RUSS340 Exam 1

Romanticism

• appreciation of nature

• natural religion

• human expression, spontaneity in thought and action

• emotion over reason

• example: Eugene Onegin

Realism

• reaction against Romanticism

• verisimilitude; appearing real

• relatable characters

• determinancy vs. indeterminancy

• example: Fathers and Sons

Fantastic realism

• interconnection between reality and fantasy

• psychically unusual and extraordinary as a clue to social forces

• man is a mystery meant to be unraveled

• example: Crime and Punishment

Byronic Hero

• alientated from society, misunderstood

• gifted but feels moral ambivalence

• reason over emotion

• Example: Onegin

Superfluous Man

• Russian version of Byronic Hero

• dandy, demon, or preacher

• internal conflict

• example: Pechorin

Epic

• long narrative poem

• celebratory, grand ceremonious style

• superhuman hero

• clear ending

• example: Dead Souls

Novel

• extended fictional prose narrative

• degree of realism, secular social world

• character transformations

• plot

Decembrists

• Russian revolutionaries

• staged an uprising in December 1825

• sought political reform and a constitution

Nihilism

• philosophical belief that life is meaningless

• disregard principles of society

• example: Bazarov

Eudaimonia

• Western European

• What are the basic reasons for everything?

• “human flourishing”

• happiness = temporal welfare

• Protestantism

• Christmas

Soteriology

• Russian thought

• What is the purpose of creation?

• salvation of the soul

• transformation into a being

• eternal life

• Easter

Spiritual embryo

• Concept by Russian philosopher G.I. Gurdjieff

• Represents potential for inner growth and transformation

• Requires nurturing and development through self-awareness and conscious effort

Onegin stanza

• A type of stanza with 14 lines

• Follows the rhyme scheme: ABABCCDDC EFFEGG

• Originated from Alexander Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin"

Dostoyevsky’s creed

• Embrace suffering as a path to redemption

• Believe in the power of faith and love

• Strive for moral and spiritual growth

• Accept the complexity of human nature

Eugene Onegin

• Eugene Onegin

• St. Petersburg elite

• grows bored of wealthy, glamorous life

• moves to uncle’s country home

• Byronic Hero, constantly questioning his life’s purpose

Vladimir Lensky

• Eugene Onegin

• romantic and naive poet

• passionate, falls in love with Olga

• exemplifies German romanticism

Tatiana Larina

• Eugene Onegin

• shy and quiet, but passionate

• reveres sentimentialist literature

• rejected by Onegin, later rejects him

Olga Larina

• Eugene Onegin

• older sister to Tatiana

• falls in love with Vladimir

• drama with Onegin leads to duel and Vladimir’s death

Grigorii Pechorin

• A Hero of Our Time

Bela

• A Hero of Our Time

Maksim Maksimych

• A Hero of Our Time

Princess Mary

• A Hero of Our Time

Vera

• A Hero of Our Time

Vulich

• A Hero of Our Time

Chichikov

• Dead Souls

• young landowner who visits town of N

• extremely average

• uses scheme of “dead souls” to get rich fast

Manilov

• Dead Souls

• trusting and simple man

• immediately sells his souls

• offers Chichikov to live with him

Korobochka

• Dead Souls

• widowed landlady

• refuses to sell souls because she is worried she isn’t getting a good deal for them

Sobakevich

• Dead Souls

• “bear-like”

• very strict, little sympathy for others

Pliushkin

• Dead Souls

Nozdryov

• Dead Souls

• dishonest and temperamental

• constantly gambling and cheating

• tries to swindle Chichikov

Captain Kopeikin

• Dead Souls

• urban legend of N

• one-armed and one-legged military figure

• speculation for who Chichikov really is

Pavel Kirsanov

• Fathers and Sons

• aristocratic uncle of Arkady

• difficult time understanding modern changes in culture

• constantly fighting with Bazarov and his ideologies

Evgeny Bazarov

• Fathers and Sons

• college friend of Arkady

• nihilistic, rejects all commonly held principles

• scientist

• falls in love with Odintsova

Arkady Kirsanov

• Fathers and Sons

• recent college graduate

• has begun to reject Romantic ideas in favor of modernity

Nikolai Kirsanov

• Fathers and Sons

• father of Arkady

• wants to hold onto Romantic ideals

Fenechka

• Fathers and Sons

• Nikolai’s maid, has a child with him

• Nikolai is embarrased of their irregular relationship

• befriends Bazarov, causes duel between Bazarov and Pavel

Odintsova

• Fathers and Sons

• wealthy from late husband

• liberal ideas

• wants to maintain peace and order

Kukshina

• Fathers and Sons

• invites Arkady and Bazarov into her home

• introduces them to Odintsova

Rodion Raskolnikov

• Crime and Punishment

• law student living in poverty

• murders Alyona and Lizaveta

• ideas of “extraordinary” humans who can moral overstep laws and guilt

• slowly spirals into insanity

Dunya Raskolnikova

• Crime and Punishment

• sister of Raskolnikov

• tries to marry Luzhin to economically support Raskolnikov

• eventually marries Razhumikin

Sonya Marmeladova

• Crime and Punishment

• prostitute, makes friends with Raskolnikov

• meek

• works to provide for her step family

• first person who Raskolnikov confesses to

Katerina Ivanovna

• Crime and Punishment

• mother of Sonya

• crazed by poverty, complex relationship with her children

• dies of tuberculosis

Razhumikhin

• Crime and Punishment

• friend of Raskolnikov

• marries Dunya

• symbol of stability, stark difference in sanity from Raskolnikov

Porfiry Petrovich

• Crime and Punishment

• investigator who pursues Raskolnikov

• causes psychological turmoil

Lebeziatnikov

• Crime and Punishment

• friend of Luzhin

• believes in modern ideas

• saves Sonya from Luzhin’s accusations

Luzhin

• Crime and Punishment

• suitor for Dunya

• grows hatred for Raskolnikov

• motivation is to be dominant over Dunya

• accusses Sonya of theft

Svidrigailov

• Crime and Punishment

• Dunya’s former employer, suitor

• government official

• often sees ghost of his late wife Marfa

• tries to take advantage of Dunya

• dies from suicide

Marfa Petronova

• Crime and Punishment

• late wife of Svidrigailov

• supposedly poisoned by him

• leaves inheritance for Dunya

Alyona Ivanovna

• Crime and Punishment

• old pawnbroker

• nasty and greedy

• bad for society, abuses her sister

• murdered by Raskolnikov

Lizaveta

• Crime and Punishment

• sister to Alyona

• extremely submissive, easily taken advantage of

• murdered after she walks in on Alyona’s murder

The Kaupernaumovs

• Crime and Punishment

• Sonya’s landlords

• represent Caupernum