54705 - English Literature 3 (A-L)

Learning outcomes

At the end of this course the student has a deep knowledge of the history of  the literatures in English; he/she knows the works of the most important authors, is able to analyze and evaluate them following precise critical metholodogies. He/she can comment, translate and deal with the contents of the works listed in the syllabus from a linguistic, historical and philological viewpoint.

Course contents

English narrative and Postcolonial counter-narrative

The aim of the course is to analyze the influence of some among the most popular texts of the British canon on Postcolonial Literature, and how they have been used by Potscolonial authors to create utterly original works.

Readings/Bibliography

Novels: 

Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native

John Fowles, The French Lieutentant's Woman

J. M. Coetzee, Foe

Amitav Ghosh, The Calcutta Chromosome

 

Short Stories

Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol” e “The Signalman”

Robert Graves, “The Shout”

Peter Carey, “Peeling”, "Report from the Shadow Industry"

 Reference books (compulsory)

Paolo Bertinetti (a cura di), Breve storia della letteratura inglese, Torino, Einaudi, 2004 (capp. 7, 8 e 9)

Silvia Albertazzi, Lo sguardo dell'Altro. Le letterature postcoloniali , Roma, Carocci, 2000.

Criticism 

Salman Rushdie, "The Location of Brazil" in Id., Imaginary Homelands, London, Granta Books, 1991.

E. W. Said, Culture and Imperialism, New York, Vintage, 1994, Chapter 1, paragraph 1 and Chapter 2, paragraph 1. 
Silvia Albertazzi, Bugie sincere. narratori e narrazioni 1970-1990, Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1992, capitolo II.
Claudia Gualtieri, Itala Vivan (a cura di), Dalla Englishness alla Britishness. 1950-2000, Roma, Carocci, 2008, pp. 21-100.
Federica Zullo, Il cerchio della storia. Conflitti e paure nell'opera di Amitav Ghosh, Padova, Il poligrafo, 2009, pp. 90-117.
Stephen Prickett, Victorian Fantasy, Hassocks, Sussex, The Harvester Press, 1979, pp. 54-64.
Giuliana Iannacaro, "Conoscere e rappresentare. La sfida di Coetzee" in Marialuisa Bignami (a cura di), Le trame della conoscenza, Milano, Unicopli, 2007, pp. 105-122.
Linda Hutcheon, Narcissitic Narrative. The Metafictional Paradox, New York and London, Methuen, 1985, chapter 4.
Silvia Albertazzi, "(Un'altra) relazione dall'industria delle ombre", in F. Cattani, L. Raimondi (a cura di), Ombre/Shadows, Milano, Morellini, 2011.

During the lessons, the teacher will suggest further readings.

Teaching methods

Lectures, discussion of videos and films. The students are invited to take active part in the lessons.

Assessment methods

Oral Exam.

Teaching tools

Video and Audio supports will be used. A series of films related to the texts in this syllabus will be shown and discussed  during the course. The list will be published by the beginning of the Academic Year.

Office hours

See the website of Silvia Albertazzi