Dostoevsky's /Crime and Punishment/

The monographic course examines one of the key novels of Fyodor Dostoevsky and its historical and ideological context. The course objectives are to study and comment on the philosophical, social, religious, and intertextual problems of Dostoevsky's novel. Topics of discussion will include the so-called “Petersburg text” and the symbolism of space; sex, violence, and suicide in the novel; Dostoevsky’s perception of capitalism and socialism; the religious canvas underneath the main plot; and the concept of polyphony in the novel (M. Bakhtin). Students will become familiar with the most brilliant interpretations of the novel as well as the main film adaptations. Counts as a course in literature.