Law and Literature: Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
SLN #: 15277Course Prefix: LAW-791
Course Section: 027
Credit Hours: 2
Instructor(s): Murphy
Course Books: View List of Books
Course Description:
LAW AND LITERATURE: This seminar will involve discussing three works of literature that deal with crime, punishment, and (perhaps) redemption--works separated by approximately 2000 years. We will first discuss two plays by Sophocles: OEDIPUS THE KING and OEDIPUS AT COLONUS. After spending two sessions of the 13 discussing these, we will spend the remainder of the semester discussing Dostoevsky's novel CRIME AND PUNISHMENT. It is vital that the student use only the Everyman's Library translation of this novel (ordered for this course) by Pevear and Volokhonsky since many other translations are terrible and even the OK ones will have different pagination from the Everyman edition--something that will make references made in class hard to find and discuss. There are some other editions (one from Vintage) that use the P and V translation with the same pagination, so one of those will also be OK. NOTE WELL: (1)The Instructor does not allow laptop computers or other electronic devices to be used or even opened in class since they inhibit discussion and turn students into stenographers. (2) Prior to reading the assigned books you should not read any preliminary material (including prefaces to the books assigned). You should "wait on the story" and form your own view about its meaning before being influenced by the view of some critic.
Additional Information:
Credit Hours: 2
Grading Option: Letter Grade Only
Written Assignment: Yes
Graduation Writing Requirement: No
Flexible/Upper-Level Writing Requirement: No
Skills Requirement: No
Simulation Course: No
Experiential Learning: No
Seminar: Yes
Prerequisite: None
Special Withdrawal Course: No
Limited Enrollment Number: 15
Final Exam Given: No
Mid Term Or Other Exam: No
Paper Or In-Class Presentation: A 10-15 page paper on the same assigned topic required of all students--a kind of final exam but not called one. It will be due on the final day of the exam period.
Participation Points: Useful participation might be used to resolve borderline cases
Attendance Policy: Per Statement Of Student Policies
Additional Attendance Policy: Laptop computers or other electronic devices may not be used or even opened during class. Classes may be recorded only with permission of the instructor.
* The law school has a policy that is used to calculate credit hours. Please see the Statement of Student Policies.