Peasants in Russian Revolutionary and Counter-Revolutionary Thought and Literature

This course offers a history of Russian social thought through the lens of literary representation. It focuses on the analysis and interpretation of creative texts in the context of debates about the peasantry as a force of change or stasis. Bringing together history and literature, this course engages cross-cultural inquiry on several levels. Familiarizing students with Russia's political and cultural past, it also introduces them to the cultural differences of class in one of the most hotly debated contexts for the topic: pre-revolutionary Russia. Students are asked to analyze literature while also learning of its historical background. Taught in English.