Russian Literature 1
A.Y. 2019/2020
Learning objectives
This course aims at proposing an approach to the Russian Literature programme, that is chronologically organised, and as such it is reserved for first-year students. During the course an introduction to the Russian Literature and Culture from the 18th Century to the first half of the 19th Century, with a specific focus on the development of the comic tradition, will be presented. First, four Western theories of laughter and humor will be examined (theories by Bergson, Freud, Pirandello, Bachtin). Then, some of the key concepts of these theories will be applied to the analysis of some of the main literary works by Aleksandr Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol'.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: outline of the history of Russian Literature from 18th to half 19th Century; main authors and literary movements of the period; evolution of the comical genres between 18th and 19th Century; key concepts of 4 Western theories of the laughter and of the humour.
Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to read and contextualize the main works of the Russian Literature from 18th to half 19th Century; ability to read 3 poems, 4 short stories and 1 novel in verses by Alexander Pushkin and 6 short stories and 1 novel by Nicholas Gogol; understanding of historic, cultural, and social implications of literary texts; ability to place authors, movements and works in their context; ability to recognise and explain affinities and differences among literary texts; ability to recognise and explain differences among comic genres and their effect on the readers.
Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to read and contextualize the main works of the Russian Literature from 18th to half 19th Century; ability to read 3 poems, 4 short stories and 1 novel in verses by Alexander Pushkin and 6 short stories and 1 novel by Nicholas Gogol; understanding of historic, cultural, and social implications of literary texts; ability to place authors, movements and works in their context; ability to recognise and explain affinities and differences among literary texts; ability to recognise and explain differences among comic genres and their effect on the readers.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
The course is titled: "Laughter, irony and humour in Pushkin and Gogol". The course is divided in 3 parts
Part A: Between tehory and history of the laughter: the laughter in the 18th and 19th Century Russian Literature
Part B: Laughter and Irony in Pushkin
Part C: Laughter and humour in Gogol
The course provides 9CFU.
In the first part of the course some 20th Century theories of the laughter along with the historical evolution of the comic culture in the West and in Russia will be analized.
In the second part the course will focus on the different forms of the comic in the poetical works by Alexander Pushkin.
In the final part of the course the comical aspect of some short stories by Nikolay Gogol' will be analized.
The course syllabus is valid until February 2021.
Part A: Between tehory and history of the laughter: the laughter in the 18th and 19th Century Russian Literature
Part B: Laughter and Irony in Pushkin
Part C: Laughter and humour in Gogol
The course provides 9CFU.
In the first part of the course some 20th Century theories of the laughter along with the historical evolution of the comic culture in the West and in Russia will be analized.
In the second part the course will focus on the different forms of the comic in the poetical works by Alexander Pushkin.
In the final part of the course the comical aspect of some short stories by Nikolay Gogol' will be analized.
The course syllabus is valid until February 2021.
Prerequisites for admission
None.
Teaching methods
Lectures and students presentations in the classrooms.
Teaching Resources
Please check the following web-site for materials and documents about the course
https://ariel.unimi.it/offerta/site/drebecchinilr
The student will study the following works
AAVV, Storia della civiltà letteraria russa, Torino, Utet, 1997, vol. 1, pp. 226-229, pp. 265-299, 304-329, 347-357, 367-369, 389-393, 404-433, 484-524 (see ARIEL)
Unità didattica B
Aleksandr Puškin, Ruslan e Ljudmila, Gabrieleide e La casetta a Kolomna (A.S. Puškin, Poemi e liriche, a cura di Tommaso Landolfi, Milano, Adelphi, 2001 (pp. 43-122, 152-167, 309-322)
Aleksandr Puškin, Eugenio Oneghin, traduzione di Ettore Lo Gatto, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2008.
Aleksandr Puškin, I racconti di Belkin (escluso Lo sparo), Milano, Rizzoli, 1993.
Unità didattica C
Nikolaj Gogol', I racconti La fiera di Soročincy e La notte prima di Natale, in N. Gogol', Le veglie alla fattoria di Dikan'ka , trad. di Emanuela Guercetti, Rizzoli, Milano, 2016
Nikolaj Gogol', I racconti di Pietroburgo (escluso il racconto Il ritratto), edizione Garzanti o Marsilio.
Nikolaj Gogol', Le anime morte, (edizione Einaudi o Garzanti)
NB Foreign students can read the Russian literary works in their own native language.
Students who will not attend the course should also read the following texts:
Ju. Lotman, Puškin: vita di Aleksandr Sergeevič Puškin, Milano, Ledizioni, 2012.
Ju. Lotman, Il testo e la storia. L' "Evgenij Onegin" di Puškin, Bologna, Il mulino, 1985 (see ARIEL)
A. D'Amelia, Introduzione a Gogol', Bari, Laterza, 1995 (see ARIEL)
B. Ejchenbaum, Come è fatto il cappotto di Gogol', in I formalisti russi, a c. di Tz. Todorov, Torino, Einaudi, 1968, pp. 249-273 (see ARIEL).
https://ariel.unimi.it/offerta/site/drebecchinilr
The student will study the following works
AAVV, Storia della civiltà letteraria russa, Torino, Utet, 1997, vol. 1, pp. 226-229, pp. 265-299, 304-329, 347-357, 367-369, 389-393, 404-433, 484-524 (see ARIEL)
Unità didattica B
Aleksandr Puškin, Ruslan e Ljudmila, Gabrieleide e La casetta a Kolomna (A.S. Puškin, Poemi e liriche, a cura di Tommaso Landolfi, Milano, Adelphi, 2001 (pp. 43-122, 152-167, 309-322)
Aleksandr Puškin, Eugenio Oneghin, traduzione di Ettore Lo Gatto, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2008.
Aleksandr Puškin, I racconti di Belkin (escluso Lo sparo), Milano, Rizzoli, 1993.
Unità didattica C
Nikolaj Gogol', I racconti La fiera di Soročincy e La notte prima di Natale, in N. Gogol', Le veglie alla fattoria di Dikan'ka , trad. di Emanuela Guercetti, Rizzoli, Milano, 2016
Nikolaj Gogol', I racconti di Pietroburgo (escluso il racconto Il ritratto), edizione Garzanti o Marsilio.
Nikolaj Gogol', Le anime morte, (edizione Einaudi o Garzanti)
NB Foreign students can read the Russian literary works in their own native language.
Students who will not attend the course should also read the following texts:
Ju. Lotman, Puškin: vita di Aleksandr Sergeevič Puškin, Milano, Ledizioni, 2012.
Ju. Lotman, Il testo e la storia. L' "Evgenij Onegin" di Puškin, Bologna, Il mulino, 1985 (see ARIEL)
A. D'Amelia, Introduzione a Gogol', Bari, Laterza, 1995 (see ARIEL)
B. Ejchenbaum, Come è fatto il cappotto di Gogol', in I formalisti russi, a c. di Tz. Todorov, Torino, Einaudi, 1968, pp. 249-273 (see ARIEL).
Assessment methods and Criteria
The test will be based on an oral exam. The exam aims at evaluating the skills of the student in presenting a) the main methodological approaches of the course; b) the main figures, works and problems of the history of the Russian Literature between 18th and first half of 19th Century; c) a critical interpretation of the literary texts by Pushkin and Gogol analyzed during the course. The final marks will be max 30 points.
International and Erasmus students are kindly requested to contact prof. Rebecchini as soon as possible.
International and Erasmus students are kindly requested to contact prof. Rebecchini as soon as possible.
Unita' didattica A
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-LIN/21 - SLAVIC STUDIES - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Friday h. 16-19 on Teams, please confirm by email