Learning objectives
This approach to Russian literature texts will offer to the students a basic knowledge and understanding in the field of the Russian literary culture in the XIX century.
This approach to Russian literature texts will offer to the students a basic knowledge and understanding in the field of the Russian literary culture in the XIX century.
During the course, the student learns to
- understand the nineteenth century Russian literary scene and, through the prism of its literary monuments, to grasp their historical, political, cultural and artistic panorama;
- highlight texts' formal characteristics linking them with all the vivid polemics about the so-called Russian identity;
- find independently additional information on the topics discussed bibliography using both in print and digital material;
make judgments informed and motivated, based on a careful decoding of the text,
- refine the method of a close reading by applying it freely to other texts, exposing their interpretations in light of the critical literature on the subject.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites requested.
Course unit content
Strolls with Pushkin. An introductory approach to Russian culture
Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin will be the theme of this course as a first approach to Russian culture through its literature. Through the cross reading of Professor Andrei Sinyavsky and of the "bandit" Abram Tert in the letter that Sinyavsky wrote to his wife from GULAG, we'll investigate some key historic and cultural moments indispensable to read the great Russian literature.
Full programme
Literature
A.S. Puškin, Evgenij Onegin
Mednyj vsadnik
Mozart i Salieri
Pir vo vremja chumy
In addition, you will read and study the choice of poems that you will find on the educational platform
Critics
R. Bartlett; Russian Culture 1801-1917, in D. C. B. Lieven (ed. by), The Cambridge History of Russia: Imperial Russia, 1689-1917, Cambridge University Press, 2006 pp. 92-115; (on the platform, optional)
M. Cvetaeva, Il mio Puškin, in M. Cvetaeva, L'armadio segreto, Marcos y Marcos, Milano
O. Figes, Natasha's Dance, Penguin Books, London 2002. Chaptersi I e II only.
J.M. Lotman, Puškin: vita di Aleksandr Sergeevič Puškin, Liviana, Padova 1990 OR J.M. Lotman, Il testo e la storia: l'"Evgenij Onegin" di Puškin, Il Mulino, Bologna1985
A. Sinjavskij, Passeggiate con Puškin, Jaca Book, Milano 2012
→ From the manual Storia della civiltà letteraria russa, Utet, Torino 1997: volume 1 pagine 342-403.
→ Chapters on Puškin from the manual G. Carpi, Storia della letteratura russa, Carrocci.
The program will be integrated with texts that will be gradually made available on the course page at http://elly.unipr.it. Students are advised to consult regularly before classes to find materials and handouts that will serve to follow the lesson actively.
The texts indicated in the program must be read OBLIGATORY, any change in the program must be agreed with the professor.
For those who speak Russian: All texts, that exist in Russian, can be read in Russian. Many of them are easily available in Internet, ask the professor.
Bibliography
Literature
A.S. Puškin, Evgenij Onegin
Mednyj vsadnik
Mozart i Salieri
Pir vo vremja chumy
In addition, you will read and study the choice of poems that you will find on the educational platform
Critics
R. Bartlett; Russian Culture 1801-1917, in
D. C. B. Lieven (ed. by), The Cambridge History of Russia: Imperial Russia, 1689-1917, Cambridge University Press, 2006 pp. 92-115; (on the platform, optional)
M. Cvetaeva, Il mio Puškin, in M. Cvetaeva, L'armadio segreto, Marcos y Marcos, Milano
O. Figes, Natasha's Dance, Penguin Books, London 2002. Chaptersi I e II only.
J.M. Lotman, Puškin: vita di Aleksandr Sergeevič Puškin, Liviana, Padova 1990 OR J.M. Lotman, Il testo e la storia: l'"Evgenij Onegin" di Puškin, Il Mulino, Bologna1985
A. Sinjavskij, Passeggiate con Puškin, Jaca Book, Milano 2012
A. Šiškin, Il simposio di Platone in tempo di peste, pp. 5-36 dell'edizione Morcelliana del Banchetto nel tempo della peste.
→ From the manual Storia della civiltà letteraria russa, Utet, Torino 1997: volume 1 pagine 342-403.
→ Chapters on Puškin from the manual G. Carpi, Storia della letteratura russa, Carrocci.
Teaching methods
Classroom lecture with audiovisual materials and oral discussion.
During the lectures the professor will introduce the main elements of the historical and cultural context, the author's profile and the novels, using both the bibliography of the course and additional visual or textual materials, that will be available on the platform Elly. Suggestions for individual path of study and analysis will be provided, to stimulate a more original and independent approach to the subject.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination.
The oral examination will check
- Knowledge of texts, authors, their ideological context and formal issues of the literary period in question;
- Adequate ability to study independently, to re-elaborate personally the material learned during the course, to propose individual insights that go beyond the topics covered in the course, to solve problems decoding complex texts, and make independent judgments.
In order to verify the achievement of such knowledge and skills, oral test questions are designed to assess the knowledge, the ability of independent and original reworking of such knowledge, and the ability to apply knowledge through the analysis of the text and to extend it through connections, comparisons and contrasts.
The examination won't be considerated sufficient when the student can't demontrate a minimum understanding of the course material and the necessary ability to work autonomously with the course's content. Sufficient evaluation (18-23/30) is determined by the demonstration by the student to have learned the basic and minimum contents of the course, a sufficient level of self-preparation, ability to solve problems related to information retrieval and decoding of texts, as well as the formulation of independent judgment. Scores between 24 and -27 are assigned to the student who produces evidence of a level more than sufficient (24-25/30) or good (26-27/30) evaluation indicators listed above. Higher scores (from 28/30 to 30/30 cum laude) are awarded in presence of a very good to excellent evaluation.
Other information
It is useful the course page on the university elearning platform Elly
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