The Quest for Identity: Russian Literature and Culture, 1800-1855

1 credits · Undergraduate

Examines how Russian writers and artists distinguished imperial Russia's modern political, social, and cultural identity under 'Western eyes.' Topics include search for 'truly Russian' models, topics, and styles; domestic debate between 'Westernizing' and 'Slavophile' camps; emergence of women writers; relations between urban and provincial cultures; connections between national identity formation and empire building. Course texts may include fiction, memoirs, and drama by Pushkin, Durova, Gogol, Lermontov, and Pavlova; social commentary by Belinsky and Herzen; works of fine art and folk culture.