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

Catalog description

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.