02609 - Contemporary Italian Literature (G-N)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: has a non-abstract and non-manualistic awareness of the main lines of development of Italian literary culture from National Unity to the present day; knows how to apply appropriate methods of analysis to the literary text in prose and verse, distinguishing its relations with different linguistic, artistic and cultural traditions; is able to read the literary text as an open form, in dialogue with the ideological and social horizon of his time, against the background of the wider European context.

Course contents

Literature, arts, media. A journey through the second half of the 20th century

The course aims to retrace the history of Italian literature in the second half of the 20th century, from the Resistenza to the 1990s, focusing on the different forms of relations between literature, the arts and the media. Along the way, key theoretical notions will be provided to map this range of relations, such as intertextuality, intermediality, adaptation, double talent. The lessons will therefore focus on some particularly symptomatic cases of works written by interweaving different languages (De Céspedes, Buzzati), adapted for other media (Tomasi di Lampedusa) or significantly influenced by other forms of expression such as comics, photography and rock music (Calvino, Celati, Brizzi). The aim is to trace the outlines of a historical framework in which writers have constantly practised dialogue with the arts and media system, highlighting the transformations that this dialogue has produced in literary practice and tradition over a long period of time.

Readings/Bibliography

In order to take the exam, students must read the following texts in their entirety.

Narrative texts:

• Alba De Céspedes, È una donna che vi parla, stasera. La voce di Clorinda dalle radio libere di Bari e Napoli (1943-1944), Mondadori, 2024, edited by Valeria Paola Babini;
• Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Il Gattopardo (1958), any adition;
• Dino Buzzati, Poema a fumetti (1969), any edition;
• Italo Calvino, Il castello dei destini incrociati (1973), any edition;
• Gianni Celati, Quattro novelle sulle apparenze (1987), any edition;
• Enrico Brizzi, Jack Frusciante è uscito dal gruppo (1994), any edition.

Critical essays:

• Critical essays whose reading is compulsory for exam preparation will be uploaded onto the Virtuale platform in pdf format.

Non-attending students will add the full reading of M.A. Bazzocchi (ed.), Cento anni di letteratura italiana. 1910-2010, Torino, Einaudi, 2021.

Teaching methods

The course will consist of a series of lectures dedicated to the historical-critical framework, reading and interpretation of the texts on the syllabus. During the lectures, students will be encouraged to actively participate in common discussions and reflections, and whenever the subject matter allows, the possibility of a collective discussion space in the course setting will be opened up.

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.

Assessment methods

The final examination aims to assess the achievement of the teaching objectives:

• Possession of an adequate level of linguistic skills, including a vocabulary appropriate to the issues addressed;
• Knowledge of the peculiar and characterising aspects of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Italian literature within the framework of European modernity;
• Capacity for in-depth critical analysis and st.orico-ideological positioning of the literary texts analysed during the course.

The examination consists of two parts: a written test and a subsequent oral interview.

• The written test, to be carried out in the form of open questions on the topics addressed by the course, is intended to assess both the disciplinary knowledge acquired during the course and the students' level of linguistic competence. The assessment is graded from Insufficient to Excellent. Students may take the oral examination even if they have obtained a negative result. It will be held several times a year, on dates fixed in advance by the School.
• The oral interview is aimed at assessing the critical and methodological skills developed by the student, who will be invited to discuss the texts in the syllabus. Students will have to demonstrate their ability to analyse the literary texts illustrated in the course and their autonomy in constructing a personal path from the bibliography of the programme.

Foreign or non-native Italian-speaking students can contact the teacher to agree on an alternative assessment method to the written test.

The final grade will be defined in thirtieths (sufficiency 18/30), taking into account the results obtained in the two different tests.
The achievement of an organic vision of the topics addressed in the lessons combined with their critical use, the demonstration of a mastery of expression and specific language will be assessed with marks of excellence (28-30/30L).

Mostly mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not in-depth synthesis and analysis skills and correct but not always appropriate language will lead to fair marks (23-27).

Approximate knowledge, superficial understanding, poor analytical skills and not always appropriate expression will lead to grades between sufficient and slightly above (18-22).

Formative deficiencies, inappropriate language, lack of orientation within the bibliographical materials offered in the programme will only lead to negative assessments.

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

Supplementary materials useful for exam preparation (articles, slides, image collections, websites) will be made available to students, freely accessible online within the VIRTUALE platform.

Films and audiovisual materials will be used, as well as the projection of photographic and artistic images to supplement the teaching.

Further indications regarding readings or links to resources available on the Internet can be provided during the lectures.

Office hours

See the website of Beniamino Della Gala