FWS: Looking into Dostoevsky’s "Devils"

Catalog description

Is Dostoevsky’s Devils (1872) the first novel about modern terrorism? Some readers think so. It is also a novel about parents and children, about generational misunderstandings and their consequences. To prepare for reading this complicated book, the class will begin with works by Dostoevsky’s predecessors: Pushkin’s tales (1830s) and Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons (1862). You will do a lot of writing, guided by research in Cornell’s libraries. Assignments will range from explorations of puzzling passages to narratives about your reading and investigative progress. What are your questions about Dostoevsky and his sometimes terrifying vision? You’ll learn how to look for answers and how to explain your findings to others. The skills and resources you discover will be useful through your years at Cornell and beyond.