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.

Human beings may be unique among animals in that they are both dependent on their environment as well as capable of radically reshaping, extracting from, and destroying it. Our course will explore the complex relationship between the human and the nonhuman by looking closely at its literary and cinematic representations. In the early twentieth century, a number of revolutionary political projects were unfolding across Eastern Europe and Central and Northeast Asia, and the leaders of these movements were convinced of the importance of material factors in molding the political sensibilities of the masses. In this course, we will explore how various configurations of socialism sought to transform the natural environment and design a space in which “ideal” socialist subjects could flourish. The building of socialist settlements was a disruptive process that displaced indigenous communities, challenged traditional systems of water and energy provision, and left behind indelible environmental scars. To understand how the foundations of socialism were laid in different regions, as well as the ideological underpinnings of each project, we will turn to the personal testimonies of the writers, artists and filmmakers who sought to document their newly engineered realities. Readings will include literary works by the Kyrgyz author Chinghiz Aitmatov and the North Korean prose writer Bandi, film from the Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky, as well as a selection of works from contemporary environmental history. Online instruction, synchronous.

Requisites

• Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills