Contemporary Italian Literature
A.Y. 2022/2023
Learning objectives
The course aims to provide a thorough training in contemporary Italian literature from critical and methodological as well as historical and cultural points of view. A reconstruction of the XX century Italian literary system will be therefore proposed, aware of the changes in relationships between authors, genres, movements, editorial mediation and public, accompanied by monographic insights, functional to the improvement of critical analysis and to the interpretation of single works.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge: 1) Dynamics of the Italian literary system from the XX century to the present day: movements, poetics, personalities and key works, articulation by genres and styles, relationship with publishing and cultural institutions. 2) Understanding of the basic elements to set up an analysis of contemporary Italian literary texts (narrative structures & stylistic, rhetorical, metrical strategies).
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Skills: 1) Ability to identify the specific expressive textual features and recognize authorial choices and modalities of the pact with the reader. 2) Ability to place chronology, historical contextualization and genre attribution of the texts. 3) Ability to examine critical texts, understanding their structure, concepts, arguments. 4) Ability to identify and control documentary sources and bibliographic tools in the context of contemporary Italian literature.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
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
First semester
Course syllabus
Course title: 'Conflicts between tradition and modernity in contemporary Italian literature'.
The monographic sections (1 and 3) insist on some crucial representations of the conflict between tradition and modernity in Italian literature of the last century. The first analyses two novels that project the theme onto Sardinian scenarios of the early and middle 20th century, focusing on the condition of women. The third part analyses a novel and a collection of poems in which Pier Paolo Pasolini focuses on the impact of post-1945 modernisation on the behaviour and mentality of the Italian people. The institutional part (2) proposes a reconstruction of the twentieth-century Italian literary system, focusing on the evolution of the relationships between authors, genres, movements, publishers and readers.
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 2 and part 1 or 3 (your choice); students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the complete syllabus.
The course will be taught in Italian. The course programme is valid until February 2024.
The monographic sections (1 and 3) insist on some crucial representations of the conflict between tradition and modernity in Italian literature of the last century. The first analyses two novels that project the theme onto Sardinian scenarios of the early and middle 20th century, focusing on the condition of women. The third part analyses a novel and a collection of poems in which Pier Paolo Pasolini focuses on the impact of post-1945 modernisation on the behaviour and mentality of the Italian people. The institutional part (2) proposes a reconstruction of the twentieth-century Italian literary system, focusing on the evolution of the relationships between authors, genres, movements, publishers and readers.
Students interested in acquiring 6 cfu will prepare part 2 and part 1 or 3 (your choice); students interested in acquiring 9 cfu will prepare the complete syllabus.
The course will be taught in Italian. The course programme is valid until February 2024.
Prerequisites for admission
Students should have: - an essential knowledge of Italian history, culture and literature from Unity to today; - a mastery of basic tools for the analysis of the literary text and the reading of critical essays; - a good command of written and spoken Italian language.
Teaching methods
Teaching takes place through lectures, supported by the vision of images and videos.
Teaching Resources
Part 1: 'Among lonely women. Matriarchy and modernity in Sardinia'.
Texts: Grazia Deledda, Canne al vento, any edition provided it is complete; Michela Murgia, Accabadora, Einaudi, Torino.
Bibliography: C. Bertoni, Canne al vento, in F. Bertoni, D. Giglioli (a cura di), Quindici episodi del romanzo italiano (1881-1923), Pendragon, Bologna 1999, pp. 269-299; N. Mihaljević, L'eutanasia, la morte e l'importanza della corporeità in "Accabadora" di Michela Murgia, in «Revista Internacional de Culturas y Literaturas», 20, 2017, pp. 188-202; Daniele Cerrato, Miti e simboli matriarcali in "Accabadora" di Michela Murgia, in Symbolum. Terra Mater Materia, a cura di D. Del Mastro e A. Giallongo, L'Harmattan, Paris 2020, pp. 163-177.
Part 2: 'The literary system in twentieth-century Italy'.
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, il Saggiatore, Milano 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduzione alla letteratura, Carocci, Roma 2003, pp. 81-134.
