07918 - English-Speaking Countries Literature

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the students will have a wide overview of the main  historical, geographical and social aspects and contexts of British Culture from the end of world war two to the end of the second millennium. The students will also be able to contextualize and analyze various texts and documents, placing them in relationship with the most relevant and significant changes of the cultural and linguistic area of reference

Course contents

The aim of the course is to analyse the use and the representation of fantastic elements in English Culture from the late XVIII century to the end of the second millennium.

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory readings:

M. Cometa, Studi Culturali, Napoli, Guida, 2011 (prefazione, seconda parte - paragrafi 1, 2,3,4 - e quarta parte).

Short Fiction: 

Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”, ebooks.adelaide.edu.au

Elizabeth Gaskell,   “The Old Nurse's Story”, ebooks.adelaide.edu.au

Rudyard Kipling, “They”, gaslight.mtroyal.ca

“The Wish House”, ebooks.adelaide.edu.au

“The Mark of the Beast”, kiplingsociety.co.uk

R. L. Stevenson, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde

Oscar Wilde, “The Canterville Ghost” (reperibile su Gutenberg.org)

H. G. Wells, “The Door in the Wall” (reperibile su Gutenberg.org)

P. Carey, “Report from the Shadow Industry”, “American Dreams”

S. Rushdie, “At the Auction of the Red Slippers”

M. Atwood, “Giving Birth”

Only for the students of storia della cultura inglese: 

Charles Dickens, “The Signalman”, ebooks.adelaide.edu.au

R. Kipling, “The Gardener” (reperibile su kiplingsociety.co.uk)

M. Beerbhom, “Enoch Soames” (reperibile su Gutenberg.org)

Lord Dunsany, “The Bureau d'Echange de Maux” (reperibile su sacred-texts.com)

H. James, “The Friends of Friends” (reperibile su albalearning.com)

 only for the students of letteratura dei paesi di lingua inglese:

R. Kipling, The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Juke - ebooks.adelaide.edu.au

T. Findley, Dreams

P. Carey, Peeling,

R. Mistry, The Ghost of Firozsha Baag

M. Bail, Portait of Electricity

Theatre

Harold Pinter, The Birthday Party

Films: 

M. Powell, E. Pressburger, The Red Shoes

J. Schlesinger, Billy Liar

P. Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock

S. Frears, Mary Reilly

Criticism (The students who do not attend regularly must study all of them)

S. Albertazzi, La letteratura fantastica, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1993.

S. Albertazzi, La letteratura postcoloniale. Dall'impero alla World Literature, Roma, Carocci, 2013, pp. 9-20 e 82-104.

R. Runcini, La paura e l'immaginario sociale nella letteratura, Napoli, Liguori, 1995, pp. 6-134.

 

For further reading:

G. Canova-F. Malagnini, Australia New Wave, Milano, Gammalibri, 1984, pp. 83-86 e 97-101.

R. Ceserani, Il fantastico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1996.

N. Cornwell, The Literary Fantastic, New York, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990.

R. Jackson, Fantasy. The Literary of Subversion, London, Methuen, 1981.

L. Pykett, “Sensation and the fantastic Victorian novel”, in D. David (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Victorian Novel, 2nd ed., Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 192- 211.

R. Runcini, Il fantastico in arte e letteratura dal realismo al simbolismo, Napoli, La città del sole, 2006.

P. Sorlim, “Introduzione” a Id. Cinema e identità europea, Milano, RCS Libri, 2001.

T. Todorov, La letteratura fantastica, Milano, Garzanti, 1978.

S. Albertazzi, "Se se la bevono sei salvo". Limiti del fantastico", in C. Bragaglia, G. E. Bussi, C. Giacobazzi, G. Imposti (a cura di), Lo specchio dei mondi impossibili, Firenze, Aletheia, 2001, pp. 147-163.

S. Albertazzi, "Texts Intestead" : la narrazione (postcoloniale) nell'epoca delal sua riproducibilità tecnica" in S. Bassi, S. Bertacco, R. Bonicelli (a cura di), In That Village of Open Doors,Venezia, Cafoscarina, 2002, pp. 9-18.

P. Bertinetti, Il teatro inglese del Novecento, Torino, Einaudi, pp. 109-115 e 184-193.

M. Baraldi, L'ultima terra. La cultura australiana contemporanea, Roma, Carocci, 2002, pp. 11-20, 35-44, 54-58.

B: Goldstein, "Billy Liar"

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/120-billy-liar

 

At the library of our Department, you will find copies of the essays and the short story that are more difficult to find.

 

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures will be alternated with an approach on seminar base, encouraging students to participate in class discussion. Reading and analysis of document and texts. Erasmus and Overseas students must have a good knowledge of the Italian Language in order to attend this course.

Assessment methods

The oral test consists in an oral talk which has the aim of evaluating the critical and methodological ability of the students in relating British history, critical approach to texts, authors and movements analysed during the course. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography used during the course and added to the course program.

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the course, and are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific culture and history of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence.

Those students who demonstrate a mnemonic knowledge of the subject with a more superficial analytical ability and ability to synthesize, a correct command of the language but not always appropriate, will be given a ‘fair' mark.

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark.

Students who demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

Teaching tools

Traditional lectures will be alternated with an approach on seminar base, encouraging students to participate in class discussion. Reading and analysis of document and texts. Video and Audio supports will be used. Experts, PhD students and young reasearchers will take active part in the course.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Albertazzi