2008-11-25

The Misunderstood One

Yesterday in class we were discussing, out of all things: Dostoevsky, Bakhtin, and Polyphonic Novel. Explaining the concept of the heteroglossia in the novel is difficult; more so, when it's in Russian. It seems to me that our professor had to sacrifice her usage of language and for this reason, I think the essence of the lecture was lost on many students.

Since my abstract has to be in Russian, I found the lecture very rewarding. I love the way Anastasia speaks--very elegantly and clearly. I found myself jotting down a few notes, thinking, yes, this is the word I need!

Many Russians don't like Dostoevsky. He's not the "National Writer", unlike Pushkin. To the rest of the world, though, he is. I think Dostoevsky has more depth than Pushkin...and while some people have claimed that they go through a certain depression after reading D, I say the opposite is true with me: I find myself in a state of excitement, wanting to explore my work and write. Dostoevsky, although he was moody and suffered from long periods of depression, never suffered periods of apathy--he was always working.

I admire that and I admire him. One of the professors with whom I work gave me a book on Dostoevsky in Russian. They say his style in Russian is complicated, but I like it--I admire the syntax.

I just finished The Dialogic Imagination and will now proceed to read a few other articles. My goal, before I leave, is to read all of the articles and type up as many notes as I can. I also need to make a blueprint for my thesis.

aeka at 4:33 a.m.