Course Description
Explores themes of madness, desire, and death in Russian literature and the arts, focusing on the 19th century. Study of masterpieces by Russian writers (Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy, Chekhov), as well as non-fictional documents, such as Russian medical, judicial, and philosophical treatises and essays. All readings in English.
Athena Title
Madness and Desire
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course examines 19th-century Russian culture through the lens of its preoccupation with three major themes: madness, sexual desire, and death. A focus on each of these themes allows us a deeper understanding of the uniqueness of Russian culture and its similarities with and differences from Western European culture. Our study of madness, sexual desire, and death in Russian culture will reveal the significance of extreme human experiences for the formation of Russian consciousness. By reading and discussing Russian 19th-century literary masterpieces by such authors as Alexander Pushkin, Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Ivan Turgenev, Nikolai Leskov, Lev Tolstoy, and Anton Chekhov, we ultimately aim to develop a greater insight into the complex relationships between cultural norms and sexual desire, political oppression and madness, religion and death. While the majority of our subject matter will come from fictional literature, we will also engage with non-fictional medical, judicial, political, and philosophical treatises and essays on the topic, as well as representations of our topics in music and painting. Students will be evaluated on the basis of written assignments, such as compositions and short reflective papers, attendance and participation in class discussions, quizzes, and exams.
Topical Outline
The following is a representative outline. The course will be broken into three parts, each corresponding to the sub-topic in question. Final texts and other material illustrating the various topics will be chosen at the discretion of the instructor. 1. Madness a). The Particularities of the Russian National Character: Ivan the Fool, The Holy Fool (Saints’ Lives and Fairy-tales) b). Political Madness: Pyotr Chaadaev’s First Philosophical Letter; the Political Repression of Nicholas I c). Madness in the Age of Reason: Pushkin’s "The Bronze Horseman" d). Romantic Madness: Alexander Pushkin’s “The Queen of Spades” e). Social Madness: Nikolai Gogol’s “Diary of a Madman”; Fyodor Dostoevsky’s "The Double"; Anton Chekhov’s “Ward No. 6” f). Religious Madness: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Dream of a Ridiculous Man” 2. Desire a). Desire and Gender Roles: Ivan Turgenev’s "First Love" b). Desire and Power: Nikolai Leskov’s "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District" c). Desire and Social Norms: Lev Tolstoy’s “The Devil” and "The Kreutzer Sonata" 3. Death a). Suicide: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s “The Meek One” b). Natural Causes: Nikolai Gogol’s “The Overcoat” c). Murder: Fyodor Dostoevsky’s "Crime and Punishment" d). Transcendence: Lev Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Il’yich”
General Education Core
CORE IV: Humanities and the ArtsSyllabus