Introduction to World Literature This course is an introduction to the critical analysis of imaginative literature of the world, the dissemination of themes and myths, and the role of translation as the medium for reaching different cultures. Through the careful reading of selected classic texts from a range of Western and non-Western cultures, students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of the particular texts under consideration, while developing a critical vocabulary with which to discuss and write about these texts, both as unique artistic achievements of individual and empathetic imagination and as works affected by, but also transcending their historical periods.

Once Upon A Time ... Folk Fairy Tales Of The World Tell me a story! We will examine the complex, inter-connected fairy tale traditions found in every society. Comparing fairy tale variants from around the world-including Japan, China, India, Near East, Africa-we will explore their convoluted and fertile relationships as observed in the rise of fairy tale collections in 15th-century Europe, reaching a culmination in the Brothers Grimm collection, often synonymous with the fairy tale itself. To attain a more dispassionate critical perspective we will explore theoretical approaches to the fairy tales through authors such as Zipes, Bottigheimer, Tatar, and Rölleke, and conclude by examining modern variants in prose, poetry, and film.

Once Upon a Time – Fairy Tales of the World Tell me a story! We will examine the complex, inter-connected folk fairy tale traditions found in every society. Comparing fairy tale variants from around the world, we will explore their convoluted and fertile relationships as observed in the rise of fairytale collections in 15th Century Europe, reaching a culmination in the Brothers Grimm collection, often synonymous with the fairy tale itself.  To attain a more dispassionate critical stance we will explore theoretical approaches to the fairy tales by such authers as Jack Zipes, Ruth Bottigheimer, Maria Tatar, and Kay Stone, and conclude by examining modern variants in prose, poetry, and film.

Roger Russi

Reviews and ratings for Roger Russi at Middlebury College.Roger Russi teaches Intro to World Literature, Folk-Fairy Tales of the World, Fairy Tales of the World and more.  Explore top rated instructors and find the best for you.Is Roger Russi good ? Find out on MiddCourses.

You can definitely get away without doing the readings. His lectures are pretty boring but he grades the papers/participation pretty easy. He is very enthusiastic about the subject but didn't teach me much about writing during the course.

 It's okay for a first-year seminar, but not a class I found very valuable. Russi is genuinely passionate about fairy tales, and the content could have been interesting, but most classes, we just reviewed the readings instead of actually discussing them. The workload is manageable, especially if you skim the readings. 

This course was very reading-heavy, but it was an interesting first-year seminar. There were multiple short writing assignments, including making your own fairy tale. Lots of readings of different fairy tales before every class. Roger is super enthusiastic about the course and what he is teaching. 