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Russian Folklore in Film

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Russian Folklore in Film Dr. Alexander Boguslawski Rollins College Office: Hauck 208 Spring 2009 T-TH 2:00-3:15 Hauck 110 E-mail: [email protected] RSN 227: RUSSIAN FOLKLORE IN FILM (This syllabus is not a contract and can be changed at any time at the discretion of the professor) COURSE-SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: The course will acquaint the students with selected genres of Russian folklore. To accomplish this goal, we will watch a number of movies based on the works of Aleksandr Sergeevich Pushkin, Russian heroic epic, and Russian folk tales, and we will compare the films to their textual sources. The first segment of the course presents the fairy tales of Pushkin. The second segment investigates Russian heroic epic. The third segment deals with Russian fairy and folk tales, particularly with their analysis through Vladimir Propp’s 31 function method. The movies will be used to provide illustrative material and to show the popularity of folklore topics and folk heroes in modern Russia. The selected topics will help students gain insight into the everyday life of the Russian people, evaluate better the character and behavior of the Russian people and see it as a result of many centuries of 1 traditional beliefs, customs, and traditions. GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: This course fulfills the General Education Requirement C (knowledge of other cultures). The following paragraphs should help students understand this requirement, its definition, and the means of assessment as well as its application in this course: Knowledge of Other Cultures (C) Humans have adapted to a wide range of habitats and developed a variety of ways of interpreting and understanding the world. The diversity of these interpretations is part of what defines our species. By analyzing a nonwestern culture, students will better understand what is common to human nature, how societies differ from each other and how our lives are shaped by our cultural beliefs. They will also understand that culture is not an arbitrary construct, but rather consists of systems of beliefs and institutions that typically serve some purpose. Nonwestern cultures are those that are not European derived, or that may be European derived but include a substantial cultural component from African, Native American, Asian, Australian Aboriginal or Pacific Island sources. Upon completion of this requirement, students will be able to: GOAL 1: Demonstrate an understanding of a point of view characterizing a nonwestern culture including awareness of basic beliefs that are not typical of most western cultures. ASSESSMENT: The student will write an essay in which basic beliefs typical of a non-western culture are identified and compared and contrasted with beliefs typical of a western culture. Basic beliefs are those whose effects are widespread within a given culture. GOAL 2: Explain how a given institution or symbol system in a nonwestern culture enhances the viability of that culture or, alternately, serves the purposes of some social group or category within that culture. ASSESSMENT: The student will write an essay explaining how a given nonwestern institution or symbol system helps a society adapt to its physical or social environment, or, alternately, serves the interests of a group or category within that culture. For our course, the goals and assessments can be reformulated this way: Goals: The course will acquaint the students with selected genres and manifestations of Russian folklore: the pre-Christian (pagan) religious beliefs and mythology; the superstitions and supernatural beings; folk and fairy tales; and the heroic epic. Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of a point of view characterizing a nonwestern (Russian) culture, including awareness of basic beliefs that are not typical of most western cultures. Moreover, the students will be able to explain how a given institution or symbol system in Russian culture enhances the viability of that culture or, alternately, serves the interests or purpose of some social group or category within that culture. Assessment: The fulfillment of the C requirement will be assessed by quizzes, written essays, and the final comprehensive examination in which the students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the basic beliefs (those whose effects are/were widespread) of the Russian people and will be able to compare or contrast them with beliefs typical of a western culture. Examples: Explain the differences between the Russian fairy and folk tales and their Western counterparts. Write an original “Russian” fairy tale, using the necessary “functions” and formulas. Write an original Russian heroic epic, using the necessary formulas. 