Survey of Russian Literature: The Age of Experiment

This course discusses the transition from predominately poetic to predominately prosaic creativity in the Russian literature of the first half of the 19th century Russian literature and the birth of the great Russian novel. It is focused on the peculiarities of poetics and narrative style in the literary works of three towering figures of the period in question - Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, and Nikolai Gogol -- and examines the changes in the Russian literary scene affected by them. An emphasis is placed on close reading of literary texts and analysis of literary techniques employed in them. We will discuss the various approaches and possibilities in presenting authorial positions and characterization in literature; ways of experimenting with narrative and playing with the reader; the creation of the historical and psychological novel and the use of different narrative devices for diverse artistic purposes. Taught in English.