RUSN 3301 focuses on short works in translation by some of Russian (and world!) literature’s greatest writers: Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov. Literary prose illuminates the formation of ideas. We will consider how the short stories represent the deep-seated conflicts in Russian history and society, responsible for the combination of fear, aggression, the yearning for freedom from oppression and the re-emergence of brutal dictators. Russia’s repressive regime today again threatens peace and prosperity for Ukrainians, Russians and also for the rest of the world. The best way we can train ourselves to understand the present and envisage the future is through the study of works by these great authors who offer insight into how people think and act.
CRN 10449 TR 2:00pm-3:20pm