The Master and Margarita: The Devil Comes to Gainesville IDH 2930-35AD Wednesdays, Period 11 (6:15-7:05pm) Hume Hall 119 Spring 2019 Instructor: Dr. Sean Bartley Email Address: [email protected] Office Phone: (352) 273-0597 Office Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Period 5 (11:45am-12:35pm)
Course Description from UCC Catalogue “Discussion oriented courses centered around a single book.”
Course Narrative Mikhail Bulgakov wrote The Master and Margarita in stages during the height of Joseph Stalin’s stranglehold on Soviet power, values, and culture. Because Bulgakov skewered the state so hilariously and viciously in his mystical satire, the book was banned throughout the Soviet Union until three decades after Bulgakov’s untimely death, circulating only in serial versions and a secretive, heavily censored samizdat version. The novel seamlessly weaves together three plotlines: a series of decisions by Pontius Pilate in biblical Jerusalem, the struggle of a Soviet writer (the titular Master) and his muse (Margarita) to finish a novel, and the visit of the Devil, in the guise of a magician named Woland, to officially atheistic Moscow. This one-credit honors course will have three major movements. First, we will explore the social context of the author’s world and his novel through lecture, paying particular attention to the geography of Bulgakov’s Moscow, his work as a dramatist for the Moscow Art Theatre, and his relationships to the Soviet state in general and Stalin in particular. Next, we’ll discuss the novel’s form and content as a class, moving chapter by chapter and tracking the three plot lines. Finally, students will choose a short (roughly five pages) final creative application, writing either a scholarly analysis of one aspect of the novel, a short story inspired by Bulgakov’s style, or a dramatic adaptation of a chapter from The Master and Margarita. A culminating showcase will celebrate the original undergraduate work and students will have the option to share their papers and hear their adaptations or short stories red aloud by actors.
Required Textbook • The Master and Margarita • Mikhail Bulgakov (Translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky) • Penguin 50th Anniversary Edition (2016) • ISBN: 978-0-14-310827-6
Course Schedule (Subject to Change) Jan 9th : Bulgakov’s Moscow Jan 16th : Bulgakov and Stalin Jan 23rd: Bulgakov and the Moscow Art Theatre Jan 30th: Bulgakov’s Novels Feb 6th: TBA Screening (Dr. Bartley at KCACTF Conference) Feb 11th: Bulgakov’s Plays Feb 20th: The Master and Margarita I (read pp. 3-100) Feb 27th: The Master and Margarita II (read pp. 101-212) Mar 13tth: The Master and Margarita III (read pp. 215-298) Mar 20th: The Master and Margarita IV (read pp. 299-384) Mar 27th: The Master and Margarita V (read pp. 385-396) Apr 3rd: Adapting The Master and Margarita Uncommon Reads, IDH 2930 (35AD) Page 1 Dr. Sean Bartley, Spring 2019 Apr 10th: Workshop Creative Applications I Apr 17th: Workshop Creative Applications II Apr 24th: Final Пьянка Celebration
Course Expectations: 1.) To attend class. This course will rely on discussion, class exercises, and group work. For this format to succeed, you must be present and on time. You will receive points for participation and attendance in this course. You may miss one unexcused class session without penalty to your grade. After this, 10 percentage points will be deducted from your Attendance grade for each absence beyond the allotted two. Tardiness is not acceptable. Three late arrivals and/or early exits will equal one absence. If you know you will be absent from class, it is your responsibility to notify the instructor prior to the absence and turn in any work prior to the start of class time. Excused absences, which are defined in the University Attendance Policy (https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/academic- regulations/attendance-policies/ - absencestext), must be documented. Only absences covered in the University Attendance Policy may be documented and considered as excused. Athletes must submit official, written documentation for every absence. Students who miss class due to an excused absence must contact the instructor to make up missed work (including quizzes) within one week of your return to class. All students are responsible for providing their own documentation–I cannot track it down for you.
2.)To read the assigned materials. The material we read will provide us with the common ground upon which we will base our conversations. Without that common ground, our conversations will lose much of their richness. We will have quizzes and in-class writing exercises to ensure that you are keeping up with the reading and to help stimulate class discussion. Bringing the textbook to class on each day a reading is due is essential.
