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Rutgers University Russian & East European Languages and Literatures
LAUGHTER THROUGH TEARS: THE COMIC TRADITION IN RUSSIAN LITERATURE 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 Alexander Pushkin 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 Russia is!” This interdisciplinary course will introduce students to the rich and wonderfully eclectic world of comic, humorous, and satirical Russian literature. Our readings span nearly three centuries and numerous genres, from the neoclassical comedies of Denis Fonvizin 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 satire, 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. The Master and Margarita. 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. Moscow 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.