67998 - Italian Language and Literature

Course contents

This academic course has been planned in connection with the third year academic courses (linguistica Italiana/Italian linguistic) and with the two academic modules of the fourth year (Didattica dell'italiano e Analisi del testo/Italian didactic and Textual Analysis) and it is structured as an introduction to the scientific study of italian literature and the literary text.

The course develops into a general part and a specialised one. During the general section we will face the main authors of the Italian literary tradition, from Dante to Ungaretti, pointing out the most interesting issues of each authors’ poetic according to the essential texts of their production.

During this academic year, the specialised part will focus on the comic authors of the Italian tradition. The course has been thought taking into consideration that the comedy has a fundamental cognitive role in the culture and human relationships: comedy can denounce stupidity, overthrow the authority, overturn roles and conventions and exorcise the death. Last, but not least, comedy can spread all the Dionysian and rebel energy that represent the main turning point of childrens and teenagers growing experience. That is the reason why most of the leading authors of all times were mainly comic writers (Boccaccio, Rabelais, Carvantes, Molière...). Therefore, the formative value of laughing is as important as the role of tears due to a big trauma.

The course will develop into different focuses on authors who used the comic register to express an unusual vision of the world, a necessary swerve from the usual habits and the consolidated standards, even the linguistic ones.

We have experienced this habit with authors like Dante, a real comedian in some of his Inferno’s cantos, Boccaccio, some of the novelists who came after him, Ariosto (in which the comic/grotesque register characterises Orlando’s madness), Goldoni with all his theatrical comedies. It is very important to underline also some writers who have been considered as minor authors for the style they used, mainly comic and dedicated to the parodistic overturning: Luigi Pulci, Teofilo Folengo, and the ones of the dialectal tradition, such as Porta, Belli and Trilussa. Finally, some of the great authors of the 20th century: Campanile, Zavattini, Celati, Malerba, until Rodari and Camilleri.

«It is better to write of laughter than of tears, for laughter is the property of man.» (François Rabelais, Gargantua e Pantagruel)

Simultaneously we will consider uses and purposes of the italian language in relation with spoken and written Italian, and with different kind of texts, suggesting some little exercise or writing games in order to translate into practice the reflections made during the text analysis. We will attempt some read aloud experiments in order to understand how the “spoken words” are more effective than the “read words”.

Readings/Bibliography

The texts have been chosen for giving the students the chance to reevaluate in a critical way the scholastic knowledges, reflecting on the concept of canon and the connection between language and literature (exploring the way trough the literary text recreates the meanings of the human experience), and trying to create basic skills useful for the analysis of literary texts (recognising the difference and the distance) and being able to choose readings suitable for children’s comprehension ability.

Books in programme:

G. M. Anselmi, L. Chines (edited by), Leggere i classici italiani. Un’antologia, Pàtron, 2019 (only chapters on Dante, Boccaccio, Ariosto, Goldoni, Manzoni, Leopardi, Svevo, Pirandello)

The authors in the anthology should be examined in depth through an Italian literature textbook. We suggest:

Bonazzi, Campana, Giunta, Maldina, Itinerari nella letteratura italiana. Da Dante al web, Carocci, 2013 (and later editions)

On linguistic register (also useful to identify the comic register) and the differences between written and oral Italian:

E. Lombardi Vallauri, Parlare l'Italiano, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1999 and subsequent editions (only chapters Problemi di stile: pp.93-113; Gradi di formalità. Sapersi cambiare d'abito: pp. 117-152; Problemi del mezzo scritto e parlato: pp. 191-229)

Moreover must be read this book:

D. Volpi, Didattica dell'umorismo, Ferrara, Festina lente, 2017 (only pp. 1-114)

One of the following book must be read in its entirely:

Cesare Zavattini, Parliamo tanto di me e I poveri sono matti

Achille Campanile, Il povero Piero

Gianni Celati, La banda dei sospiri

Luigi Malerba, Il serpente

 Stefano Benni, Bar sport

Andrea Camilleri, Il birraio di Preston

Paolo Villaggio, Fantozzi

Gianni Rodari, Novelle fatte a macchina

For those who have to get 3 credits, coming from other faculties or degree course in which they have attempted Italian literature exam, the volume to study on is:

E. Lombardi Vallauri, Parlare l’italiano. Come usare meglio la nostra lingua, Il Mulino, 1999 (2017)

Teaching methods

Lectures with seminar intervention.

The lessons are neither a simple explanation of the volumes in the programme, nor an exposition of didactic methodologies related to literature, but an example of reflection on the texts (based on knowledges and models of analysis drafted in the programme volumes) and as a co-construction of interpretative hypothesis based on the fine observation of the literary text.

The objective is not to train literary critics, but incisive and aware readers, being able to stimulate, as future teachers, the pleasure of reading.

Assessment methods

Oral exam.

Assessment methods

Grades will be assigned on a scale from 18 to 30. The exam will evaluate the ability of the exposition, the learning quality and the line of reasoning leaded by the given argumentation: the evaluation will consider the quality/quantity of information and the ability to examine in depth, to explain and to connect informations ranging from one book to another.

Rejected: absence of answers, wrong or insufficient answers, global superficiality

18-19: basic knowledge, sometimes confused or imprecise
20-22: general knowledge, not deepened
23-24: discrete global knowledge and/or different quality of the answers
25-26: good global knowledge with some imperfections (lack of facts, imprecisions)
27-28: uniform overview of ideas well assimilate
29-30: wideness and precisions of the offered knowledges, ability to re-elaborate

30 e lode: completeness, ability of re-elaboration, original observations.

N.B.: The exam will take place exclusively at the end of the lessons.

In order to take the exam, it is necessary to subscribe to Almaesami, respecting the expected deadlines. If the subscription is not possible, due to technical problems, please report immediately to the School Office. The teacher reserves the right to (not) admit at the exam the students who are out of the online list.

Teaching tools

Bibliography materials and lessons acetate will be available on the platform Virtuale Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it)

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Bonazzi

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Bonazzi