07918 - English-Speaking Countries Literature

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the students will have a wide overview of the main  historical, geographical and social aspects and contexts of British Culture from the end of world war two to the end of the second millennium. The students will also be able to contextualize and analyze various texts and documents, placing them in relationship with the most relevant and significant changes of the cultural and linguistic area of reference

Course contents

Fantastic and visionary elements in the English Culture from the Gothic revival to the late XX Century

The aim of the course is to analyse the use and the representation of fantastic elements in English Culture from the late XVIII century to the end of the second millennium.

Readings/Bibliography

ERASMUS AND OVERSEAS STUDENTS ARE KINDLY REQUESTED TO CONTACT THE TEACHER BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE DURING OFFICE HOURS. PLEASE DO NOT ASK INFO ON THE SYLLABUS/EXAMS ETC. THROUGH EMAIL.

Compulsory readings for all the students:

M. Cometa, Studi Culturali, Napoli, Guida, 2011 (prefazione, seconda parte - paragrafi 1, 2,3,4 - e quarta parte). 

S. Albertazzi, La letteratura fantastica, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1993 pp. 1-100 (on iol)

Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”,  “The Signalman”, (on free-ebooks.com)

Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Old Nurse’s Story”, http://www.english.upenn.edu/~nauerbac/story.html

Rudyard Kipling, “They”, gaslight.mtroyal.ca; “The Gardener” (on kiplingsociety.co.uk); “The Mark of the Beast”, kiplingsociety.co.uk; "The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Juke" (www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/rg_jukes1.htm)

R. L. Stevenson, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde (on free-ebooks.com/)

Oscar Wilde, “The Canterville Ghost” (on Gutenberg.org)

H. G. Wells, “The Door in the Wall” (on Gutenberg.org);

H. James, “The Friends of Friends” (on albalearning.com)

P. Carey, “Report from the Shadow Industry”,  "Peeling”, “Do you love me?” (in Peter Carey, Collected Stories, LILEC Library)

All the students must see the following films:

J. Clayton, The Innocents

J. Schlesinger, Billy Liar

P. Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock

R. Zemeckis, A Christmas Carol

Readings on Fantastic and Postcolonial Literature: 

S. Albertazzi, La letteratura postcoloniale. Dall’impero alla World Literature, Roma, Carocci, 2013, pp. 9-20 e 82-104.

R. Runcini, La paura e l’immaginario sociale nella letteratura, Napoli, Liguori, 1995, pp. 6-134.

For further reading:

R. Ceserani, Il fantastico, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1996.

N. Cornwell, The Literary Fantastic, New York, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990.

R. Jackson, Fantasy. The Literary of Subversion, London, Methuen, 1981.

L. Pykett, “Sensation and the fantastic Victorian novel”, in D. David (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to the Victorian Novel, 2^nd ed., Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2012, pp. 192- 211.

P. Sorlim, “Introduzione” a Id. Cinema e identità europea, Milano, RCS Libri, 2001.

T. Todorov, La letteratura fantastica, Milano, Garzanti, 1978.

Please check iol for the short stories and slides of the lessons.

ERASMUS AND OVERSEAS STUDENTS AND ALL THE STUDENTS WHO DO NOT ATTEND REGULARLY ARE KINDLY ASKED TO SEE THE TEACHER DURING OFFICE HOURS AND ARRANGE WITH HER A DIFFERENT PROGRAMME.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures will be alternated with a seminar approach, encouraging students to participate in the discussion of books, films, songs and other documents and texts. Erasmus and Overseas students must have a good knowledge of the Italian Language in order to attend this course.

Assessment methods

During the course: anonymous mid-term text and final text. Only the positive results of the final text will be taken into account at the oral exam. 

The oral test consists in an oral talk which has the aim of evaluating the critical and methodological ability of the students in relating British history, critical approach to texts, authors and movements analysed during the course. The student must demonstrate an appropriate knowledge of the bibliography used during the course and added to the course program.

Those students who are able to demonstrate a wide and systematic understanding of the issues covered during the course, and are able to use these critically and who master the field-specific culture and history of the discipline will be given a mark of excellence.

Those students who demonstrate 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 given a ‘fair' mark.

A superficial knowledge and understanding of the material, a scarce analytical and expressive ability that is not always appropriate will be rewarded with a pass mark or just above a pass mark.

Students who demonstrate gaps in their knowledge of the subject matter, inappropriate language use, lack of familiarity with the literature in the programme bibliography will not be given a pass mark.

ERASMUS AND OVERSEAS STUDENTS ARE KINDLY INVITED TO CONTACT THE TEACHER BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE DURING OFFICE HOURS. PLEASE DO NOT ASK INFO ON THE SYLLABUS/EXAMS ETC. THROUGH EMAIL.

Teaching tools

Traditional lectures will be alternated with an approach on seminar base, encouraging students to participate in class discussion. Reading and analysis of document and texts. Video and Audio supports will be used. Experts, PhD students and young reasearchers will take active part in the course.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Albertazzi