09435 - Theory of Literature (A-L)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the students have a basic knowledge of some general concepts of literature, of literary institutions, of relationships between text and contest and of the dynamic of literary communication. They know and can apply some basic methodologies to analyse literary texts.

Course contents

Introduction to text analysis: The workshop of the novel

The undergraduate course in Theory of Literature has a twofold objective: 1) To propose a new approach to the literary phenomenon, conceiving theory not as a self-referential system but as a point of view, away of seeing, an optical device that sharpens textual comprehension; 2) To provide the basic tools for the analysis and interpretation of texts, countering superficial critical trends where the text serves merely as a pretext to study something else (the author, the themes, the ideology, the historical context, etc.). On the one hand, theory is approached as inquiry, questioning, adventure, and curiosity – an invitation to explore unknown territories (and, if necessary, to retrace our steps). On the other hand, the text becomes a workshop, a workspace where we refine the tools to handle that unique form of language we call literature. This is a “theory in action,” one that observes concepts in their historical and cultural trajectory and never forgets the connection between abstract reflection and expressive practice, between questions of poetics and the concrete challenges of the written page. This year, that connection will be embodied particularly by authors with a strong theoretical inclination, who have accompanied their narrative work with precise, often strikingly lucid reflections expressed through essays, prefaces, letters, and diary pages. It will be a way to observe from within a specific segment of the history of the novel, since the most effective and illuminating literary theory has often been born in the workshop of writers – those who have had to grapple, often at the cost of exhausting struggles, with a series of technical challenges and structural enigmas. As one of the key figures in this story, Henry James, once said – dismantling the Romantic myth of the inspired genius – «the artist must always know what he is doing; if he does not, he is not doing anything at all».

The course, which has a duration of 60 hours, is also offered to students enrolled in the Degree Program in Foreign Languages and Literatures. The syllabus is the same for non-attending students as well.

Period: Second semester (February-May 2026)

Timetable, classrooms, and start dates: Please refer to the teacher's webpage under the "Teaching Section".

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

I. Novels

• Honoré de Balzac, Papà Goriot (1835), Garzanti
• Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary (1857), Garzanti
• Robert Louis Stevenson, Il Master di Ballantrae (1889), Garzanti
• Henry James, Gli ambasciatori (1903), Frassinelli
• Virginia Woolf, Al faro (1927), Feltrinelli
• Italo Calvino, Se una notte d’inverno un viaggiatore (1979), Mondadori

II. Critical Texts

The critical bibliography is divided into two sections. Students are required to read the mandatory text from Section A, intended as a general introduction to literary theory, and six texts of their choice from Section B. Within this selection, it is recommended to choose at least one text per author (it is of course possible – and indeed encouraged – to read more than six, which is the minimum required for the exam). All texts from Section B will be uploaded as pdf to the Virtuale platform as soon as possible.

A. Mandatory text

• Federico Bertoni, Letteratura. Teorie, metodi, strumenti, Carocci

B. Six texts of your choice

• Honoré de Balzac, Prefazione della “Comédie Humaine”, in Honoré de Balzac, Poetica del romanzo, ed. Mariolina Bongiovanni Bertini, Sansoni, pp. 179-195
• Honoré de Balzac, Prefazione della prima edizione del “Père Goriot”, in Honoré de Balzac, Poetica del romanzo, ed. Mariolina Bongiovanni Bertini, Sansoni, pp. 81-90
• Gustave Flaubert, Lettere notturne a Louise Colet. La pubblicazione e il processo 1851-1857, in L’opera e il suo doppio. Dalle lettere, ed. Franco Rella, Fazi, pp. 111-211 (the specific selection of letters to be read for the exam, which is shorter than the total page range indicated, will be uploaded to the Virtuale platform)
• Robert Louis Stevenson, A proposito del “romance”, in Robert Louis Stevenson, L’isola del romanzo, ed. Guido Almansi, Sellerio, pp. 25-40
• Robert Louis Stevenson, Un’umile rimostranza, in Robert Louis Stevenson, L’isola del romanzo, ed. Guido Almansi, Sellerio, pp. 41-54
• Henry James, Prefazione a “Gli ambasciatori”, in Henry James, Le prefazioni, ed. Agostino Lombardo, Editori Riuniti, pp. 345-363
• Henry James, Teoria del punto di vista, in Donata Meneghelli (ed.), Teorie del punto di vista, La Nuova Italia, pp. 1-37
• Virginia Woolf, Il romanzo moderno, in Virginia Woolf, Voltando pagina. Saggi 1904-1941, ed. Liliana Rampello, il Saggiatore, pp. 189-95
• Virginia Woolf, Bennett e la signora Brown, in Virginia Woolf, Voltando pagina. Saggi 1904-1941, ed. Liliana Rampello, il Saggiatore, pp. 121-35
• Italo Calvino, Cibernetica e fantasmi (Appunti sulla narrativa come processo combinatorio), in Italo Calvino, Saggi, ed. Mario Barenghi, “Meridiani” Mondadori, vol. I, pp. 205-225)
• Italo Calvino, I livelli della realtà in letteratura, in Italo Calvino, Saggi, ed. Mario Barenghi, “Meridiani” Mondadori, vol. I, pp. 381-98

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures.

Assessment methods

The exam consists of an oral test (20-30 minutes) that will assess the knowledge of the texts and the student’s critical and interpretative skills.

It is mandatory to read and carefully study all the texts listed in the bibliography, including the manual of Literary Theory, Letteratura. Teorie, metodi, strumenti: specific questions may relate to general and theoretical categories (canon, text, intertextuality, fictional world, genre, mode, theme etc.), beyond the monographic topic of the course.

The exam will be divided in two parts:

1) Textual identification and analysis. As a first step, a short textual fragment (10-15 lines) taken from the novels listed in bibliography (section I) will be submitted to the student, who must identify the text, the author, the date of publication, and must contextualize it with regard to the plot, the characters and the narrative situation. The positive outcome of this first step allows the student to access the next one. A partial of defective identification of the text allows to proceed anyway (but with a pass or “fair” mark), while a complete misunderstanding leads to the failure of the exam.

2) Critical questions. In the following step, the student must answer to some questions: a) About the critical texts (see bibliography, section II, groups A and B); b) About the novels (section I), questioned both in a notional and in a critical-interpretative way.

The exam will also assess the student's methodological awareness, the ability to master the bibliography in the course programme and the the field-specific language of the discipline. The ability to establish links between the theoretical framework and the texts will be especially appreciated. A wide and systematic knowledge of the texts, interpretative insight, critical understanding, and rhetorical effectiveness will be evaluated with a mark of excellence (27-30), while 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 evaluated with a “fair” mark (24-26). A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability will be evaluated with a pass mark (18-23) or a negative mark.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Projection of PowerPoint slides. For further teaching material, please visit the Professor's website and "Virtuale".

Office hours

See the website of Federico Bertoni