Course Description:

This course will explore the literary works of Russia’s renowned writer, Leo Tolstoy. Through a study of Tolstoy’s novels, short stories, and his nonfiction masterpieces, Anna Karenina, we will follow the writer’s quest to understand what it means to be human. We will explore Tolstoy’s complex treatment of humanity’s aspects of modernity, shifting perspectives on family, gender, and class; new layers of the self; and the topics of spiritual, public, and political engagement. In particular, we will study his representation of different relationships with nature and changing social ideologies. Ultimately, this course will grapple with Tolstoy’s fundamental and ever-persistent inquiry: how can one lead a meaningful life amidst the turbulent tides of history? Taught in English. GE: AH; OL; WE

Course Registration Info:

• TR 12:10–1:30
• HART 1116
• Professor: Valeria Mute