Ways of the Russian Novel

Modernity. Quest for the Divine. Scandal. Madness. Erotic obsession. State surveillance. These are a sampling of the topics found in two major Russian novels: "The Idiot" (1868) by Fedor Dostoevskii and "Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov (1929-1940). Close reading of these texts within their historical, social, and cultural contexts will allow us to pose the following questions: what are the defining features of the novel genre in its Russian manifestation? What is the trajectory of the genre's development from the "great Russian novel" in the 19th century to Bulgakov's "great underground Soviet novel"? In our analysis, we will implement various Western and Russian theories of the novel and discuss the validity and intentions of various film adaptations of these texts. Students are expected to produce short response papers, longer analytical papers, and oral presentations for the class. MCP,PRS, WRI