92958 - Literature and the Arts (1) (Lm)

Learning outcomes

Art and literature can be seen weaving around each other, influencing one and another, and being used as a tool to teach students about liberal arts and humanity. At the end of the course, students will be able to develop a general vision of the relationships between Italian Literature and other Arts, from the nineteenth century to nowadays, with a focus on painting. They will have acquired knowledge on the most relevant works of literature which interact with images and they will be capable of analyzing critical, theoretical and literary texts regarding visual arts.

Course contents

The Museum and the Bazaar: Arts and Gazes in Italo Calvino and Gianni Celati

This is the second integrated module of the Contemporary Literary Cultures (C.I.) (LM) course and explores the various ways in which words and images interacted with and shaped 20th century Italian culture. In addition to the interactions between literature and the arts, the module introduces students to the following themes and areas for in-depth study: 1) the interaction between literature and the visual arts; 2) the issue of the gaze in literature; 3) iconology, the "visual turn" and the 'pictorial turn'; 4) literature and visual arts facing the crisis of modernity and postmodernity.

In particular, the course delves into the intermedial influence of the visual arts (painting, illustration and photography) and the reflection on the gaze in some works by Italo Calvino and Gianni Celati in the last decades of the 20th century.

Readings/Bibliography

Students will have to read the following books:

• Italo Calvino, Il castello dei destini incrociati, 1969 (any edition);
• Italo Calvino, Palomar, 1983 (any edition);
• Gianni Celati, Quattro novelle sulle apparenze, 1987 (any edition) OR Gianni Celati, Verso la foce, 1989 (any edition);

Critical essays:

All documents uploaded on VIRTUALE and marked as mandatory readings.

Teaching methods

Classes consist of a series of lectures interspersed with seminar sessions. Students are expected to participate in all class activities, actively contribute to class and group discussions and do all required reading.

Assessment methods

The final test consists of the discussion of a paper (15,000-18,000 characters including spaces) on one of the course topics, compulsorily addressing one or more case studies included in the course reading list, also in a comparative perspective with works and authors not discussed in class. The content and the structure of the paper must be preliminarily discussed with and approved by the teacher via email. In order to have the paper assessed, it is necessary to register via AlmaEsami: the final version must be sent to the professor by email, no later than 7 days before the exam date; then the paper will be subjected to anti-plagiarism software and AI-produced content detector and assessed. The oral examination consists of a brief discussion of the paper followed by some questions on the course topics that will help to supplement the written paper grade.

The final mark will be calculated by averaging the mark obtained with the other paper (15.000-18.000 characters including spaces) discussed at the end of the first module of the integrated course, titled Literature and Visual Culture (1) (LM), with adjustments following the outcome of the oral exam.

Erasmus students who only need to take 6 cfu have the option of taking one of the two integrated modules, so for them the final examination consists of the discussion of only one longer paper (20,000-24,000 characters including spaces). 

Marking Criteria

A pass mark is between 18 and 30. Below are the corresponding marking criteria:

28-30

• The paper has an elegant structure and develops a coherent argument, showing independent research and thinking. Appropriate evidence is presented to support the overall argument; a detailed analysis of particular cases is balanced with a broader discussion of the topic; and a reasoned and convincing conclusion is reached. The paper is written in grammatically correct English or Italian and the style is mature and appropriate to academic writing; the bibliography is extensive and follows standard bibliographic conventions, and the referencing is accurate throughout.

23-26

• The paper has a structure that is not entirely clear and tends towards description rather than analysis, with little critical reflection on the evidence that is being presented. Ideas tend to be stated rather than developed, with some gaps in knowledge. The paper is written in acceptable English or Italian, but there are grammatical and stylistic lapses. The bibliography is not extensive and is not always consistent with referencing. Text shows type errors.

18-22

• The paper has an unclear structure that does not allow the development of a coherent argument. The text is merely descriptive, with no or very little analysis, and may be very repetitive and/or shorter than it is required. The evidence is shown without critical reflection on its significance, ideas are baldly stated, and the knowledge displayed is basic. The language shows various problems of expression, and the text is marred by typographical errors. The referencing is of very poor quality and the bibliography is very thin.

Fail

• The paper has a very unclear structure and no coherent argument. There are serious inaccuracies involving fundamental aspects of the topic. The level of written English or Italian is very poor and impedes understanding. The text is marred with errors and referencing is carelessly presented and/or haphazard and/or made up.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be supported by slides presentations as well as audio and video materials.

Office hours

See the website of Beniamino Della Gala