THEORY OF LITERATURE

The course is part of the Core educational activities [B] for the English Studies and American Studies curricula of the LLEAP degree, and part of the Interdisciplinary activities [C] for the Literary Studies and Cultural Studies curricula of the Joint European Master Degree in English and American Literary and Cultural Studies. It aims at providing theoretica tools to read and interpret literary texts, and, more in general, high and low cultural texts. The course is for all students interested in all the aspects of reading: the elements of the text, the influence of the context, the role of the reader in producing meaning, and the various methodologies and theories of literary interpretation.

The final goal is to enable students to address literary texts from a theoretical perspective in a largely self-directed or autonomous manner. Literary theories help us to be betters readers of literature, but also to interpret all cultural phenomena and the world we live in.

C1 Level of English

"It is arming people with the power to read, which I see as an absolutely fundamental necessity in order for them to make their way in the world" (G. Hartman). The aim of the course is to arm students with the power to read, providing a general overview of the main concepts, schools, and debates in modern literary theory. Students will acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of the main trends in literary criticism and their specialized language. They will be able to apply selected concepts, terms, and perspectives to literary (as well as some non literary) texts, especially in view of their final dissertation. They will be invited to develop independent thinking and judgment to determine which critical school fits their interests and worldview. They will be encouraged to improve their communication skills in relation to the theoretical discourse of literary studies.
This course offers a survey of the main schools and concepts (semiotics, structuralism, poststructuralism, feminism, marxism, new historicism, postcolonialism, psychoanalysis, cognitive theory, and others) and will test them on Shakespeare's *The Tempest*.

William Shakespeare, THE TEMPEST (Arden Shakespeare or any recent critical edition)
Herman Rapaport, THE LITERARY THEORY TOOLKIT: A COMPENDIUM OF CONCEPTS AND METHODS, Wiley Blackwell, 2011
Rosi Braidotti, THE POSTHUMAN, Polity, 2013

Selected essays available on the I.S.A. course Moodle page

The final written examination includes four open questions based on all assigned readings and class discussion. Students are asked to briefly summarize the main features of one of the major schools of literary theory, and to recognize and define key concepts and terms associated with them. Students unable to attend classes (“non frequentanti”) are advised to see the instructor during his office hours or by appointment (not via email) for additional bibliography.

Lectures and class discussion. Students are expected to attend regularly and to complete assigned readings before each class.

English

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Climate change and energy" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development