Syllabus

** Instructor: ** Lisa Czejdo Office: MCD 109 Office Hours: by appointment Phone: 835-5410 E-mail: Czejdo@mtsd.org ** Course Objectives ** This course offers an overview of Russian and German literature from the early 19 th century to the present using representative works of some major writers. By placing emphasis on cultural, political, and philosophical context the objective is to provide non-Russian/German-reading students with an understanding of literary texts and to enhance their skill of analyzing and interpreting literature. This study offers you an introduction to Russian and German literature through readings that reflect experiences and understandings among various cultural and ethnic groups. Our goals in doing so are varied: 1) to educate students about perspectives and communication in Russian and German society.   2) to introduce them to various issues involved in the development of a multicultural, multiethnic society in countries that has long been associated with a homogeneous populace. 3) to acquaint them with the wide array of voices in Russian and German prose.   4) to advance students’ proficiency in reading, writing about, and discussing literature by providing practice in analyzing Russian German literary texts. ** Course Policies ** This is a discussion, not a lecture, course, and students are encouraged and expected to participate actively in the discussions. Therefore, you must prepare the entire assignment carefully before coming to each class so that you can contribute your comments and questions to the discussion. Class discussions will focus mainly on the content and analysis of the literary texts. ** Homework ** As indicated above, you must read each assignment carefully before coming to class. If you run into problems in reading, mark the words and structures that are causing difficulty so that you can ask about them in class. Sometimes you will be given questions as a study guide to the reading selections assigned. For each such assignment, you will prepare written answers to the questions pertaining to that assignment. Answer in your own words, and avoid copying from the text. You may be asked to write a summary of a selection or an essay on a particular topic; to make vocabulary lists or questions for discussion; or to write about your views and feelings on a specific reading selection. The written assignments are due on the day scheduled for discussing the reading assignments to which they relate or on another day specified by your instructor. Of course, in case of illness and other excused absences, you may turn in written assignments late. If you are absent, you are responsible for contacting a classmate or your instructor to find out the assignment. Homework counts; failure to do almost all the written homework regularly and carefully will seriously affect your final grade. ** Required Texts ** and **E-texts (free)** Kafka, Franz. //The Metamorphosis and Other Stories// Mann, Thomas. //Death in Venice and Other Tales// Selected Readings (hand-outs) ** Method of Instruction ** Lecture-discussions and written assignments. On-line work on wikispaces: The OverCoat ** Course Requirements ** • Close reading of all assigned texts before class. Expect occasional quizzes of the “have-you - read” kind. • Active class participation: all students are expected to make significant contributions to the class discussions. Students will be graded according to the quality and frequency of their participation. • While intellectual dialogue is of the most importance, students will have to prepare short papers or projects (3-5 pages) on some aspect of the narratives we are reading. They may be historically oriented, political, philosophical, biographical or interpretive, or on some aspect not covered in class (consult with instructor beforehand.) Each paper is due on the Friday after the discussion. • Midterm (date not set yet)/Objective • Final exam on last day of class/Take-home ** Evaluation of Course Work ** Participation (includes quizzes and minor homework assignments), Midterm, Short Papers, Final Exam ** Grading Scale ** District policy. ** Make-up Policy ** • Make-up exams will be given only under compelling circumstances. • All assignments must be ready by the assigned date. The grade will be lowered for late papers. ** Honor Code ** All students are bound by the Academic Honor Code in all their academic work. Please see the // Student Handbook // for details. ** Tentative Schedule for Readings and Discussions ** **// (Foreign Films will be viewed as appropriate) //** **__ Week I and II: __** Introduction to Literature and the Russian Mindset; Selected Russian Folklore and Fairy Tales: //The Firebird//; __ Pushkin __ : //The Shot, The Snowstorm, The Undertaker, The Queen of Spades, and Ruslan and Ludmila// __ Gogol __ : //The Nose, The Overcoat, and The Inspector General// **__ Week III: __** __ Chekhov __// : The Duel, Gooseberries, The Bet, The Grasshopper, The Bishop, Lady with the Lapdog, The Darling // **__ Week IV and V: __** __ Tolstoy __ : //God Sees the Truth but Waits, Alyosha the Pot, Love, Prisoner of the Caucuses; and other selected stories if time permits// __Bunin__: //Light Breathing// Selected Short Stories as time permits **__ Week VI: __** __ Bulgakov: __// Master and Margarita // **__ Week VII and VIII: __** Introduction to Philosophy; Nietzsche and Schopenhauer; Introduction to Thomas Mann: //Little Herr Friedemann, Tristan,// //and Death in Venice// **__ Week IX and X: __** Kafka: //Metamorphosis and selected short stories// **__ Week XI: __** Surminski, Arno. //Vesperle or The Capitalist’s// //Pleasure// **__ Week XII: __** Selected Short Stories and Films **__ Week XIII and XIV: __** Culture, Politics, and History and their influence on Literature and Thought
 * Syllabus: Russian and German Literature and Philosophy in Translation **