18095 - English Literature

Course contents

 Program of English Literature, a.y.2008- 09

“The Mediterranean Imagery in the Twentieth Century English Literature: from D.H.Lawrence to M.Ondaatje”.

   The course deals with the influence of the Mediterranean and Italian culture (Myth, Art, Dance) on D.H.Lawrence and of the influence of Lawrence's literary corpus on subsequent authors such as: M.Lowry, L.Durrell and M.Ondaatje. The students have to read two travel books (either one travel book and two short-stories), one novel (or another travel book), one short-story and five poems (among the texts listed in a),  plus two essays among those listed in b) and one among those listed in (c).

                                 a)    Texts (a choice):

D.H.Lawrence:

Travel Books: Etruscan Places, Twilight in Italy, Sea and Sardinia, Mornings in Mexico (Penguin)

Poems: 5 poems fromBirds, Beasts and Flowers ( in Nardi, Tutte le Poesie)                           

Novellas: Sun (Ceramella/Preston, Na, Loffredo, 1995)

M.Lowry:

Tales: “Strange Comfort Afforded by the Profession”, “Elephant and Colosseum”, “Present Estate of Pompeii”, from Hear Us O Lord From Heaven Thy Dwelling Place.

L.Durrell:

Travel Books:Reflections on a Marine Venus, Prospero's Cell.

Michael Ondaatje: The English Patient.

                 b) Criticism (two):

On D.H.Lawrence:

-C.Comellini, “Sicily in D.H.Lawrence's Imagery”, Conservation Science in  Cultural Heritage, Bologna, Pitagora Editrice, 2008. 

- C.Comellini,"D.H.Lawrence and the Arts: Painting,  Sculpture and the cinema", in Cross-Cultural Encounters: Perspectives in Literature, Roma, Edizioni Officina, 2005, pp.114-123.

-  C.Comellini,“La Luna:simbolo e mito in D.H.Lawrence” in La Luna allo Specchio, a cura di N.Minerva, Bo, Patron, 1990, pp.123-141;

- C.Comellini, "Italy and the Mediterranean Myth in D.H. Lawrence's Quest", Etudes Lawrenciennes, 14/15,1997,pp.161-176;

C.Comellini, ”Bologna etrusca: una città negletta da D.H.Lawrence/ Etruscan Bologna: D.H.Lawrence's Neglected Town”, Alma Mater Studiorum, 1989 II, 2, pp.169-190.

On  M.Lowry:

-C.Comellini, D.H.Lawrence: A Study on Mutual and Cross References and Interferences, Bologna, Clueb, 1995 (only Cap. III);

- C.Comellini, "La quest utopica nel viaggio in Italia di M.Lowry", Viaggi in Utopia, 1996, pp.293-301;

- C.Comellini, "Italy and the Mediterranean Myth in M. Lowry's Fiction", The Malcolm Lowry Review (N.47 & 48), Fall/ Spring 2000/01, Wilfrid Laurier Univ., (Canada) pp.55-67.

On L.Durrell:

- Comellini, Carla, "Lawrence Durrell and D.H. Lawrence's Legacy" in Prospero IX, 2002 (2003), pp.5-15.

On M.Ondaatje:

Comellini, Carla, ”Geography and History as Literary Themes and Devices at Work in M.Ondaatje's The English Patient”, in Routes of the Roots: Geography and Literature in The English-Speaking Countries, edit. by I.M. Zoppi, Roma, Bulzoni, 1998, pp.345-354.

Comellini, Carla, ”L'Italia in The English Patient di M. Ondaatje”, Prospettive di Letteratura Canadese, a cura di G.Dotoli, Bari, Schena, 1999, pp.71-81.

Comellini, Carla, “Colonialismo e post-colonialismo in The English Patient di M.Ondaatje”, in Transiti letterari e culturali, Vol.I, a cura di G.Sertoli e G.Miglietta, Trieste, EUT, 1999, pp.433-442.

                  c) Methodology (one):

- C.Comellini, Strategie di scrittura nell'inglese: il linguaggio in codice,della narrativa e del cinema, i sottesi e il concetto di traduzione, Aracne, 2009.

- C.Comellini, D.H.Lawrence: A Study on Mutual and Cross References and Interferences, Bologna, Clueb, 1995.

- P.Santarcangeli, IL Libro dei Labirinti, Frassinelli, 1984;

- G.Durand, Le Strutture Antropologiche dell'Immaginario, Bari, Dedalo, 1987;

Office hours

See the website of Carla Comellini