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Rutgers University Russian & East European Languages and

LAUGHTER THROUGH TEARS: THE COMIC TRADITION IN RUSSIAN 1:860:320:01, Comp. Lit. 01:195:398:01

Spring 2014, TTh5 (Tuesday and Thursday, 2:50–4:10pm) Scott Hall 115

Instructor: James McGavran Office: German House 203 (172 College Ave.) Office Phone: 732.932.7201, ext. 17 E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: MTTh 1:00–2:00pm, and by appointment!

COURSE DESCRIPTION

According to popular legend, when finished reading the first volume of Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls—one of the great comic masterpieces of Russian prose—he exclaimed, “God! How sad our is!” This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the rich and wonderfully eclectic world of comic, humorous, and satirical . Our readings span nearly three centuries and numerous genres, from the neoclassical comedies of and Alexander Griboyedov to the postmodern prose of Venedikt Erofeev. We will explore how and why some of the darkest periods of Russia’s history have produced its most luminously comic literature, and we will discuss whether “laughter through tears” is the norm in Russian culture, or whether it is a grotesque inversion. Taught in English. No prerequisites and no knowledge of Russian required.

COURSE LEARNING GOALS

Students will: read and discuss masterworks of Russian drama and prose of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries; build a theoretical framework for the discussion of humor and laughter and their role(s) in culture; differentiate genres and styles including dramatic comedy, social , and absurdist humor; sharpen analytical and communication skills; be able to propose an argumentative thesis and support it with appropriate evidence.

RUSSIAN PROGRAM AND COMPARATIVE LITERATURE PROGRAM LEARNING GOALS http://reell.rutgers.edu/undergraduate/major http://complit.rutgers.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=99&Itemid=157

REQUIRED TEXTS

All are available at the Rutgers University Bookstore. You may purchase them elsewhere, but it is important that you find these translations and editions.

1. Gogol, Nikolai. The Diary of a Madman, The Government Inspector, and Selected Stories. Trans. Wilks and Maguire. Penguin Classics, 2006. ISBN: 0140449078. 2

2. Gogol, Nikolai. Dead Souls. Trans. Pevear and Volokhonsky. Vintage, 1997. ISBN: 0679776443. 3. Sologub, Fyodor. The Petty Demon. Trans. Cioran. Ardis, 2009. ISBN: 0882338080. 4. Ilf, Ilya and Evgeny Petrov. The Twelve Chairs. Trans. Fisher. Northwestern UP, 2011. ISBN: 0810127725. 5. Kharms, Daniil. Today I Wrote Nothing: The Selected Writings of Daniil Kharms. Trans. Yankelevich. Overlook TP, 2009. ISBN: 159020042X. 6. Bulgakov, Mikhail. . Trans. Pevear and Volokhonsky. Penguin Classics, 2001. ISBN: 0141180145. 7. Zoshchenko, Mikhail. The Galosh and Other Stories. Trans. Hicks. Overlook TP, 2009. ISBN: 1590202112. 8. Erofeev, Venedikt. to the End of the Line. Trans. Tjalsma. Northwestern UP, 1992. ISBN: 0810112000.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Reading. Do it. Don’t get behind. Pay attention to detail. Try to inhabit each author’s consciousness: what did he know, what had he been through, what fascinated and disturbed him, and how did he sleep at night? You will take a midterm exam consisting of passage identifications and short-answer questions on our readings, and I reserve the right to give unannounced reading quizzes if I get the impression we are not all “on the same page.” 2. Class participation and Sakai discussion forum. Russian literature and culture have always generated heated debate, and it is in this context that we will study them. The Sakai discussion forum for the course will stand in for Twitter as part of an ongoing collaborative experiment to enhance and extend discussion beyond the classroom—and to think about the relationship of technology to politics and culture. You are expected to “tweet” one forum contribution—limiting yourself to the title field of the message, which holds a maximum of 260 characters—before each class. Working within the limitations of the platform, you might want to propose a concise interpretation of our readings, inquire about something you find difficult, express righteous indignation, or respond to someone else’s post. Please use page numbers to direct your readers to the text you are discussing. All Sakai “tweets” must be posted by 10:00pm the evening before class, so that you and I have the opportunity to read each other’s comments before we meet. I will address and respond to your posts frequently during class, using them to shape our discussions. Your daily participation and your Sakai forum contributions will be evaluated. 3. Writing. You will be assigned two three-page response papers and one eight-page final paper this semester. These are not research assignments; you are expected to provide original, concrete analysis—usually comparative, sometimes from an unusual point of view—of our course materials. Toward the end of the term, you will select a topic for your final paper in consultation with me and your peers. Critical feedback on the two shorter papers will help sharpen your skills before you embark on the final. Halfway through the semester, you will take a short, in-class midterm exam that will consist of passage identifications from our readings and short-answer questions. If you have kept up with the reading, the midterm will be easy for you.

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GRADING POLICY

Your grade for the course will be computed according to the following distribution.

