20th Century Russian Literature
in Translation 393-402
Fall 2000
Class Schedule: T/F 12:30-1:45 p.m.
Meeting Room: Moyer Hall 201
Instructor: Dr. Luba Iskold
Office: Ettinger, 102A
Phone: (484) 664-3516
E-mail: iskold@muhlenberg.edu
Office Hours: M/F 10:30-11:30 a.m.
R 2:00-3:00 p.m. and by appointment
Required Texts:
-Brodsky, Joseph. On Grief and Reason. Essays. Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 1995.
ISBN # 0-374-52509-9.
-Bunin, Ivan. The Gentleman from San Francisco and other Stories. Penguin
Books,
1997. # ISBN 0-14-018552-6
-Pasrenak, Boris. Doctor Zhivago. ISBN # 0679774389.
-Sholokhov, Alexandr. And Quiet Flows the Don (Packet). The Fate of a Man.
(On reserve)
-Solzhenitsyn, Alexander. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. Signet
Classic,
19968. ISBN # 0-451-52709-7.
Recommended
Literature (On reserve)
-Russian literature -- 20th century -- History and Criticism. Russian
Writers and
Soviet society, 1917-1978.
Hingley, Ronald. New York: Random House, c1979. 891.709 S634s, 1977.
-Soviet Russian Literature : Writers and Problems, 1917-1977.
Slonim, Marc. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977. 891.709 S634s, 1977.
-Soviet Russian Literature Since Stalin. Brown, Deming. Cambridge;
New York :
Cambridge University Press, 1978. 891.709 B8771s.
-Brodsky, Joseph, 1940-96.
-A Stop in the Desert. Translated [from the Russian] by Jamie Fuller.
Brodsky, Joseph, 1940-[Ann Arbor, Mich., Ardis, 1972]. 891.71 B864s.
-Conversations with Joseph Brodsky: A Poet's Journey through the
Twentieth Century.
Solomon Volkov. New York: Free Press, c1998. 891.71 B864zv.
-Joseph Brodsky : The Art of a Poem. Edited by Lev Loseff and Valentina
Polukhina. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999. Criticism and interpretation.
-Bunin, Ivan Alekseevich, 1870-53.
-The Village; translation from the Russian by Isabel F. Hapgood.
New York, A. A. Knopf, 1923. 891.73 B942dh.
-The Life of Arseniev: Youth; translated from Russian, edited and
annotated.
Evanston, Ill.: Northwestern University Press, 1994. 891.73 B942zaw.
-Ivan A. Bunin and the Soviet Regime. Berzups, John Adam. Washington,
D.C., 1976.
Criticism and interpretation. Russia -- Intellectual life. 891.73 B942zb.
-Ivan Bunin: A Study of his Fiction. James B. Woodward. Chapel Hill:
University of
North Carolina Press, c1980. 891.73 B942zw.
-Pasternak, Boris Leonidovich, 1890-1960.
-The Poems of Doctor Zhivago. [Kansas City, Mo.] Hallmark Editions
[1967].
Russian poetry -- Translations into English. 891.71 P291pk.
- Selected Poems by Boris Pasternak. Translated from Russian. New
York: W.W.
Norton, 1983. 891.71 P291ps.
-Seven Poems. Translated from Rus. Santa Barbara, Unicorn
Press,
1969. 891.71 P291sev.
-Pasternak, a Critical Study. Henry Gifford. New York: Cambridge
University Press,
1977. 891.71 P291zg.
-The Poetic World of Boris Pasternak. Olga R. Hughes. Princeton,
N.J.
Princeton University Press, 1974. 891.71 P291zh.
-Boris Pasternak's Translations of Shakespeare. Anna Kay France.
Berkeley:
University of California Press, c1978. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
--
Translations into Russian. 822.33 A3pa.
-Doctor Zhivago: A Critical Companion. Edited by Edith W. Clowes.
Evanston, IL :
Northwestern University Press : American Association of Teachers of Slavic
and
East European Languages, 1995. 891.73 P291dhzc.
-Understanding Boris Pasternak. Larissa Rudova. Columbia, S.C.: University
of South
Carolina Press, c1997. 891.73 P291zr.
-Sholokhov, Mikhail Aleksandrovich, 1905-84.
-Virgin Soil Upturned. [Translated by R. Daglish]. Moscow, Foreign
Languages Pub.
891.73 S559p1d.
-And Quiet Flows the Don; translated from the Russian by Stephen
Garry.
