| Unit name | Decadence, Decay and Rebirth: Russian & Czech Literature, 1870 - 1914 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | RUSS30084 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Sutton-Mattocks |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Russian |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
Occultists, dandies, feminists, flâneurs, nobles and revolutionaries: these are the types of colourful characters you will encounter on this unit, which explores Russian and Czech literature of the fin de siècle, from the 1870s to the First World War. It was a time plagued by a sense of crisis and decay yet bursting with creativity and innovation. In Central and Eastern Europe, as across the world, new literary movements reshaped cultural and political landscapes.
Scholars have only recently begun to see fin-de-siècle literature as a global rather than Western European phenomenon. Russian and Czech writers made important contributions to it, but what were they? How much did they share with other fin-de-siècle literatures? What exchange took place across national boundaries? How transnational were movements like Decadence, Symbolism and Naturalism? Students will have the opportunity to engage with questions like these, which are at the forefront of scholarship on the period.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
For students of Russian, this unit builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in Y2, while introducing a comparative element that places your study of Russian literature in its wider context.
For those taking Czech, the unit offers an exciting opportunity to expand your knowledge of the culture and develop familiarity with one of Czech literature’s liveliest periods.
More broadly, the unit is suited to anyone interested in the literature and culture of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and/or of Central and Eastern Europe. All texts are available in English.
An overview of content
The fin de siècle was both an end and a beginning. It was characterised by fears about cultural degeneration as well as visions of spiritual rebirth, by nostalgia for the past and excitement for the future. It brought us cinema, psychoanalysis, X-rays and bacteriology, but also laid the groundwork for the First World War and the collapse of centuries-old empires. The fin de siècle mood in literature is often thought of as a Western European trend, but Central and Eastern European writers pioneered and popularised it as well. Indeed, scholarship has only recently begun to show just how transnational the mood was: all over the world, and not just in Europe, writers reflected the period’s feverish anxiety, wallowed in its sense of decay or tried to offer cures for society’s maladies.
In this unit, you will explore Russian and Czech novels and short stories from this heady period. Each week will engage with a different author and/or literary movement. Students will encounter the key themes shaping such movements as Decadence, Naturalism and Symbolism, and informing the works of authors such as Leonid Andreev, Andrei Belyi, Valerii Briusov, Zinaida Gippius, Anastasiia Mirovich, Olga Shapir, Fedor Sologub and Nadezhda Teffi (Russian); and Otakar Březina, Viktor Dyk, Jiří Karásek ze Lvovic, Ladislav Klíma, Miloš Marten, Gabriela Preissová, Jiří Sumín, Růžena Svobodová and Julius Zeyer (Czech).
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
This unit offers an encounter with the unexpected. Over the course of your studies on it, you will acquire an in-depth knowledge of literary traditions and societies (the Russian and Habsburg Empires at the fin de siècle) that differ profoundly from twenty-first century Britain, while yet engaging with fundamental themes and issues that continue to be relevant today. By exploring the texts and ideas on the unit, you will develop your ability to identify, inquire into and reflect on differing perspectives on the world, including your own.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. identify the significance of key authors and literary movements of the fin de siècle;
2. demonstrate an understanding of the key themes and ideas of fin-de-siècle literature;
3. analyse and evaluate works of literature while relating them to their wider artistic and socio-cultural contexts;
4. develop and apply appropriate presentation skills so as to engage audiences in an informed way;
5. independently formulate a written piece of research in accordance with high academic standards.
Each week, you will have two one-hour classes that will include, broadly, four types of learning: lecture, discussion, student presentations and workshop.
Lectures: Lectures equip you with foundational subject knowledge. Far from being a passive mode of learning, lectures help you build critical analysis and evidence-gathering skills by modelling textual interpretation and posing key questions related to the discipline.
Discussion: Discussions are a student-centred mode of learning. You will discuss key questions about the readings, developing, sharing and defending your own arguments as we discuss the material together as a class, and/or in pairs and small groups.
Presentation: All students will deliver a presentation. Through participation in presentations, both as a presenter and an audience member, you will become familiar with the key critical debates on the topic, and learn to engage with and critique existing ideas. You will also sharpen your presentation skills.
Workshop: Workshops are dedicated to a specific skill, such as academic writing or giving a presentation. Workshops are held occasionally, usually in advance of assessment.
Beyond the classroom, you will devote much time to primary and secondary reading. You should expect to read a large number and variety of primary and secondary sources. Primary sources will include novels, short stories and theoretical writings from the period. Secondary sources will include books and scholarly articles. Reading is sometimes misunderstood as a ‘passive’ activity, but engaged reading is an active process, as you will not only be expanding your subject knowledge but developing your sense of empathy and judgement. Online activities and digital resources will be used as appropriate.
In total, you will have 22 hours of class teaching and 178 hours of independent learning.
Tasks that count towards your unit mark (summative):
1 x 20-minute presentation (40%). [ILOs 1, 3, 4]
1 x 3000-word coursework essay (60%). [ILOs 1-3, 5]
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. RUSS30084).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
