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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "EN 282"
COURSE NAME: "Italian Visions: Perceptions of Italy in Literature"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Spring 2017
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Shannon Russell
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 1:30 PM 2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES: Prerequisite: EN 110 with a grade of C or above
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The course considers the importance of Italy for non-Italian writers, particularly European, British and American writers from the eighteenth century onward. Topics considered include: a critique of the perception and construction of Italy and Italians, the development of genres like the gothic or novels of national identity, the gendering of nationality, imperialism, the use of art and history in literature. Consideration is given to the ways in which these works are in dialogue with each other in terms of cultural assumptions and influence. This course is an alternate course to EN 278. If taken in addition to EN 278, it may count as a major elective. This is a reading and writing intensive course. Students in 200-level literature classes are required to produce 4-5,000 words of critical writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
See above as well as the reading list and course schedule.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Students will become familiar with eighteenth and nineteenth century Biritish, American and European literary engagement with and about Italy.  It is hoped that they will be able to identify the important trans-cultural relationships between these writers which their encounters with Italy expose.  Students will also become familiar with the cultural challenges of travel writing.
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Corinne, or ItalyGermaine de StaelOxford World's Classics978-0-19-955460-7     
Where Angels Fear to TreatE. M. ForsterPenguin Classics978-0-141-44145-0     
Diasy MillerHenry JamesOxford World's Classics978-0-19-953856-0     
The ItalianAnn RadcliffeOxford World's Classics978-0-19-283254-2     
The Marble FaunNathanial HawthorneOxford World's Classics978-0-19-955407-2     
Italian JourneyJohann Wolfgagn Von GoethePenguin Classics978-0-14-44233-5     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Two essays 6-8 pages typedEssays should conform to MLA standards in terms of documentation of sources and research.50%
Reading Journal (Minimum 15 typed pages)Reading journals are to demonstrate the student's engagement with the material in light of their own attempts to articulate either their own or an alien culture. Journals may be personal but must also be critically engaged with the reading assigned. Students should aim to comment in some way on every work of literature we study in the course through their responses in the journal.20%
Participation Participation is essential. Students are expected to demonstrate their reading and understanding of the material assigned through their class contributions.10%
Final ExamThe Final Exam will involve an extended essay which will be completed in the exam timetable. The topic will be given in advance and students are expected to arrive at the exam with an outline in place.20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance is mandatory.  At three absences your overall grade for the course is reduced.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

There will be FIVE on-site classes.  ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY and our visits have been pre-booked.  Absences will be counted as 1.5 missed classes and an extra assignment will be required to make up for any legitimate absences.  Personal trips planned do NOT count as a legitimate excuse for absences.

Payment for our field trips is required in advance of the visit. In lieu of these required field trips and the extra time required during the lunch hour break to get to and from sites, two classes in the regular schedule have been cancelled.  See schedule below for details.

 

WEEK 1

Tues. Jan. 17

Introduction to the Course and Requirements

The Grand Tour - An Introduction

We will go through the virtual tour of Italy and the Grand Tour constructed from the 2001 exhibition at the Getty Museum.

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/grand_tour/

http://museum.oglethorpe.edu/GrandTour.htm    

http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/18century/topic_4/tour.htm

Review: Three views of the Grand Tour in Norton Anthology

http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/18century/topic_4/tour.htm

 

Thurs. Jan.  19

The Grand Tour continued:  The Anti-Italy (or Splenetic) Travellers   

 

Tobias Smollett, Selections from Travels through France and Italy (1766).  Do a google search to find an e-text version like http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/_Texts/Smollett/Travels/25.html

Read Letters 29 - 35 (letters on Rome and final letter in which he sums up the effect of his travels).

 

WEEK 2    Pre-Revolution Travellers and the European Artists Abroad

Tues. Jan.   24

Goethe's Italian Journey  Read Part 1 for today (Tuesday)

Required reading is the two sections on Rome for our classes, but please feel free to read the entire book.

Thurs. Jan. 26

Goethe's Italian Journey  Read Part 3 Second Roman Visit

 

JOURNAL ENTRIES DUE TODAY

 

WEEK 3

Tues. January 31 Italy and the Female Gothic

Ann Radcliffe The Italian  Read Volume 1.  Please read the prefatory story that introduces the novel, carefully.

 

Thurs. Feb. 2

Ann Radcliffe The Italian  Read Volume 2.  

