30030 - English Literature 1 (LM)

Course contents

London from outside

 

London has always been a land of immigration, and some writers have recorded their experiences of migration in their works, just as English authors have depicted immigrants in their novels, often reflecting their own fears but sometimes also their hopes. Alongside them, visitors – both famous and less so – have travelled to London, leaving behind accounts of a unique city which has always been characterised by a multicultural and multi-ethnic population, in a relationship that has never been easy.

Readings/Bibliography

A.N. Wilson, The Faber Book of London, London, Faber and Faber, 2002, chapter X: “They came as strangers”, pp. 238-272 and other excerpts in Virtuale

List 1

Sax Rohmer, The Mystery of Dr Fu-Manchu (1913) (US title The Insidious Dr Fu-Manchu) (available online via the Internet Archive or Project Gutenberg)

Jean Rhys, Voyage in the Dark (1934)

Sam Selvon, Lonely Londoners (1956)

Colin MacInnes, Absolute beginners (1959)

Buchi Emecheta, Second Class Citizen (1974)

Joseph O’ Connor, Cowboys and Indians (1991)

Hanif Kureishi, The Black Album (1995)

Sinclair, Lichtenstein, Rodinsky’s Room (1999)

Zadie Smith, White Teeth (2000)

 

Critical text

John McLeod, Postcolonial London: rewriting the metropolis, London, Routledge, 2004


The extracts on Virtuale are compulsory. Students must then choose three novels from those indicated in List 1 and another novel of their choice set in London.


Material on the individual texts and used during the lectures will be uploaded to Virtuale.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

The examination consists of an oral interview. The oral interview aims to assess the critical and methodological skills acquired by the student, who will be invited to compare the texts addressed during the course. Particularly assessed will be the student's ability to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify useful information that will allow him to illustrate the cultural aspects and areas of the discipline. The student's attainment of an organic vision of the themes addressed in the lessons together with their critical use, the demonstration of a mastery of expression and specific language will be assessed with marks of excellence. The mostly mechanical and/or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, unarticulated synthesis and analysis skills and/or correct but not always appropriate language will lead to fair grades; formative gaps and/or inappropriate language - albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the examination material - will lead to grades that do not exceed sufficiency. Inadequate training, inappropriate language, lack of orientation in the bibliographic materials offered during the course will lead to negative marks.

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.

Use of AI: AI can be a useful tool to support independent study with in-depth analysis, summaries and self-assessment exercises. With regard to the assessment of learning, limited, declared and non-substantial use of AI is permitted for support activities (summaries, rephrasing). Substantial use of AI to complete parts of the exam is not permitted.

Erasmus or Overseas students: you could sit the exam as the Italian students or write an essay (about 10-15 pages), whose topic must be approved by the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Gino Scatasta