Study of the most significant figures and their works in European literary history, exclusive of English. The course aims to acquaint students with the classics in the literatures of Greece, Rome, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Russia, and other countries in English translation. No knowledge of foreign languages required. Open to all students. Lecture.
Study of the most significant figures and their works in European literary history, exclusive of English. The course aims to acquaint students with the classics in the literatures of Greece, Rome, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Russia, and other countries in English translation. No knowledge of foreign languages required. Open to all students. Lecture.
Pushkin, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov. Readers across the globe come to Russian literature for answers to life's cursed questions: Who am I? Why do people suffer? Who is to blame? What is to be done? While famous for their artistic and philosophical brilliance, writers in Russia also responded to war, colonial expansion, and political violence. This course introduces students to this landscape, offering a vision of Russia’s cultural past that helps us understand its imperial present.
This course offers a survey of the texts and challenges of writing literature in Russia and Eastern Europe since the Soviet regime. From the Russian Revolution and the Cold War, to the rise of authoritarian regimes in our time, we will examine how authors negotiated artistic freedom and state censorship in places where writing was a matter of life and death. Particular attention will be paid to minoritized groups (women, ethnic minorities, and political dissidents).
From the first accounts of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution to Iannucci’s dark comedy, The Death of Stalin (2017), Western writers, filmmakers, and photographers, have been captivated by the cultural and social experiment that was the Soviet Union. This culture survey introduces students to the cinematic and literary portrayals that epitomize Western (mis)perceptions about the Soviets, Eastern Bloc, and its allies in the Third World, deeper understanding of which illuminates the cultural polarization of our time.
This course explores the development of Chinese science fiction since the early twentieth century against a history of wars, reform and revolutions, and China’s rise as a great economy and
technological innovator in the world. With stories, novel excerpts, comic books, and films, we will examine the intersection of literature, science, empire and nation, modernity and modernization. This
course will be conducted in English in the form of lectures and discussions.
This course, taught in English, examines images of China on the screen with special attention to the transnational connections in filmmaking and gender representations. It contrasts the Orientalist portrayals of China in European and Hollywood films and the self-orientalization or internal Orientalism in cinemas from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, engaging with topics including the “new woman,” masculinity and nationalism, global capitalism, and independent filmmaking, and adopting approaches of film analyses, post-colonial studies, and gender/sexuality theories.
An examination of Fyodor Dostoevsky's major novels and journalism in the context of his transnational legacy. We examine problems of reading Dostoevsky in the 21st century stemming from his Christianity, politics, and contribution to the global art of the novel. Of special consideration will be the texts and reception of two influential novels, Notes from the Dead House and The Brothers Karamazov. Key theoretical approaches to his work will be discussed. All readings in English.
French cinematographers and their works have often stood in contrast to large-scale, epic Hollywood productions. This is not to say that the two traditions are totally distinct: cross-fertilization has occurred in both directions. The French have produced a number of cinematographic masterpieces, and many of their most successful films have been recast for an American audience. In this course, we will examine five distinct genres: 1) the French New Wave with films by Truffaut (The Last Metro), Rohmer (Claire's Knee), Godard (Breathless), and Lelouch (A Man and a Woman); 2) the French Film Noir, with films by Chabrol (The Butcher), Clouzot (Les Diaboliqies), and Malle (Elevator to the Gallows); the Historical Epic, with films by Rappeneau (Cyrano), Chereau (Queen Margot), Vigne (The Return of Martin Guerre); Comedies, with films by Veber (The Dinner Game), Serreau (Three Men and a Baby), and Jeunet (Amelie); and Political Films with films by Renoir (La Grande Illusion), Malle (Au Revoir les Enfants), and Resnais (Hiroshima Mon Amour).
Study of a genre or special topic in foreign literatures in translation. Seminar content is broad in scope and may span several centuries. In addition to the literature, theoretical readings are discussed, and a final research paper is required.
What is war? What is peace? What is love? What is death?—these are the questions raised by Lev Tolstoy’s War and Peace. This course is dedicated to analyzing the artistic world-building of this epic novel, while also exploring its continued social relevance and moral vision. Students will study the text, assess its major commentators, and research its dialogue with today’s burning issues: social justice, anti-colonialism, gender and sexuality, and climate change. (Taught in English)
This course is designed to give advanced students the opportunity to investigate intensively an area of special interest. Students are required to meet with the instructor periodically throughout the semester and to submit a scholarly paper, as well as to take an oral examination at the conclusion of the course.