 307V/RUSS 307V, spring semester
Tues and Thurs, 2:10-3:30pm, LA 234
20th 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)
Final exam.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Available from your instructor:
Available in the bookstore:
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) on Heart of a Dog
30%
Longer Research Paper* (8-10 pages) on Platonov, Bulgakov or Pelevin
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+ = 88-89
B = 83-87
B- = 80-82
C+ = 78-79
C = 73-77
C- = 70-72
D+ = 68-69
D = 65-67
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
Thurs 24
Symbolism & Acmeism: Blok, Gippius, Akhmatova, Mandelstam
Tues
Bunin: “Gentleman from SF,” “Light Breathing”
29
Thurs 31
Lecture: Russian Revolution
Babel, Red Cavalry stories
February
Tues
5
Babel, Red Cavalry stories
Thurs 7
Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog
Tues
Bulgakov, Heart of a Dog
12
Thurs 14
Zoshchenko stories; socialist realism lecture
Short Paper (4-6 pages) Due Today: Analysis of Heart of a Dog
Tues
19
Platonov, Happy Moscow
Thurs 21
Platonov, Happy Moscow
Tues
Daniil Kharms stories
26
Thurs 28
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Tues
4
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Thurs 6
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Tues
11
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Thurs 13
Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita
Tues
Akhmatova, Requiem
March
April
18
Thurs 20
Midterm Exam
Tues
25
SPRING BREAK
Thurs 27
SPRING BREAK
Tues
1
Solzhenitsyn, “Matryona’s Home”
Thurs 3
Erofeev, Moscow to the End of the Line
Tues
Erofeev, Moscow to the End of the Line
8
Thurs 10
Rasputin stories
Tues
15
Petrushevskaya stories
Thurs 17
Akunin, Winter Queen
Outline and Bibliography of Long Paper Due Today
Tues
22
Akunin, Winter Queen
Thurs 24
Akunin, Winter Queen
Tues
Ulitskaya stories
29
May
Thurs 1
Long Paper (8-10 pp.) Due Today
Course Wrap-Up
Your final exam for this course will be on May ? from ? to ?.
*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.