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.

Heroes come and go, but vampires are forever. Our shade-loving friends first appeared as harbingers of plague and heresy in European folklore, were reborn as the sultry strangers of the Romantic era, and are now emblematic of sexual freedom and adolescent rebellion. How did this happen? In this course, we will consider vampire literature from the “vampire belt” of Eastern Europe, as well as from the West. Our texts will include traditional folklore, the chronicles of vampire hunters, Gothic vampire tales from Gogol, Polidori, and Bram Stoker, and recent vampire films such as the Hollywood classic The Lost Boys and the Swedish horror-romance Let the Right One In. To examine the diversity and development of the vampire theme in Western culture, we will apply ourselves to such questions as: how do you spot a vampire? Where do they come from? Who was the first? What do they want? Why are vampires always rich? What’s with the accent? No prior knowledge of East European, Russian, or Eurasian languages, literatures or cultures is required. This course fulfills the first half of the UC Berkeley Reading & Composition requirement; together with our critical inquiry into modes of reading, we will practice our writing skills. We will devote significant time to critical thinking and writing skills, paying particular attention to argument, analysis, and the fundamentals of writing at the college level.

Requisites

• Satisfaction of the Entry Level Writing Requirement.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills