Modern humanities

In this course, we will introduce some of the basic elements which constitute the tools of literary theory (notion of literary genre, author, character, reader). We will then analyze some of the main literary theories of Western modern and contemporary culture, including psychoanalysis, structuralism, poststructuralism, feminist literary criticism, and postcolonial studies. During this course we will read theoretical essays and primary texts such as novels, short stories, autobiographical texts. We generally read a novel and we invite the author in class to discuss the text with them.

This is a mandatory course for the 2nd year and does not require any prerequisites.

TEXTS Text you need to buy or borrow from the library * Laura Pugno, Sirene, Venezia, Marsilio, 2007. Reader (texts uploaded to Google Classroom) * Andrea Bernardelli e Remo Ceserani, Il testo narrativo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005 (pp. 7-104). * Tzvetan Todorov, La letteratura fantastica (1970), Garzanti, Milano, 1983, pp. 7-43 e 170-179. ** Franz Kafka, La metamorfosi, Milano, BUR, 1975. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, Roma, Editori riuniti, 1998 (pp. 110-125 e 144-163). * Francesco Muzzioli, Le teorie della critica letteraria, Roma, Carocci, 2015 (pp. 149-170). ** E.T.A. Hoffmann, “L’uomo della sabbia”, ne L’uomo della sabbia e altri racconti, Milano, Mondadori, 1987, pp. 25-58. * Sigmund Freud, “Il perturbante”, in Saggi sull’arte, la letteratura e il linguaggio, Bollati Boringhieri 1991, pp. 269-307. * Roland Barthes, La morte dell’autore, ne Il brusio della lingua. Torino, Einaudi, 1988, (pp. 51-56). * Laura Lucia Rossi, Il lettore, in Percorsi di teoria e comparatistica letteraria, a cura di Stefania Sini e Franca Sinopoli, Milano, Pearson, 2021, pp. 131-150. * Virginia Woolf, Una stanza tutta per sé, Milano, SE, 1993, pp. 11-33 e pp. 51-67. * Serena Guarracino, Postcolonial Studies: riscrivere l’archivio dell’Occidente, in Introduzione ai Cultural Studies (a cura di Nicoletta Vallorani), Roma, Carocci, 2016 (pp. 105-121). * Edward Said, Introduzione, in Orientalismo. L'immagine europea dell'oriente, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2001 (pp. 11-36). * Cheryll Glotfelty, Prefazione, in Serenella Iovino, Ecologia letteraria. Una strategia di sopravvivenza, Milano, Edizioni Ambiente, 2006, pp. 9-10. * Serenella Iovino, Introduzione, in Ecologia letteraria. Una strategia di sopravvivenza, Milano, Edizioni Ambiente, 2006, pp. 13-25. * Pierpaolo Antonello, Post-umano, troppo post-umano: “Sirene” di Laura Pugno, La fantascienza nelle narrazioni italiane ipercontemporanee, numero monografico di «Narrativa» 43 (2021), pp. 1-17. Online texts ** Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story, TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en&subtitle=it ERASMUS students will be examined on the following selection of texts: * Andrea Bernardelli e Remo Ceserani, Il testo narrativo, pp. 7-104, e glossario pp. 223-251. ** Franz Kafka, La metamorfosi, Milano, BUR, 1975. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, pp. 110-125. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, pp. 144-163. * Roland Barthes, La morte dell’autore, pp. 51-56. * Edward Said, Introduzione, in Orientalismo, pp. 11-36. ** Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story, TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en&subtitle=it

Class attendance is non mandatory and there is no difference in the readings and exams for attending and non-attending students. However, considering the complexity of the issues examined and of the methodology adopted, ATTENDANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.

Students are encouraged to join class discussion, share their reflections, ask questions, answer other students’ questions. Students can take the exam written OR oral. The only opportunity for students to take a written exam will be in early January. In any of the other dates the exam will be oral. WRITTEN EXAM: Students will be assigned two hours’ time to complete the written exam. Students will be expected to answer 6 open questions: 2 of them will require shorter answers (approx. 10 lines – 3 points each) and 4 of them will require longer and more complex answers (approx. 20 lines-one page – 6 points each). ORAL EXAM: The oral exam lasts approximately 40 minutes. Students will be asked 5-6 questions on some of the texts in the syllabus, which they will have to discuss at length. Since an oral exam is a conversation, the number of question asked and the trajectory of the exam will be very much defined by how students answer questions.

