Gogol and Romantic Melancholy (In English)

In this course we will explore the corpus of one of the canonical figures of nineteenth-century Russian literature, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852), a Ukrainian subject of the Russian Empire, and situate him within a broader tradition of romantic melancholy in European culture. How does one describe a world where formerly familiar pathways to transcendence and community have been left in ruins by modernity? Can this loss be remedied in art, or only repeated? And what does that mean for nationalism and empire? Twice weekly discussions, materials in English, though students are encouraged to engage with originals; no prerequisites.