This course traces the creative evolution of one of the world's 
greatest writers, Fyodor Dostoevsky, from his earliest works to 
his murder novels. We examine Dostoevsky's inquiry into the 
themes of love and death, sin and salvation, guilt and shame, 
freedom and compulsion, individual will and moral 
responsibility. 

Dostoevsky's rendering of these timeless questions inspired 
countless writers, artists, philosophers, and filmmakers. To 
uncover the secret of Dostoevsky's enduring appeal to various 
audiences both at home and abroad, we will look into how 
Dostoevsky's works have been received and interpreted in 
various intellectual traditions and contexts.

The following is a representative outline. Appropriate texts 
and other material illustrating the various topics will be 
chosen at the discretion of the instructor.

1.  Introduction to course 
	
2.  The image of St. Petersburg in Russian literature

3.  Utopia and dystopia:
a)  Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground  
b)  N. G. Chernyshevsky, from What is to Be Done? 

4.  The polyphonic novel,  pro and contra: 
a) Dostoevsky, Crime and Punishment 
b) M. M. Bakhtin, from "Discourse in Dostoevsky."
c) N. K. Milkhailovsky, from "Dostoevsky's Cruel Talent" 
d) F. I. Evnin. "Plot Structure and Raskol'nikov's 
Oscillations" 
e) N. Strakhov on the nihilists and Raskol'nikov's new idea
f) J. Frank, "The World of Raskol'nikov" 
g) M. Bakhtin, From Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics 	
h) M. Holquist, "Puzzle and Mystery" 

5.  The perfect man:
a) Dostoevsky, The Idiot 
b) N. G. Chernyshevsky, from The Aesthetic Relations of Art to 
Reality
c)  Film:  The Idiot (dir. A. Kurosawa)

6.  The novel as moral guidance:
a) Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
b) Dostoevsky's Letters No. 318, 550, 617
c) R. Belknap, "The Structure of Inherent Relationships" 
d) E. Wasiolek, "The Brothers Karamazov: Idea and Technique" 
f) D.H. Lawrence, "The Grand Inquisitor" 
g) A. Camus, "The Rejection of Salvation" 

7.  Conclusion