Part 3: 'The voice of the people on Pasolini's page'.
Texts: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Ragazzi di vita, Garzanti, Milan; Pier Paolo Pasolini, Le ceneri di Gramsci, Garzanti, Milan;
Critical Studies: V. Spinazzola, Il realismo irrazionalista di P.P. Pasolini, in Id., La modernità letteraria, il Saggiatore-FAAM, Milan 2001, pp. 348-370; M.A. Bazzocchi, Ragazzi di vita: il personaggio nel magma delle cose, in Personaggio e romanzo nel Novecento italiano, B. Mondadori, Milan 2009, pp. 105-119; V. Cerami, Le ceneri di Gramsci, in A. Asor Rosa (ed.), Letteratura Italiana. Le Opere, vol. IV, t. 2, La ricerca letteraria, Einaudi, Turin 1996, pp. 647-684.
Non-attending students
In addition to the texts indicated above, non-attending students should prepare the volume by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna 2013.
The volume is also recommended to attending students who need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural background in the field of contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Texts: Grazia Deledda, Canne al vento, any edition provided it is complete; Michela Murgia, Accabadora, Einaudi, Torino.
Bibliography: C. Bertoni, Canne al vento, in F. Bertoni, D. Giglioli (a cura di), Quindici episodi del romanzo italiano (1881-1923), Pendragon, Bologna 1999, pp. 269-299; N. Mihaljević, L'eutanasia, la morte e l'importanza della corporeità in "Accabadora" di Michela Murgia, in «Revista Internacional de Culturas y Literaturas», 20, 2017, pp. 188-202; Daniele Cerrato, Miti e simboli matriarcali in "Accabadora" di Michela Murgia, in Symbolum. Terra Mater Materia, a cura di D. Del Mastro e A. Giallongo, L'Harmattan, Paris 2020, pp. 163-177.
Part 2: 'The literary system in twentieth-century Italy'.
Texts: V. Spinazzola, L'egemonia del romanzo, il Saggiatore, Milano 2007, pp. 7-69; F. Brioschi, C. Di Girolamo, M. Fusillo, Modi della poesia, in Introduzione alla letteratura, Carocci, Roma 2003, pp. 81-134.
Part 3: 'The voice of the people on Pasolini's page'.
Texts: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Ragazzi di vita, Garzanti, Milan; Pier Paolo Pasolini, Le ceneri di Gramsci, Garzanti, Milan;
Critical Studies: V. Spinazzola, Il realismo irrazionalista di P.P. Pasolini, in Id., La modernità letteraria, il Saggiatore-FAAM, Milan 2001, pp. 348-370; M.A. Bazzocchi, Ragazzi di vita: il personaggio nel magma delle cose, in Personaggio e romanzo nel Novecento italiano, B. Mondadori, Milan 2009, pp. 105-119; V. Cerami, Le ceneri di Gramsci, in A. Asor Rosa (ed.), Letteratura Italiana. Le Opere, vol. IV, t. 2, La ricerca letteraria, Einaudi, Turin 1996, pp. 647-684.
Non-attending students
In addition to the texts indicated above, non-attending students should prepare the volume by A. Casadei, Il Novecento, Il Mulino, Bologna 2013.
The volume is also recommended to attending students who need to acquire a more solid historical and cultural background in the field of contemporary Italian literature.
Part of the Bibliography will be uploaded on Ariel.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral interview on the topics of the syllabus, whose purpose is to ascertain the knowledge of the main issues, the acquisition of the basic methodological tools for the interpretation of literary texts and the ability to apply them appropriately and autonomous to the scheduled texts.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for students who could not attend.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams: students must present all the teaching units to the exam, without exception. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
Attendance at lessons is strongly recommended for better exam preparation. However, the syllabus already includes additions for students who could not attend.
There are no intermediate tests, nor partial exams: students must present all the teaching units to the exam, without exception. Students must register through the appropriate links on the University website: only in this case the exams can be regularly registered.
L-FIL-LET/11 - CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Novelli Mauro Giacomo
Professor(s)