1. Class Participation 25% 2. Sakai Forum Posts 10% 3. First Paper (2-3 pages) 15% 4. Midterm Exam 15% 5. Second Paper (3 pages) 15% 6. Final Paper (7-8 pages) 20% (total) 100%

GRADE DISTRIBUTION

A = 90–100; B+ = 85–89; B = 80–84; C+ = 75–79; C = 70–74; D = 65–69; F = 64 and below.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

All students must attend regularly and arrive prepared. Please use the new University absence reporting website https://sims.rutgers.edu/ssra/ to indicate the date and reason for any absences. An email will automatically be sent to me. It is the responsibility of students who have been absent (for any reason) to find out what they have missed and obtain materials that may have been handed out. Because we only meet twice per week, unexcused absences will very quickly and adversely affect your final grade: 2 unexcused absences will result in you getting the lower grade in any borderline situation; 3-4 unexcused absences will result in a full letter-grade reduction (e.g., a B would become a C); and if you have 5 or more unexcused absences, you will fail the course, no matter what grades you have received on completed assignments. Three late arrivals count as one absence.

CELL PHONES

Cell phones and all other technological devices (laptops, iPads, iPods, etc.) must be turned off during class out of respect for your instructor and your fellow students. Please schedule all important phone communications outside of class time.

DISABILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

Students who will be requesting accommodations due to disabilities are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the procedures and policies regarding disability support services at the following website: http://disabilityservices.rutgers.edu/. It is recommended that students seeking accommodations begin filing paperwork as soon as possible, as the documentation review process can take up to 30 business days. Students are encouraged to speak with me about these issues at the beginning of the term. All such conversations will be kept strictly confidential.

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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Violations of academic integrity are an extremely serious matter and can lead to a student failing the course and being referred to the University’s Office of Student Conduct for disciplinary action. When referring to ideas other than your own, always acknowledge your sources clearly and completely, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing. Please see the University’s policies on academic integrity at http://academicintegrity.rutgers.edu/, and discuss with me any questions you may have about this and related issues.

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CLASS, READING, AND ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Topic 1: Neoclassical Comedy: Who is Laughing at Whom?

• Tuesday, January 21: Class canceled due to inclement weather! • Thursday, January 23: Course introduction. What is laughter? What are comedy, humor, and satire? What makes us laugh? Syllabus, course requirements. • Tuesday, January 28: Denis Fonvizin, The Infant, Acts I–III (PDF on Sakai). • Thursday, January 30: The Infant, Acts IV and V (PDF on Sakai).

Topic 2: Nikolai Gogol: Social Satire or Something Stranger?

• Tuesday, February 4: “The Nose” and “The Overcoat.” • Thursday, February 6: The Government Inspector (the whole play!). • Tuesday, February 11: Dead Souls, Chapters 1–6 (pp. 3–132). • Thursday, February 13: Dead Souls, Chapters 7–10 (pp. 133–220). • Tuesday, February 18: Dead Souls, Chapter 11 and Chapters 1–3 of Volume Two (pp. 221–337). • Thursday, February 20: Dead Souls to the end (pp. 338–393).

Topic 3: Demons Petty and Enormous: A Rotting Society’s Darkest Satire

• Tuesday, February 25: Sologub, The Petty Demon, pp. 29–87. • Thursday, February 27: The Petty Demon, pp. 88–146. • Tuesday, March 4: The Petty Demon, pp. 147–232. • Thursday, March 6: The Petty Demon, pp. 233–260. First Response Paper Due!!

Topic 4: Ilf and Petrov: The Dynamic Duo of Soviet Satire

• Tuesday, March 11: The Twelve Chairs, Chapters 1–11 (pp. 5–124). • Thursday, March 13: The Twelve Chairs, Chapters 12–18 (pp. 125–218). In-Class Midterm Exam!!

Spring Break: Saturday, March 15–Sunday, March 23

• Tuesday, March 25: The Twelve Chairs, Chapters 19–36 (pp. 219–438). • Thursday, March 27: The Twelve Chairs to the end (pp. 439–505).

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Topic 5: The Discreet Kharms of the Absurd

• Tuesday, April 1 (Ha!): Kharms, Today I Wrote Nothing, pp. 43–86. • Thursday, April 3: Today I Wrote Nothing, pp. 87–124.

Topic 6: : Soviet Comedy Goes Cosmic

• Tuesday, April 8: The Master and Margarita, Chapters 1–11 (pp. 7–118). • Thursday, April 10: The Master and Margarita, Chapters 12–18 (pp. 119–214). • Tuesday, April 15: The Master and Margarita, Chapters 19–27 (pp. 217–346). • Thursday, April 17: The Master and Margarita, Chapter 28–Epilogue (pp. 347–396). Second Response Paper Due!!

Topic 7: Mikhail Zoshchenko: Soviet Satire Comes Down to Earth

• Tuesday, April 22: Zoshchenko, The Galosh and Other Stories: “A Thief,” “A Speech about Bribery,” “A Crime Report,” “Love,” “Electrification,” “A Bathhouse,” “Thieves,” “Nervous People.” • Thursday, April 24: “Economy Measures,” “A Workshop for Health,” “The Benefits of Culture,” “The Galosh,” “Three Men and a Cat,” “How Much Does a Man Need?,” “The Pushkin Centenary Celebrations” (both speeches).

Topic 8: Venedikt Erofeev and the Birth of Russian Postmodernism

• Tuesday, April 29: Moscow to the End of the Line, pp. 11–102. • Thursday, May 1: Moscow to the End of the Line, pp. 102–164, and course wrap-up.

FINAL PAPER DUE FRIDAY, MAY 9 BY 3:00PM!!