Nikolai Gogol

Catalog description

Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852) is one of the greatest European Romantic writers of the nineteenth century, whose works gave birth to Russian realism, European modernism, Latin-American magic realism and contemporary postmodernist culture. Gogol's works also had a tremendous impact on the development of the Ukrainian literature and culture. Since his day, Russians and Ukrainians have debated his "national" affiliation, eager to claim him and his legacy as part of their respective cultures. This course looks at how this Ukrainian became a "Russian" writer, exploring his life and works in the context of both the imperial Russian and national Ukrainian culture. This course gives students an opportunity to partake in the excitement of Gogol's prose and plays.