Don Thompson - Courses

Great Books IV Spring 2006 The Brothers Karamazov - Fyodor Dostoevsky
"Laceration" Reading/Discussion Schedule February 2: to p. 67; February 6: to p. 140; February 13: to p. 195; February 16: to p. 262; February 20: to p. 342; March 6: to p. 420; March 9: to p. 486; March 13: to p. 532; March 16: to p. 623; March 20: to p. 671; March 23: finish.
Discussion Prompts
February 2 QdJ - What is your earliest recollection of your mother? Look for connections to both Kierkegaard and Nietzche in this work. Is Fyodor buffooning or serious as he talks about the hell hooks? Summarize Fyodor's theology. Why is Alyosha so embarassed by his father? Which account of faith in today's reading is most powerful? What do you make of Zosima's account of the church vs. state? February 6 What does Dmitri want from Alyosha? What makes a Karamazov? Viewing each character as either in an ascent or in a descent, where is Dmitri? Fyodor? Alyosha? Ivan? Smerdyakov? Bring your own questions and be prepared to pose them in class. February 13 Construct a "laceration" catalog. How is laceration a leitmotif for the entire work? How does laceration contribute to Alyosha's growth and development? How is Katerina Ivanovna like Fyodor? February 16 QdJ - When you see God, face to face, what will you ask Him? Using Belknap's definition of laceration (811-812), complete the character/laceration table we started in class on February 13. Choose one word to describe each character's laceration. Bring your list to class. No admittance without your completed list! Read the Rebellion and Grand Inquisitor passages twice. Who is the Grand Inquisitor? How would Ivan define human freedom? What is the crux of each of the three temptations of Christ, according to Ivan? Find all instances of character pairings that represent great likenesses or oppositions - e.g. Fyodor and Katya. How does character contribute to Alyosha's identity development? February 20 We will finish discussing the Grand Inquisitor & The Rebellion sections. In addition, we will focus on the many forms of symbolism present in the work. What are some of those? Please come prepared for good discussion; passionate, engaged dialogue.	March 6 Welcome Back! What physical entity used in the novel best symbolizes each character in the work and why? For example, for Father Zosima, one might argue that the ocean is such a symbol. Compile this list and bring it to class. We will hold another "Reader's Theatre" in class. This time, we will enact the "In the Dark". Be ready. March 9 What are Mitya's three torments? What correspondences and contrasts can we find between Mitya's three-part confession (Book III) and his three-part torment (Book IX)? How is religious faith connected with suffering? March 13 How does the account of Kolya, Ilyusha, and the other boys illustrate Zosima's platitude about the ocean? Which Karamazov brother is Kolya most like and why? How has Alyosha changed since we last saw him in the novel? How does the Grand Inquisitor section echo in Book X? March 16 In what ways do each of the following themes resonate in Book XI: secret, hallucination, guilt, aberration? How do the characters of Lise, Ilyusha, and Kolya form a response to Ivan's theories on the injustice of childrens' suffering? What is the significance of Smerdyakov's affirmation of God's presence? For Ivan, is the devil a hallucination or not? Is the devil's strategy to reawaken Ivan's faith or to kill it? March 20 Compare the courtroom scene to that of the Karamazov family visiting the monastery in book II. In what way is each brother guilty of Fyodor's death? What does the trial teach about getting at the truth? How DOES one person determine the guilt of another person? March 23 LAST DAY FOR BK. COME WITH YOUR OWN QUESTIONS AND DECLARATIONS.
Weekly Writing February 6 Choose one of the Karamazovs* and write about their root character and identity. (If you like, you may write about Smerdyakov.) February 13* This is an extra credit/optional weekly writing: Write about laceration. February 20 Write about Father Zosima. March 6 No Writing Due. March 13 Write about one of the following: Mitya A symbol for one of the characters The parallel between children and adults in the novel March 20 Write on a Brothers Karamazov topic of your own design. March 27 Optional EXTRA CREDIT writing - choose your own topic.