Firday. Feb. 3

FIRST FIELD TRIP:  Casa di Goethe Via del Corso 18 Meet there at 1:15 pm for our scheduled tour in English (lasts one hour; Entry to the museum is 4 euros per person, including a private and free guided tour in English)

 

WEEK 4  

 

Tues. Feb. 7

Read:  Ann Radcliffe The Italian Volume 3

 

Aesthetic and psychological categories: The Sublime and the Picturesque Background Reading: The concept of the Sublime on the Victorian Website http://www.victorianweb.org/philosophy/sublime/sublimeov.html

Edmund Burke excerpts from essay on the Sublime http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/topic_1/burke.htm

Gilpin on ideas of the Picturesque for Romantics http://www2.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/topic%5F1/riverwye.htm

 

Thurs. Feb. 9  

Read:  Germaine de Stael Corinne; or Italy  Book 1-8 and Selections See Moodle

 

WEEK 5  

 

Tues. Feb. 14 

 

Read:  Germaine de Stael Corinne; or Italy  Book 14, 19 and Conclusion

 

 

Thurs. Feb. 16

SECOND FIELD TRIP:  Capitoline Museum  Meet at 1:15 pm  The Capitoline is an important and large museum and at 12 euros a ticket, it is worth savouring.  Plan to spend some time here on your own after we see the things relevant to our reading for the course, as it is well worth it.  We will meet at the Ticket Office and will proceed to the Pinoteca to view the Cumean Sibyl.  After that we will visit the sculpture gallery to view the Marble Faun and the Dying Gladiator.

 

WEEK 6

Tues. Feb. 21  FIRST ESSAY DUE

Byron’s Childe Harolde’s Pilgrimage Canto IV especially stanzas cxxviii-cxxxi; cxxxviii-cxlv) http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/chpl10h.htm

Timeline: http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologies/mschronology/chrono.html#1822

and

Beppo http://readytogoebooks.com/LB-Bp48.htm

 

Thurs. Feb. 23 The Romantics in Italy

Read:  Percy Bysshe Shelley’s  The Cenci

http://web.bilkent.edu.tr/Online/www.english.upenn.edu/jlynch/Frank/PShelley/cencitp.html

Keats’s “Happy is England”

 

WEEK 7

 

Feb. 28

THIRD FIELD TRIP:  Keats Shelley House  Meet at the Museum on the Spanish Steps at 1:15 pm for a scheduled tour (cost 5 euros).


March 2  NO CLASS  cancelled in lieu of field trips

 

WEEK 8

 

Tues. March 7

Hawthorne's The Marble Faun (Chapters 1-16)

 

Thurs. March 9

 

Read: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun  (Chapters 17-35)

 

WEEK 9

Tues. March 13

Hawthorne The Marble Faun (to end)

 

Thurs. March 15

 

FOURTH FIELD TRIP: The Palazzo Barberini at 1:15 (cost 7 euros for non-EU, less for EU citizens under 25).   For those who have time, we can follow our visit to the Palazzo Barberini with a visit to the Bone Church or the Church of L'Immacolata Concezione, Via Vittorio Veneto 27 (Metro Barberini or Bus to Piazza Barberini).  

WEEK 10

Tues. March 21

Read:  Excerpts from Dickens’s Pictures from Italy, including chapters entitled:  Italian Dream, Rome, and A Rapid Diorama:   e-text available on Project Gutenberg

Thurs. March 23

Read:  Mark Twain's The Innocents Abroad (Chapter 17-31 and Conclusion)
http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/TwaInno.html

Hypertext of map of Twain’s journey http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/innocent/iamaphp.html

WEEK 11

Tues. March 28
European Travel in the Gilded Age and the New Woman

Henry James Daisy Miller Chapters 1-3

 

Thurs. March 30   JOURNALS ARE DUE IN TODAY

 

Read:  Henry James’s Daisy Miller Chapters 4-end

 

 

WEEK 12  April 2-10        SPRING BREAK

 

WEEK 13  

 

Tues. April 11

E. M. Forster Where Angels Fear to Tread Chapters 1-4

 

Thurs. April 13

No class in lieu of field trips

 

WEEK 14

Tues. April 18

Read: E. M. Forster Where Angels Fear to Tread  Chapters 5-6

SECOND ESSAY DUE

 

Thurs. April 20

E. M. Forster Where Angels Fear to Tread Chapters 7-end

WEEK 15
Tues. April 25 NO Class in lieu of Feb 3 makeup

 

Thursday April 27

 

Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever"  available on the internet

 

FIFTH FIELD TRIP - Protestant Cemetery (Piramide). Donation required.  Meet at Keats's graveside at 1:15 pm.