Literature, Fashion and Costume in Contemporary Italy

A.Y. 2019/2020
9
Max ECTS
60
Overall hours
SSD
L-FIL-LET/11
Language
Italian
Learning objectives
The course aims to study the relationship between Italian literature, cultural context and collective imagination through the analysis of works belonging to different genres and levels of literary production. These include traditional genres such as the novel, but also mixed types and forms of written production which transcend the boundaries of institutional literature: memorialist, honorific, or journalistic literature. These are formulas practiced by writers of various backgrounds - writers, journalists, protagonists of cultural communication - who interpret new professional roles and dialogue for specific audiences through works capable of intercepting their tastes and interests, orienting them in different ways. These are fashionable works, therefore, both in the role of a best-seller, and because they record the new trends of cultural and material consumption, reworking them.
Expected learning outcomes
The course aims to lead the participants to the acquisition of an in-depth understanding of the relationship between literary, semi-literary and extra-literary dimensions within the context of nineteenth and twentieth century production. It is a capacity to orient the main genres (novel, memorial, travel and journalistic writings) by linking literary and paraliterary phenomena, cultural context and collective imagination, through the decisive role of the target audience. Thus, through the assimilation of different perspectives of investigation into not only literary texts, the student matures their respective capacity to identify the authorial intentionality within the full awareness of the relationships between work and context, focusing stereotypes and new proposals capable of shaping the imagination of the recipients.
Single course

This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.

Course syllabus and organization

Single session

Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The fascination of exotic (60 ore, 9 CFU)
The course focusis on the relationship between italian literature and the cultural context trough the analisys of different works.
Unit A: revolves around two very popular novels: Emilio Salgari's I misteri della jungla nera and Gabriele D'Annunzo's Il Piacere di D'Annunzio, wich are both concerned with the exotic.
Unit B: Barzini's La Metà del Mondo vista da un'automobile and Gozzano's Un Natale a Ceylon are both about the description of far away countries seen through the writers poin of view.
Unit C: after analysing the novel form and travel literature, concentrates on D'Annunzio fashion journalist.
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of 19th and 20th italian literature: outstanding authors and literary movements.
Ability to read critical and methological studies.
Teaching methods
Front lessons with the aid of slides, audiovisual materials, learners and teacher interaction. Attendance is not compulsory but it is highly suggested. The criteria to evaluate the learning process will be explained to students.
Attendance is not compulsory but haihighly recomanded.
Teaching Resources
Unit A: Novels

Course syllabus for attending students

Choose between: G. D'Annunzio, Il Piacere, Milano, Mondadori ("Oscar"), 2016 and E. Salgari, I misteri della jungla nera, Milano, Mondadori, 2012

E.W. Said, Orientalismo, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1999, pp. 11-114 (Introduzione e cap. 1)

For those students who choose D'Annunzio: M. Muramatsu, Outa occidentale di Gabriele D'Annunzio, ovvero quando la metrica giapponese plasma la poesia italiana, in Segni e voci della letteratura italiana. Da Dante a D'Annunzio, Tokyo, UTCP, 2012, pp. 83-93; versione on-line: https://utcp.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp/publications/pdf/CollectionUTCP11_Muramatsu_04.pdf; V. Spinazzola, Gabriele D'Annunzio, in V. Spinazzola, Letteratura e popolo borghese, Milano, Unicopli, 2000, pp. 135-139

For those students who choose Salgari: E. Beseghi, Jolanda e le altre. Figure femminili nell'opera di Emilio Salgari, in La valle della luna. Avventura, esotismo, orientalismo nell'opera di Emilio Salgari, edited by E. Beseghi, Scandicci, La nuova Italia, 1992, pp. 123-143

Unit B: Travel literature

Course syllabus for attending students

Choose betwwen: L. Barzini, La Metà del Mondo vista da un'automobile. Da Pechino a Parigi in sessanta giorni, edited by L. Clerici, Milano, Touring Club Italiano, 2006; G. Gozzano, Verso la cuna del mondo. Lettere dall'India, edited by R. Carnero, Milano, Bompiani, 2008

G. Benvenuti, Il viaggiatore come autore. L'India nella letteratura italiana del Novecento, Bologna, il Mulino, 2008, pp. 9-66 (cap. 1 e 2)

For those students who choose Barzini: S. Colarizi, Luigi Barzini. Una storia italiana, Venezia, Marsilio, 2017, pp. 13-45 (cap. 1, 2 e 3); Premessa [L. Barzini], in Scrittori italiani di viaggio 1861-2000, edited by L. Clerici, Milano, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore ("Meridiani"), 2013, pp. 1271-1276

For those students who choose Gozzano: G. Benvenuti, Il viaggiatore come autore. L'India nella letteratura italiana del Novecento, Bologna, il Mulino, 2008, pp. 67-108 (cap. 3)

Unità C: Not only journalism

Course syllabus for attending students

G. D'Annunzio, Favole mondane, Introduction by F. Roncoroni, Milano, Garzanti, 1981

D. Baroncini, La moda nella letteratura contemporanea, Milano, Bruno Mondadori, 2010, pp. 7-56 (cap. 1)

Unit A: Novels

Course syllabus for non attending students

For those students who choose D'Annunzio: G. Ragone, "Il piacere" di Gabriele D'Annunzio, in Letteratura italiana. Le Opere, Directed by A. Asor Rosa, Volume terzo, Dall'Ottocento al Novecento, Torino, Einaudi, 1995, pp. 1009-1066

For those students who choose Salgari: L. Clerici, I Robinson salgariani, in Molti, uno solo. Tipologie della lette¬ratura giovanile, edited by D. Mazza, Introduzione di G. Cusatelli, Firenze, La Nuova Italia, 1994, pp. 111-140

Unit B: Travel literature

Course syllabus for non attending students

For those students who choose Barzini: L. Clerici, Bella e impossibile, in L. Barzini, La Metà del Mondo vista da un'automobile. Da Pechino a Parigi in sessanta giorni, edited by L. Clerici, Milano, Touring Club Italiano, 2006, pp. 8-18

For those students who choose Gozzano: Premessa [G. Gozzano], in Scrittori italiani di viaggio 1861-2000, edited by L. Clerici, Milano, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore ("Meridiani"), 2013, pp. 1271-1276; R. Carnero, Introduzione, in G. Gozzano, Verso la cuna del mondo. Lettere dall'India, edited by R. Carnero, Milano, Bompiani, 2008, pp. 5-27

Unit C: Giornalismo e dintorni

Course syllabus for non attending students

A. Andreoli, Introduzione, in G. D'Annunzio, Scritti giornalistici 1882-1888, Volume primo, edited by A. Andreoli, Milano, Mondadori ("I Meridiani"), 1996, pp. XI-L
Assessment methods and Criteria
Oral test/Interview. The oral test is based on the discussion of the topics included in the syllabus. Students are required to have good knowlwdge of the works and the skill to analyse them critically showing methodological awareness with reference to the 20th century literary output.
Assessement criteria: clear answers using appropriate language; ability to use critical thinking.
Evaluation will be based on marks; maximum score 30. The exame is passed with 18/30.
Unita' didattica A
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica B
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Unita' didattica C
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)