3.) To be attentive and participate in class. Participation does not simply mean speaking aloud in class, although that is essential. Students should participate by actively following discussion and by contributing to our semester-long conversation through the insights they present in their papers and assignments. Other examples of participation include coming prepared to class, asking questions that help to clarify the assigned readings, and making thoughtful comments that link the readings to outside material (perhaps even from other courses). Examples of activities that detract from that atmosphere include arriving late or leaving early, cell phone use, distracting behavior during lectures or student presentations, speaking unkindly or disrespectfully to or about anyone in the classroom, or expecting special treatment. These activities will not be tolerated, and offenders may be asked to leave class or face other disciplinary measures.
4.) To complete the required assignments in a timely fashion. The assignments provide you with both informal and formal opportunities to articulate your responses to the issues we’ll be discussing. You will get the most out of the course if you turn in your work on time. If you know you will be absent due to school related functions, family events, etc. it is your responsibility to make prior arrangements with the instructor. Late assignments are subject to a 10% deduction per day. Some assignments, such as the Facilitation, cannot be made up except in the case of unanticipated, excused absences. While I appreciate that computer problems happen, they are not an acceptable reason for submitting work late and will result in the same 10% per day late penalty. All deductions are calculated based upon the possible points for each assignment.
Evaluation of Grades Assignment Total Points Percentage of Final Grade Attendance 200 20% Participation 200 20% Quizzes 200 20% Creative Application 200 20% Draft Final Creative 200 20% Application Uncommon Reads, IDH 2930 (35AD) Page 2 Dr. Sean Bartley, Spring 2019
100%
Grading Policy The following is given as an example only. Percent Grade Grade Points 90.0 - 100.0 A 4.00 87.0 - 89.9 A- 3.67 84.0 - 86.9 B+ 3.33 81.0 – 83.9 B 3.00 78.0 - 80.9 B- 2.67 75.0 - 79.9 C+ 2.33 72.0 – 74.9 C 2.00 69.0 - 71.9 C- 1.67 66.0 - 68.9 D+ 1.33 63.0 - 65.9 D 1.00 60.0 - 62.9 D- 0.67 0 - 59.9 E 0.00
More information on UF grading policy may be found at: http://gradcatalog.ufl.edu/content.php?catoid=10&navoid=2020#grades https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/regulations/info/grades.aspx
Students Requiring Accommodations Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352- 392-8565, https://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc) by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to the instructor when requesting accommodation. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.
Course Evaluation Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/evals. Evaluations are typically open during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results/.
University Honesty Policy UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code (https://www.dso.ufl.edu/sccr/process/student-conduct-honor-code/) specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor or TAs in this class.
Software Use All faculty, staff, and students of the University are required and expected to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as Uncommon Reads, IDH 2930 (35AD) Page 3 Dr. Sean Bartley, Spring 2019 appropriate. We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to uphold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
Student Privacy There are federal laws protecting your privacy with regards to grades earned in courses and on individual assignments. For more information, please see: http://registrar.ufl.edu/catalog0910/policies/regulationferpa.html
Campus Resources: Health and Wellness U Matter, We Care: If you or a friend is in distress, please contact [email protected] or 352 392-1575 so that a team member can reach out to the student.
Counseling and Wellness Center: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc, and 392-1575; and the University Police Department: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.
Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS) Student Health Care Center, 392-1161.
University Police Department at 392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies), or http://www.police.ufl.edu/.
Academic Resources E-learning technical support, 352-392-4357 (select option 2) or e-mail to [email protected]. https://lss.at.ufl.edu/help.shtml.
Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601. Career assistance and counseling. https://www.crc.ufl.edu/.
Library Support, http://cms.uflib.ufl.edu/ask. Various ways to receive assistance with respect to using the libraries or finding resources.
Teaching Center, Broward Hall, 392-2010 or 392-6420. General study skills and tutoring. https://teachingcenter.ufl.edu/.
Writing Studio, 302 Tigert Hall, 846-1138. Help brainstorming, formatting, and writing papers. https://writing.ufl.edu/writing-studio/.
Student Complaints Campus: https://www.dso.ufl.edu/documents/UF_Complaints_policy.pdf.
On-Line Students Complaints: http://www.distance.ufl.edu/student-complaint-process.a
Uncommon Reads, IDH 2930 (35AD) Page 4 Dr. Sean Bartley, Spring 2019