World Languages and Literatures
The Undead in Russian Literature and Film - Russ 290, Spring 2018
October 19, 2017
New for Spring 2018!
THE UNDEAD in Russian Literature & Film
Featuring: Dostoevsky, Gogol, Chekhov, Bulgakov & others
Long before Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), or Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight (2005), vampires, werewolves and other undead beings have haunted Slavic folklore and the Russian artistic imagination. This course examines the undead – ghosts, demons, vampires, mythical creatures, animated artworks, and other undead beings – and their role in Russian (and Soviet) literature and film from the beginning of the Romantic period to the present day. Primary texts include short stories from the most prominent Russian writers of the 19th century, including Alexander Pushkin, Nicolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Anton Chekhov; Mihkail Bulgakov’s controversial 20th century novel, The Master and Margarita (1966); and a number of films, including the internationally acclaimed duology Day Watch (2004) and Night Watch (2006). In our discussions we will consider various questions, such as: How do the living dead challenge our assumptions about reality? What is their significance not only for literature and art, but for political and social issues, as well? How and why are the images of the undead modified over time? The course is conducted in English. Optional readings available in Russian. No prerequisites.
The course is conducted in English. No prerequisites.
Counts towards the World Languages Major (with Russian as a primary or a secondary language) and the Russian Minor.
Counts towards the IS Gen/Ed requirement and Core Substitute (for certain transfer students)
Offered: 12:40 - 01:40PM MWF
Instructor: Dr. Maria Hristova, hristova@lclark.edu
