PLEASE NOTE THAT THE INSTRUCTOR MIGHT NEED TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE
WEEK 1 (Sept 22, 24)
Introduction to the course. Syllabus, Course Materials, Learning Oucomes. The Notion of Italy. Sebastiano Vassalli, L’Italiano (Digital Reader on Moodle). Video and discussion Giorgio Gaber, Io non mi sento italiano.Critical readings: The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 17-33. (Digital reader on Moodle). L’Identità italiana e la storia. Conversazione con il prof. Ernesto Galli della Loggia. Il carattere del popolo italiano e la coscienza nazionale. L’eredità del Risorgimento. In Limes. Rivista di geopolitica https://www.limesonline.com/lidentita-italiana-e-la-storia/9159
WEEK 2 (Sept 29, Oct 1)
UNI I: The Question of Language. I
Dante. De Vulgari Eloquentia, Libro I. Critical readings: The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 63-70. https://library.weschool.com/lezione/de-vulgari-eloquentia-di-dante-riassunto-e-analisi-del-testo-1314.html; https://library.weschool.com/lezione/analisi-de-vulgari-eloquentia-dante-alighieri-3395.html
WEEK 3 (Oct 6, 8, 9)
UNIT: The Question of Language. II. Italian Renaissance and the literary definition of Italian Language. Pietro Bembo’s canon and the culture of imitatio.
Critical readings: Excerpts from P. Bembo, Prose della Volgar Lingua;Francesco Petrarca's Rerum vulgarium fragmenta, and ‘Petrarchisti’’s poems. (handouts on Moodle)
WEEK 4 (Oct 13, 15, 16)
UNIT: The Question of Language. III. Alessandro Manzoni and Italian Risorgimento. Giuseppe Verdi and the role of Italian Opera in shaping national identity during Risorgimento. Critical readings: Excerpts from Manzoni and Verdi’s works (handouts on Moodle); The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 70-79.
WEEK 5 (Oct 20, 22)
RESPONSE PAPER I DUE ON OCT. 20
UNIT 2: Literature as Political Discourse. Dante Alighieri, Divina Commedia: i “canti politici”. Readings: Introduzione ai canti politici (handout on moodle); Inferno, Canto VI, vv. 58-75: https://www.danteonline.it/italiano/opere.asp?idope=1&idlang=OR; Purgatorio, Canto VI, vv. 223-228: https://www.danteonline.it/italiano/opere.asp?idope=1&idlang=OR
WEEK 6 (Oct 27, 29)
UNIT 2: Literature as Political Discourse. II. F. Petrarca, Italia mia: https://library.weschool.com/lezione/rerum-vulgarium-fragmenta-francesco-petrarca-e-la-politica-4872.html; N. Machiavelli, Il Principe, chapter XXVI: https://letteritaliana.weebly.com/lesortazione-finale-ai-medici.html; Critical readings:The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 35-53.
WEEK 7 (Nov 3, 5)
UNIT 2: Literature as Political Discourse. III. Giacomo Leopardi, All'Italia: https://www.studenti.it/all-italia-di-leopardi.html; Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alla mia nazione: http://www.pierpaolopasolini.it/alla_mia_nazione.htm Critical readings: The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 53-61.
WEEK 8 (Nov 10, 12, 13)
Review for Midterm, Nov 12: Midterm Exam
Home Screening: Mario Monicelli, La grande guerra (1959), Critical readings: Alberto Crespi, Storia d'Italia in 15 film, pp. 37-48. (Digital reader on Moodle); The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp.215-242
WEEK 9 (Nov 17, 19)
UNIT 3: Italian Intellectuals. I Pier Paolo Pasolini, Scritti corsari, chapters: “Sviluppo e progresso”, “Acculturazione e acculturazione”. (Digital reader on Moodle). Critical readings:The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture, pp. 81-91; Home screening. Pier Paolo Pasolini, Comizi d’amore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSkOnp7Lt-Y
WEEK 10 (Nov 24, 26)
UNIT 3: Italian Intellectuals. II. Pier Paolo Pasolini, Scritti corsari, chapter “Il romanzo delle stragi”; Roberto Saviano, Gomorra, pp. 231-240. (Digital reader on Moodle). Critical readings:The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture,pp. 91-96.
Home screening: Alina Marazzi, Vogliamo anche le rose (2007).
WEEK 11 (Dec 1, 3)
RESPONSE PAPER 2 DUE ON DEC. 1
UNIT 4: Questioning the Italian literary tradition from gender and postcolonial perspectives. Valeria Parrella, Ciao maschio (textbook); Igiaba Scego, Dismatria (Digital reader on Moodle). Critical readings: The Cambridge Companion to Modern Italian Culture,pp. 141-149.
DEC 3: ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Home screening: Esmeralda Calabria,Andrea D'Ambrosio, Peppe Ruggiero, Biutiful cauntri (2007)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cqbz4mFrI98; Critical readings: Alberto Crespi, Storia d'Italia in 15 film, pp. 235-252; Cristian Raimo, Contro l’identità italiana, 91-113.
WEEK 12 (DEC. 10)
Conclusions and review for Final Exam