2 COURSE ORGANIZATION: The course will be based on the textbooks (Afanasyev’s Russian Fairy Tales, Bailey’s An Anthology of Russian Folk Epic), selected movies, independent research in libraries and on the Internet, and on supplementary lectures, and handouts. After gathering information from various sources, students will compare their findings in class, discuss and analyze the material and, finally, synthesize the most important facts (with the teacher's help) into concise compilations of knowledge about the selected aspects of Russian folklore. It is important to compile good quality (extensive, detailed) notes: a) Notes from readings. Notes can assume many forms (bulleted lists, charts, tables, short paragraphs, comments/evaluations, quotes, etc). b) Notes from class lectures, films, and discussions. During the course, students will write three movie reviews and one longer paper. The movie reviews should be 2-3 pages long, well edited and original (avoid retelling of the plots). Write one review of the movies based on Pushkin’s tales, one of the movies based on the heroic epic, and one based on folk tales. The longer paper should be 6-7 pages long and devoted to one of the example topics or to a topic similar in scope (please discuss your ideas with the professor). Strategies for watching the movies and reading the stories: a) Write down the plot of the story. b) Note the heroes (main characters) and the villains (their opponents) c) Note the miraculous objects used by the heroes and the villains d) Note the elements giving the movies the Russian “flavor” e) Note the formulas and common expressions. ATTENDANCE AND GRADING POLICY: The students have to attend all classes. Only an official excuse from a physician or from the Dean of the Students will be accepted. Absences above the three (excused and unexcused) will result in the lowering of the final grade (half of a letter grade for each absence). If you miss five classes (excused or unexcused) you fail the course. Moreover, since the effectiveness and the quality of this course depend on participation by all students, good preparation, careful reading of the assignments and note-taking are essential. Grading will be based on the following formula: quizzes (20%), participation (20%), essays (40%), and the final exam (20%). THE ACADEMIC HONOR CODE: Membership in the student body of Rollins College carries with it an obligation, and requires a commitment, to act with honor in all academic endeavors. Because academic integrity is fundamental to the pursuit of knowledge and truth and is the heart of the academic life of Rollins College, it is the responsibility of all members of the College community to practice it and to report apparent violations. The following pledge is a binding commitment by the students of Rollins College: 3 The development of the virtues of Honor and Integrity is integral to a Rollins College education and to membership in the Rollins College community. Therefore, I, a student of Rollins College, pledge to show my commitment to these virtues by abstaining from any lying, cheating, or plagiarism in my academic endeavors and by behaving responsibly, respectfully, and honorably in my social life and in my relationships with others. This pledge is reinforced every time a student submits work for academic credit as his/her own. Students shall add to all papers, quizzes, tests, lab reports, etc., the following handwritten abbreviated pledge followed by their signature: “On my honor, I have not given, nor received, nor witnessed any unauthorized assistance on this work.” Material submitted electronically should contain the pledge; submission implies signing the pledge. TENTATIVE SYLLABUS: _____________________________________________________________________ Note: We will make adjustments in schedule depending on the amount of research required for each topic and the time needed for class discussion. Tuesday, January 13: Syllabus and Introduction. What is “Russian Folklore”? Assignment: Research Pushkin and his most famous tales: Ruslan and Ludmila, Tsar Saltan, The Golden Cockerel. Thursday, January 15: Pushkin (discussion). Assignment: Read Ruslan and Ludmila (handout). Tuesday, January 20: Ruslan and Ludmila. Assignment: Read Ruslan and Ludmila Thursday, January 22: Ruslan and Ludmila. Assignment: Read Ruslan and Ludmila Tuesday, January 27: Ruslan and Ludmila discussion. Assignment: Read The Tale of Tsar Saltan (handout). Thursday, January 29: The Tale of Tsar Saltan (87 min.) Assignment: Read The Tale of Tsar Saltan Tuesday, February 3: The Tale of Tsar Saltan discussion. Assignment: Research Heroic Epic. Read Bailey, Introduction (xv-xlix) and Ilya Muromets epics (25-78). Thursday, February 5: Ilya Muromets (86 min.) Assignment: Read Ilya Muromets epics. Tuesday, February 10: Ilya Muromets discussion 4 Assignment: Read Bailey, Sadko epic.(293-306) Thursday, February 12: Sadko (90 min.) Tuesday, February 17: Sadko discussion. Assignment: Read Bailey, Vasily Buslayev epics.(307-328) Thursday, February 19: Vasilii Buslaev (81 min.) Tuesday, February 24: Vasilii Buslaev discussion. Assignment: Research fairy tales and folktales. Research Vladimir Propp. Thursday, February 26: Review of heroic epic. Assignment: Research fairy tales and folktales. Read The Magic Pony (handout) Tuesday, March 3: The Magic Pony (63 min). Assignment: Read The Magic Pony Thursday, March 5: The Magic Pony discussion. MARCH 7-15 SPRING BREAK Tuesday, March 17: Fairy and folktales. Propp’s classification. An analysis of The Magic Pony using Propp’s functions.
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