New York, A.A. Knopf, 1934. 891.73 S559t1g.
-The Fate of a Man. Foreign Languages Pub. House [1957]. 891.73
S559sd, 1957.
-They Fought for their Country : a novel; The Fate of a Man:
a story;
translated from the Russian by Robert Daglish. Moscow : Raduga Publishers,
c1984. 891.73 S559od.
-Mikhail Sholokhov and his Art. Herman Ermolaev. Princeton, N.J.
: Princeton
University Press, c1982. 891.73 S559ze.
-Solzhenitsyn Aleksandr Isaevich, 1918-
-Letter to the Soviet Leaders; translated from the Russian by Hilary
Sternberg.
New York: Harper & Row, 1974. Soviet Union -- Politics and government
-- 1953-1985.
Soviet Union -- Foreign relations -- 1953-1975. 320.947 S692pw.
-The Gulag Archipelago: an experiment in literary investigation;
translated from the
Russian by Thomas P. Whitney and Harry Willetts; London: Collins Harvill,
1988. Political prisoners. 891.73 S692arw, 1988.
-For the Good of the Cause; translated by David Floyd and Max Hayward;
New York :
Praeger, c1964. 891.73 S692f.
-Cancer Ward; translated from the Russian by Nicholas Bethell and
David Burg. New
York: Noonday Press, 1991. Cancer -- Patients -- Fiction. 891.73 S692rb.
-The Spirit of Solzhenitsyn. Olivier Clement. London : Search Press,
1977.
891.73 S692zcL.
-Solzhenitsyn in Exile: Critical Essays and Documentary Materials.
Edited by John B.
Dunlop, Richard S. Haugh, Michael Nicholson. Stanford, Calif.: Hoover
Institution, c1985.Criticism and interpretation. 891.73 S692zd.
Films and Video:
-And Quiet Flows the Don/Tikhii Don
-Dr. Zhivago
-One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisiovich
Class Schedule &
Reading Assignments
Week
1 (Aug.28-Sept.1)
T--
Course goals and objectives. Introduction.
Review class notes.
F--
Ivan Bunin: life and literary activity.
Read pp.7-64
________________________________________________________________________
Week
2 (Sept.4-8)
T--
Library instruction. Class meets at Trexler Library.
Read pp.65-159
F--
The Gentlemen from San Francisco.
Discussion pp.17-37.
The Primer
of Love. Discussion pp.38-47.
Submit an annotated
bibliography
of the stories.
________________________________________________________________________
Week
3 (Sept.11-15)
T--
Mitya's Love.
Discussion pp.101-159.
F--
Student presentations of other stories. Presenters submit a summary of
each story
and prepare copies for classmates.
________________________________________________________________________
Week
4 (Sept.18-22)
T--
The Life of Arseniev. Student presentations. Prepare
a summary for classmates.
F--
The Life of Arseniev. Discussion: Russia & the Russians in the
works of Bunin.
Submit
an annotated bibliography of Bunin's works read. Homecoming:
Sat., Sept. 23
_______________________________________________________________________
Week
5 (Sept.25-29)
T-- Mikhail Sholokhov. And Quiet Flows the Don: before the Revolution.
Essay I (Bunin).
F-- Mikhail Sholokhov. And Quiet Flows the Don: the Civil War. Readings
to be hand
out in class.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 6 (Oct2-6)
T-- Mikhail Sholokhov. They Fought for Their Country and other
novels. Student
Presentations. Presenters submit a summary and prepare copies for classmates.
F-- Mikhail Sholokhov. The Fate of a Man. Discussion. Submit
an annotated
bibliography of Sholokhov's works read.
Fall Recess begins at the conclusion of classes on
Friday, Oct.6 to Wedn., Oct. 11.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 7 (Oct.9-13)
T-- NO CLASS
Mid-semester grades due Oct.13
F-- Boris Pasternak. Biography. Read Dr. Zhivago part I, pp.7-111.
Essay II (Sholokhov).
________________________________________________________________________
Week 8 (Oct.16-20)
T-- Boris Pasternak: Dr. Zhivago part II, pp. 111-432.
F-- Boris Pasternak. Dr. Zhivago. Faces of mother Russia. Discussion.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 9 (Oct.23-27)
T-- Boris Pasternak Doctor Zhivago.
F-- Dr. Zhivago's poems: purpose and structure. Presentations on Pasternak's
poetry and translations. Submit an annotated bibliography of Pasternak's
works read.
