Rus 326: Tolstoy, W                              Course Syllabus

Spring 2008

Instructor: Andrew M. Drozd

Office Hours: W 11-12, Th 11-12

Time: TR 12:30-1:45

Location: B. B. Comer 256

Phone: 348-5720

Office: 210 B. B. Comer        

E-mail: adrozd@bama.ua.edu

WWW: http://bama.ua.edu/~adrozd


TEXTS:
To Purchase
: L. N. Tolstoy, Childhood-Boyhood-Youth, War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Great Short Works of Leo Tolstoy; The Portable Tolstoy.
On Gorgas Reserve: J. Edie, Russian Philosophy Vol. 2.

DESCRIPTION: 
This course will cover the life and major works of Leo Tolstoy. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. All materials are read in English translation. No knowledge of Russian is required for this course
. Three (3) credit hours.

PREREQUISITE: Freshman Composition (EN 101 and 102).

GOALS: 

  1. Become familiar with Tolstoy's intellectual evolution.
  2. Become familiar with the major themes of Tolstoy's fiction.

 
REQUIREMENTS:
A mid-term and a comprehensive final exam and two 10-page papers. The exams will be essay-type exams designed to have the students synthesize the material they have read. For the papers students are expected to do research outside of class to supplement materials read for class. A guide with detailed instructions will be provided later. Students may also consult with the instructor during office hours regarding their paper. Although any style guide is acceptable, the instructor will refer to Diana Hacker, A Pocket Style Manual
, when correcting mistakes on the papers. Please note that the first paper is due two weeks before the mid-term exam because it must be graded and returned by mid-term.

Testing Schedule  (Subject to change):
Mid-term Examination: Thursday, Feb. 28

Comprehensive Final Exam: Tuesday, May 6, 11:30 AM-2:00 PM

GRADING:
Grades will be based on your performance on the mid-term exam worth 20% of your final grade, and the research papers each worth 20%, and the final exam worth 40% of your final grade. All course grades are given on a +/- basis. For an explanation of the policy, see pp. 20-21 of the Undergraduate Catalog.

Academic misconduct policy: "All acts of dishonesty in any work constitute academic misconduct. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct."

Disability access: To request disability accommodations, please contact Disabilities Services (348-4285). After initial arrangements are made with Disabilities Services, contact Professor Drozd.

Course Schedule

Date

TOPIC

READING

January 10

Introduction

Tolstoy Family History

 

 

 

 

January 15

Childhood

Educational Background

A History of Yesterday

Childhood

 

 

 

January 17

University and aftermath

Boyhood, Youth

 

 

 

January 22

Army/Crimean War

 

Sevastopol Sketches

 

 

 

January 24

First publications: Childhood/Sevastopol

The Raid, The Wood-Felling,

 

 

 

January 29

1850s

 

Family Happiness

Two Hussars

 

 

 

January 31

1850s

 

The Cossacks

 

 

 

February 5

Retreat from literature
Early 1860s

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 7

Marriage and Early Family Life

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 12

Return to Literature

First Paper Due

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 14

War and Peace

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 19

War and Peace

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 21

War and Peace

War and Peace

 

 

 

February 26

Retreat from literature

Pedagogical work

God Sees the Truth But Waits

 

 

 

February 28

Mid-Term Examination

Anna Karenina

 

 

 

March 4

1870s

Anna Karenina

 

 

 

March 6

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

 

 

 

 

March 11

Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

 

 

 

March 13

Crisis/Conversion

 A Confession

 

 

 

March 25

Post-conversion family life 

Memoirs of a Madman

 

 

 

March 27

Tolstoy as prophet: religious writings

What Men Live By,

How Much Land Does a Man Need

 

 

 

April 1

Early 1880s

Strider

 

 

 

April 3

Late 1880s

The Death of Ivan Ilych

 

 

 

April 8

Works of the 1880s

The Power of Darkness

 

 

 

April 10

1890s

 

Kreutzer Sonata in Great Short Works
The Devil,

 

 

 

April 15

1890s

Master and Man

 

 

 

April 17

Battles with State and Church

 Father Sergius

 

 

 

April 22

1900s
Later family life

Hadji Murad

Alyosha the Pot

 

 

 

April 24

Revolution of 1905

Second Paper Due 
I Cannot Be Silent,

 

 

 

April 29
Final Years/Death
Legacy
"The Law of Violence and the Law of Love," in Edie, vol. 2
What Is Art



May 1
Later works

"Introduction to Maupassant"
"Preface to Buttnerbrauer"

"Afterword to Chekhov"



May 6

FINAL EXAMINATION

 

 

 

 


Instructor Homepage

Tolstoy Course Page


Andrew M. Drozd
adrozd@bama.ua.edu
The University of Alabama

Last Update: 1/10/08