The book, Darkness at Noon, is an analysis of the way that the Communist Party seemingly attacked itself during the 1930s. It examines the motivations, goals, and fears of the Russian Communists.

You are to write a paper addressing the following questions:

What does Koestler mean by the concepts of ‘anti-vivisection morality’ and grammatical fiction? Define these concepts and analyze how they apply to Stalinist Russia and communist ideology (what did the Communists believe they were trying to achieve).  Are there any precedents for these ideas in Russian history/culture, or were they unique to Communism?

INSTRUCTIONS:

This is the course paper. As you answer the main question, be sure to put your discussion in a broader historical context and relate it to the themes of the entire course. Explain how the issues discussed by Koestler connect to the previous experiences in Russian history we covered in class.

In order to answer these questions, you MUST utilize at least 5 (five) outside, peer-reviewed sources. These may be books, articles, or primary sources.

You are writing a formal paper, so be sure to start the paper with a thesis statement.  End the paper with a formal conclusion. You are free to utilize any footnoting system you desire, as long as it remains consistent throughout the paper. If you are utilizing outside sources, please cite their information on a separate Works Cited page.

When writing the paper, you need to observe the following guidelines:

Avoid long quotations.  Numerous long quotes will lead to a lowering of the grade.
Papers that make full use of the book and utilize well-supported arguments, buttressed by suitable evidence to answer the questions and present a well-organized, logical argument will receive a high grade.
Papers that only lightly rely on the book, are not well-organized, have numerous grammatical error, and are not logical in the argument will receive a lower grade.
The paper is to be double-spaced, with one-inch margins,12-point type, and paragraphs are to be indented.
The paper length should be about 6-8 pages, typed, double-spaced (approximately 1800-2400 words). The length limits are not rigid, but if you find yourself writing much less or much more than the suggested amount, it may indicate a problem in understanding or fulfilling the assignment.