TEXTS Text you need to buy or borrow from the library * Laura Pugno, Sirene, Venezia, Marsilio, 2007. Reader (texts uploaded to Google Classroom) * Andrea Bernardelli e Remo Ceserani, Il testo narrativo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2005 (pp. 7-104). * Tzvetan Todorov, La letteratura fantastica (1970), Garzanti, Milano, 1983, pp. 7-43 e 170-179. ** Franz Kafka, La metamorfosi, Milano, BUR, 1975. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, Roma, Editori riuniti, 1998 (pp. 110-125 e 144-163). * Francesco Muzzioli, Le teorie della critica letteraria, Roma, Carocci, 2015 (pp. 149-170). ** E.T.A. Hoffmann, “L’uomo della sabbia”, ne L’uomo della sabbia e altri racconti, Milano, Mondadori, 1987, pp. 25-58. * Sigmund Freud, “Il perturbante”, in Saggi sull’arte, la letteratura e il linguaggio, Bollati Boringhieri 1991, pp. 269-307. * Roland Barthes, La morte dell’autore, ne Il brusio della lingua. Torino, Einaudi, 1988, (pp. 51-56). * Laura Lucia Rossi, Il lettore, in Percorsi di teoria e comparatistica letteraria, a cura di Stefania Sini e Franca Sinopoli, Milano, Pearson, 2021, pp. 131-150. * Virginia Woolf, Una stanza tutta per sé, Milano, SE, 1993, pp. 11-33 e pp. 51-67. * Serena Guarracino, Postcolonial Studies: riscrivere l’archivio dell’Occidente, in Introduzione ai Cultural Studies (a cura di Nicoletta Vallorani), Roma, Carocci, 2016 (pp. 105-121). * Edward Said, Introduzione, in Orientalismo. L'immagine europea dell'oriente, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2001 (pp. 11-36). * Cheryll Glotfelty, Prefazione, in Serenella Iovino, Ecologia letteraria. Una strategia di sopravvivenza, Milano, Edizioni Ambiente, 2006, pp. 9-10. * Serenella Iovino, Introduzione, in Ecologia letteraria. Una strategia di sopravvivenza, Milano, Edizioni Ambiente, 2006, pp. 13-25. * Pierpaolo Antonello, Post-umano, troppo post-umano: “Sirene” di Laura Pugno, La fantascienza nelle narrazioni italiane ipercontemporanee, numero monografico di «Narrativa» 43 (2021), pp. 1-17. Online texts ** Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story, TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en&subtitle=it ERASMUS students will be examined on the following selection of texts: * Andrea Bernardelli e Remo Ceserani, Il testo narrativo, pp. 7-104, e glossario pp. 223-251. ** Franz Kafka, La metamorfosi, Milano, BUR, 1975. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, pp. 110-125. * Terry Eagleton, Introduzione alla teoria letteraria, pp. 144-163. * Roland Barthes, La morte dell’autore, pp. 51-56. * Edward Said, Introduzione, in Orientalismo, pp. 11-36. ** Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story, TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en&subtitle=it

The course will take place in person. The course is organized mainly in lectures, during which students are expected to ask questions and make observations. There will be a number of seminars on specific texts and topics (lezione-laboratorio), which will be articulated through the students’ questions and observations. Class discussion is strongly encouraged.

The course will focus on different critical methods, especially those developed in the 20th century, studying analysis as well as historical and cultural perspectives. Furthermore, attention will be paid to the authorship issue and transmedia storytelling.

A basic knowledge of the history of European and western literatures; ability to understand written texts in another European language.

- R. BARTHES, “La morte dell’autore”, in Id., Il brusio della lingua, trad. it. B. Bellotto, Saggi Critici IV, Einaudi, Torino 1988, pp. 51-56. - M. FOUCAULT, “Che cos’è un autore?”, in Id., Scritti letterari, trad. it. C. Milanese, Feltrinelli, Milano 1971, pp. 1-21. - F. MUZZIOLI, Le teorie della critica letteraria, Carocci 2003 e edizioni successive. - F. MEDAGLIA, Intermedialità diffusa: la narrazione transculturale metamoderna, Peter Lang, 2024.

On campus

Oral examination: verification of the learned concepts and of the development of skills for the analysis of literary and transmedia texts, plus a short thesis.

This course will be delivered through traditional lessons plus cooperative learning and peer to peer methodology.

The course will focus on different critical methods, especially those developed in the 20th century, studying analysis as well as historical and cultural perspectives. Furthermore, attention will be paid to the authorship issue and transmedia storytelling.

A basic knowledge of the history of European and western literatures; ability to understand written texts in another European language.

- R. BARTHES, “La morte dell’autore”, in Id., Il brusio della lingua, trad. it. B. Bellotto, Saggi Critici IV, Einaudi, Torino 1988, pp. 51-56. - M. FOUCAULT, “Che cos’è un autore?”, in Id., Scritti letterari, trad. it. C. Milanese, Feltrinelli, Milano 1971, pp. 1-21. - F. MUZZIOLI, Le teorie della critica letteraria, Carocci 2003 e edizioni successive. - F. MEDAGLIA, Intermedialità diffusa: la narrazione transculturale metamoderna, Peter Lang, 2024.

On campus

Oral examination: verification of the learned concepts and of the development of skills for the analysis of literary and transmedia texts, plus a short thesis.

This course will be delivered through traditional lessons plus cooperative learning and peer to peer methodology.