Reading and composition course based on works of Russian and other Slavic writers, either written in English or translated into English. As students develop strategies of writing and interpretation, they will become acquainted with a particular theme in Russian and/or Slavic literatures and their major voices. R5A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition requirement, and R5B satisfies the second half.

Most of us depend on work for survival. What we do, where we work, and how much we get from our work, however, introduces fundamental distinctions among us, but also creates unique opportunities for collectivity and community. Since the exigency of work so profoundly determines our experiences and possibilities, it comes as no surprise that labor has featured as a key category of artistic and cultural introspection in the works of many writers, artists, filmmakers, and thinkers. In this course, we will examine this theme in texts by Angelou, Cather, Gogol, Marx, Melville, Platonov, and Sinclair, and as well as films by American and Soviet directors. Beginning with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism during the early 19th century, this class will focus in particular on several archetypical spaces where work is performed: the Farm and agricultural spaces; the Factory and industrial spaces; the Office and bureaucratic spaces; and finally, the Home and domestic spaces. How do our protagonists interact with their environments and build relationships within them? How do these relationships appear? What strategies have artists developed to represent these places? How are workplace experiences shaped by such identity positions as race, gender, sexual orientation, and class? It is in posing these questions to an array of texts that we will seek to develop critical reading skills. Students will be expected to engage with the literature and actively participate in class discussions. In addition to several essays and one revision, there will be short writing assignments, reading quizzes, peer evaluation of essays, and several in-class writing workshops throughout the semester Texts for purchase: ● Willa Cather, My Ántonia (Norton Critical Editions) ISBN: 0393967905 ● Upton Sinclair, The Flivver King: A Story of Ford-America ISBN: 0882863576 ● Andrei Platonov, The Foundation Pit (New York Review Books Classics) ISBN: 1590173058 ● Course reader will be available at Metro Publishing, 2440 Bancroft Way.

Requisites

• Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills