Spring 2023
SLAVIC 158 001 - LEC 001
Topics in East European/Eurasian Cultural History
War and Literature
Djordje Popovic
Class #:30596
Units:4
Instruction Mode:
In-Person Instruction
Offered through
Slavic Languages and Literatures
Current Enrollment
Total Open Seats:
4
Enrolled: 21
Waitlisted: 0
Capacity: 25
Waitlist Max: 3
No Reserved Seats
Hours & Workload
9 hours of outside work hours, and 3 hours of instructor presentation of course materials.
Final Exam
FRI, MAY 12TH
08:00 am - 11:00 am
Dwinelle 179
Other classes by Djordje Popovic
Course Catalog Description
This course examines various dimensions of different East European and Eurasian (Central Asia, the Caucasus, Siberia) cultures (history, society, languages, literature, art). Variable topics. Instruction and readings in English; students with knowledge of the languages of the area are encouraged to do some reading in the original language.
Class Description
The horrors of war are often described as unspeakable and unimaginable. Words supposedly fail to convey the cruelty and suffering caused by large-scale organized violence and destruction. Yet even a cursory look at the history of the written word reveals that literature does not obey these limits. From the siege of Troy to that of Sarajevo and beyond, war has been a frequent literary subject, one that reaches across different periods, genres, and national traditions. Other than perhaps weapons technology, no other human undertaking has had a greater impact on our experience of war than its literary renderings.
In this course we will look at literary representations of a particular type of warfare, the so-called total war, in one of the regions where its effects are most profoundly felt: Central and Eastern Europe. Wars become total when entire societies are mobilized and targeted, and when escape from the illogic of war seems impossible. It is at moments like these (and against all odds) that literary imagination can rise above the depths of human hell. At its worst, literature can create conditions that make such wars appear inevitable. At its best, it can counter the aims of violence by preserving the memory of lives, records, and hopes destroyed in armed conflicts.
The course will begin with a brief historical survey of WWI and WWII literature and will then focus on contemporary literary responses to the senseless violence in Bosnia and Ukraine. Readings will include works by Tadeusz Borowski, Bertolt Brecht, Miljenko Jergović, Marianna Kiyanovska, Miroslav Krleža, Andrey Kurkov, Alma Lazarevska, Saša Stanišić, and Serhiy Zhadan. All readings are in English and no prior knowledge of East European history or literature is required.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat Rules
Requirements class fulfills
Meets Historical Studies, L&S Breadth
Meets Social & Behavioral Sciences, L&S Breadth
Reserved Seats
Current Enrollment
No Reserved Seats
Textbooks & Materials
See class syllabus or https://calstudentstore.berkeley.edu/textbooks for the most current information.
Guide to Open, Free, & Affordable Course Materials
Associated Sections
None