___________________________________________________________________________
Week 10 (Oct.30-Nov.3)
T-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Soviet society as a prison house.
Essay III (Pasternak).
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, pp.3-66.
F-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, pp.
67-139.
Deadline: course withdrawal with "W"--Tuesday,
October 31. Family Weekend-- Sat., November 4.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 11 (Nov.6-10)
T-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The Gulag Archipelago. The Cancer Ward. Presentations.
F-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. The First Circle. For the Good of the
Cause.
The Letter to Soviet Leaders. For the Good of the Cause.
Presentations.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 12 (Nov.13-17)
T-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Nobel Lecture: Repentance and self-limitation.
To be handed out in class. Discussion.
F-- Alexander Solzhenitsyn. History vs. ideologies. Discussion.
Submit an annotated bibliography of Solzhenitsyn's works read.
_________________________________________________________________________
Week 13 (Nov.20-24)
T-- Joseph Brodsky. On Grief and Reason, pp.3-44.
Essay IV (Solzhenitsyn).
F-- No class. Thanksgiving Recess begins on Wed.,
Nov.22 to Nov.27
________________________________________________________________________
Week 14 (Nov.27-Dec.1)
T-- Joseph Brodsky. On Grief and Reason, pp.96-223; 376-427.
F-- Joseph Brodsky. Poetry. Student presentations. Submit an
annotated bibliography of
Brodsky's works read.
________________________________________________________________________
Week 15 (Dec.4-8)
T-- Joseph Brodsky. Acceptance Speech, pp. 59-61. Discussion. We
will also discuss the
Final Paper.
Essay V (Brodsky).
F--NO CLASS Classes end on Thursday, December 7.
Final Exams Period-- December 9-18
Final paper (6-7pp) is due in my mailbox by noon
on Friday, December 15.
Guidelines to remember:
Attendance
and participation:
-Attendance will be taken and is expected
at each scheduled class meeting.
-Students who are absent more than four times
without justification will be penalized on the final grade.
-Comply with Muhlenberg’s Academic Behavior
Code in all work for this course (consult the
Student Handbook for details).
-Your active presence in class is one of the
requirements for this course. Be prepared to participate in
class discussion and answer questions
on assigned topics.
-Depending on how well you prepare the material
for class discussion, there may be short quizzes of a
"convince me" nature. Those will consist of
multiple choice, true/false, or brief essay questions and will
count as points for class participation.
Why study Russian literature?
Twice during the XXth century
Russia has witnessed revolutionary changes that have not only
profoundly affected the lives
of its citizens, but have also influenced the course of world history.
With the fall of communism and
the end of the Cold War, it is now very important to understand
this vital region. A study of
literature is one of the best ways of learning to understand "the soul"
of the Russian people.
What are we going to do in this class?
We are going to read, learn about
and discuss works of five distinguished Russian writers who were
awarded Nobel Prizes in literature.
Each of the pieces that we will analyze in class will later become
the subject of discussion in your
papers. You will also conduct class presentations and compile
annotated bibliographies; these
intend to help you conceptualize and better remember everything you
read during this semester, as
well as provide a framework for your final paper.
Your
tests:
Good news: there will be no multiple-choice
or fill in the blanks tests in this course.
Your
papers:
Each of the papers listed in the
syllabus should be a 1.5-2 page (typed, double-spaced)
essay in MLA format which demonstrates
your familiarity with and understanding of the works
by one of the five writers studied
in this course. The topics for those projects will be discussed
and finalized in class, however
they all will revolve around the same theme: Russia
& the Russians.
Guidelines on MLA style and paper
writing will be posted on the course web page.
Your
presentations:
Each student will prepare
one presentation of a particular story or novel by each of the five
authors examined in the
course. Guidelines for presentations will be discussed in class.
Annotated
bibliography:
You will prepare and submit an
annotated bibliography by authors (see the syllabus).
You should include a regular reference
and a brief (not more than half a page) summary of
the main events/places, characters
and themes.
How
to succeed?
Be sure to save all your
notes, annotated bibliographies and essays.
In the final paper you will
be asked to compare and contrast the images of Russia and the Russians
across the authors. Basically,
you will need to draw your own conclusion regarding what it takes
to become a Nobel Prize
winner in Russian literature.
Grading:
Papers
30%
Presentations
30%
Participation in class 15%
Final Paper
25%