Dostoevsky in Global Context (taught in English)

In this course students will read some of the most important works written by literary giant Fyodor Dostoevsky. Readings will include selected early fiction (Poor Folk, The Gambler, and Notes from the House of the Dead); his seminal manifesto Notes from Underground; Crime and Punishment; and The Idiot. In addition to these primary works, we will explore how Dostoevsky’s life, texts and ideas have been adapted and interpreted globally. Possible case studies include Kurosawa’s 1951 screen adaptation of The Idiot, Coetzee’s novella The Master of St. Petersburg, Ellison’s Invisible Man, and Sreedharan’s Like a Psalm. No knowledge of Russian required. Open to first-year students. 3 hrs. lect.