What is Evil: The Demons of Russian Literature (Part 2 - "Demons" by Dostoevsky)
Your Instructor
PhD Candidate in Russian Studies
Princeton University
Being an incorrigible bookworm and a night owl with a penchant for foreign languages, it was but a matter of time that I would land in some literature department. I was born in Barcelona, Spain, where I graduated with a BA in German and Russian literatures. After a few years in industry, I moved to Chicago to earn a MA in Digital Humanities from uChicago, before going back to Europe for a MPhil in Slavonic Studies at the University of Oxford. Currently, I am earning a PhD in Slavic Studies at Princeton. In my doctoral research, I focus on translation, intertextuality, Symbolism, and literature and the scenic arts. I believe that there is no better observatory of mankind than literature, and I enjoy welcoming others into that observatory.
What you'll learn
Master the literary strategies employed to discuss social evil and moral issues indirectly
Learn about Russia's history of ideas, with a special emphasis on its social and moral debates
Get acquainted with some of the main masterpieces of Russian literature
Discuss some of the suggested origins of evil and suffering
Course Schedule
Published in 1971-72 "Demons" (or "The Possessed" or "The Devils") is one of the four literary masterpieces by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Described as his most "confused and violent novel", the work satirises the political and social movements of its time, painting a rather bleak portrait of social stupidity and social contagion. In this session we'll discuss Part I, where we meet the main characters, and start to get a whiff of the evil to come
What You Get
Live interactive sessions
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Small discussion groups
Up to 15 students for personalized attention
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Frequently asked questions
Course-specific questions
Your Instructor
PhD Candidate in Russian Studies
Princeton University
Being an incorrigible bookworm and a night owl with a penchant for foreign languages, it was but a matter of time that I would land in some literature department. I was born in Barcelona, Spain, where I graduated with a BA in German and Russian literatures. After a few years in industry, I moved to Chicago to earn a MA in Digital Humanities from uChicago, before going back to Europe for a MPhil in Slavonic Studies at the University of Oxford. Currently, I am earning a PhD in Slavic Studies at Princeton. In my doctoral research, I focus on translation, intertextuality, Symbolism, and literature and the scenic arts. I believe that there is no better observatory of mankind than literature, and I enjoy welcoming others into that observatory.