70324 - Chinese Literature II (Second Language) L

Learning outcomes

The student knows the basic elements of Chinese literary civilization, is able to identify them in specific literary texts, is able to independently develop further knowledge and literary skills at a higher level and also to apply them to other literary texts.

Course contents

This course is conceived as a continuation of the discourse on Chinese literature begun with "Chinese Literature I," and will focus on modern and contemporary literature. Students will study the development of Chinese literature from the fall of the empire to the present day, ranging across various types of texts and literary forms, but with a particular focus on fiction.

The contents of the course will include the following topics: Lu Xun and romanticism, Beijing and Shanghai currents, realism, literature and revolution, misty poetry, the "root-seeking" and the literary avant-garde, memory and neorealism, ruptures, Sinophone literature and contemporary science fiction.

Readings/Bibliography

Required volume:

N. Pesaro and M. Pirazzoli, La narrativa cinese del Novecento, Roma: Carocci, 2019.

Recommended volume:

K. A. Denton (ed.), The Columbia Companion to Modern Chinese Literature, New York: Columbia University Press, 2016.

Teaching methods

Lectures supplemented with reading and analysis of selected texts.

Assessment methods

The final exam will be an oral test in which the knowledge acquired during the course will be evaluated.

Attending students will be given the opportunity to organize an in-class presentation on a novel of their choice from those proposed by the teacher. The presentation is optional and will be scored from 0 to 3/30, which will be added to the score obtained in the oral test.

Teaching tools

Computer, Power Point presentations, "Virtuale" platform.

Office hours

See the website of Martina Codeluppi