Introduction to Russian Literature (210-3-1)
Topic
What’s the Point? Literature & the Meaning of Life
Instructors
Susan McReynolds Oddo
847/467-2754
1880 Campus Dr. (Kresge) Office 3361
Office Hours: Mondays 1-3pm and by appointment
Meeting Info
555 Clark B01: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
In 1882, Tolstoy wrote that he had been plunged into severe depression by a question he had evaded for much of his life, but which ultimately confronted him and demanded a resolution: "Is there any meaning in my life that will not be annihilated by the inevitability of death which awaits me?" Tolstoy was not the first to pose this question, and it continues to haunt us today. Does life have a purpose? Should it? Is it even possible to live without any sense of purpose that transcends my limited time here? The works of literature that we will read and discuss this quarter won't answer these questions for you, but they will bring you into conversation with some of the most compelling reflections on living a life of purpose—or not. Studying how others have thought about what life might mean—and the prospect of meaninglessness-will enable you to sharpen your own thinking: in dialogue with figures such as Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, and Bunin, you will bring your own thoughts—and perhaps hopes—into clearer focus. The class includes an optional, funded excursion to see Chekhov's drama The Cherry Orchard at the Goodman Theater in April.
Registration Requirements
N/A
Class Attributes
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area