SWEDISH LITERATURE

Swedish Literature is offered at the first year of the MA-programme in Language Sciences (Scienze del Linguaggio) to the students who choose Swedish as their language/literature of specialization. Swedish literature is not included in other MA-programmes (European, American and Postcolonial Languages and Literature, Comparative International Relations), but it is open as a freely chosen subject to the students attending these programmes, who have previously studied Scandinavian languages, culture and literature at BA-level.

The course proposes the analysis of literary works and the study of literary criticism in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian and English. It aims at an in-depth knowledge of the examined works, of their themes, structure and style. Furthermore, the subject of the experience of big city and modernity in Scandinavian literature at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century cannot ignore the most relevant historical and cultural contexts. Students must be able to talk about these themes in Swedish, summarize, analyze and comment the texts and the contexts, arguing with an appropriate language.

The course is held in Swedish, as it is addressed to former students of Scandinavian studies at BA-level. Texts will be read in the original language. The professor will assist the students when reading texts in Norwegian or Danish; these texts will be excerpts, whereas students will be allowed to read the whole corresponding works in translation.

The experience of big city and modernity in Scandinavian literature at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century: 1879-1905.

Storstads- och modernitetsupplevelsen i skadinavisk litteratur under förra sekelskiftet: 1879-1905

In the last three decades of the 19th century the big city becomes a main object of literary representation in Scandinavia, especially as regards the three capital towns Copenhagen, Stockholm and Kristiania (Oslo). Though they are minor centres with specific traits, these towns look up to the great European models, Paris and Berlin in particular, as to lifestyle and culture, the literary culture included. Thanks to the radical changes brought about by modernity, however, Scandinavian society and culture could represent a new light and an avant-garde of artistic expression, which would reach the centre of Europe from the periphery. The course will deal with the development of the three capital towns, as well as with the importance of the attraction to Paris. Representing the big city means focusing on places and spaces, but also on the new, rootless condition of the writer, an intellectual “on the market”. Finally, the big city affects many genres, not only the novel, but also for the lyrical poem, the short story and the reportage. The course will deal with August Strindberg, Herman Bang, Knut Hamsun, Sigbjørn Obstfelder, Sophus Claussen and Hjalmar Söderberg. Novels by Strindberg, Bang, Hamsun and Söderberg will be studied as whole works.

Primary sources

Knut Hamsun [1890], Sult, at Project Gutenberg: <http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30027> ; // Sult, Oslo 2009 // Fame, Milano 2012

Herman Bang [1896], Ludvigsbakke, København 1986, at Arkiv for Dansk Litteratur: <http://adl.dk/solr_documents/bang09val-workid54102> ; // Ludvigsbakke, Firenze 2001

August Strindberg [1897-98], Inferno, in August Strindbergs samlade verk, 37, Stockholm 1994, at Litteraturbanken.se: <https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/StrindbergA/titlar/Inferno/sida/3/etext> ; // Inferno, Milano 2000

Hjalmar Söderberg [1905], Doktor Glas, Stockholm 1905, at Litteraturbanken.se: <https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/S%C3%B6derbergH/titlar/DoktorGlas/sida/-2/etext> ; // Il dottor Glas, Torino 2015

Anthology of short texts or excerpts by Strindberg, Bang, Söderberg, Obstfelder e Claussen:

from August Strindberg [1879], Röda rummet, in August Strindbergs Samlade Verk, 6, Stockholm 1981, at Litteraturbanken.se: <https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/StrindbergA/titlar/R%C3%B6daRummet/sida/3/etext> ; // La sala rossa, Milano 1986: chapter 1 “Stockholm i fågelperspektiv” (pp. 7-18) and chapter 8 “Arma fosterland!” (pp. 87-97)

Herman Bang [1880]: from Reportager, red. C. Kastholm Hansen, København 1983, “Magasin du Nord” (pp. 85-95) and ”Fattigliv” (189-201)

from August Strindberg [1883, 1884]: Dikter på vers och prosa. Sömngångarnätter på vakna dagar, in August Strindbergs samlade verk, 15, Stockholm 1995, at Litteraturbanken.se: <https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/StrindbergA/titlar/DikterP%C3%A5VersOchProsa/sida/3/etext> ;: the poems “Esplanadssystemet” (pp. 37-38), “Vid avenue de Neully” (p. 165), and from the poem “Tredje Natten” (pp. 190-196)

Sigbjørn Obstfelder [1893, 1894]: “Jeg ser” e ”Himmel, du rødmer”, in Samlede skrifter, 1, Oslo 2000, pp. 39-40, and Samlede skrifter, 2, cit., pp. 48

Sigbjørn Obstelder [1895]: “Den ubekjendte”, in Samlede skrifter, 3, cit., pp. 83-89

from Sophus Claussen [1896]: Antonius i Paris. Valfart, København 1990: “Ekbátana” (pp. 169-170), Arkiv for dansk litteratur, <http://adl.dk/solr_documents/claussen01-idm140218343818496> ;

- da Hjalmar Söderberg [1898]: Historietter, Stockholm 1898, at Litteraturbanken.se: <https://litteraturbanken.se/f%C3%B6rfattare/S%C3%B6derbergH/titlar/Historietter/sida/III/etext> ;: the short stories ”Tuschritningen” (pp. 1-4) and ”En kopp te” (pp. 77-85)

- other excerpts uploaded on Moodle

Secondary sources

from M. Ciaravolo (ed.), Storia delle letterature scandinave. Dalle origini a oggi, Milan 2019, pp. 281-351, 354-371

M. Ciaravolo, “Lo sguardo di Obstfelder sulla grande città”, Studi Nordici, VI (1999), pp. 71-105

from M. Ciaravolo, En ungdomsvän från Sverige. Om mottagandet av Hjalmar Söderbergs verk i Finland 1895-1920, Helsingfors – Stockholm 2000, pp. 73-91

M. Ciaravolo, “Från modevärlden till slummen. Om Herman Bangs reportageform”, Res Publica. Symposions teoretiska och litterära tidskrift, (62/63) 2004, pp. 200-213

M. Ciaravolo, “Parigi ‘capitale del XIX secolo’ nella visione strindberghiana”, in G. Chiesa Isnardi – P. Marelli (eds), Nord ed Europa. Identità scandinava e rapporti culturali con il continente nel corso dei secoli, Genova 2004, pp. 361-388

Paul Auster, “The Art of Hunger”, in Id., The Art of Hunger. Essays, Prefaces, Interviews, Los Angeles Press 1992, pp. 9-20

S. Culeddu, “Aperture sul vuoto in Fame di Knut Hamsun: il romanzo dell’assenza”, Studi Nordici (XIII) 2006, pp. 41-49

F. Ferrari, “Hjalmar Söderberg: Il dottor Glas”, Uomini e libri, 1986, p. 32

The examination is oral, it lasts about 30 minutes and is in Swedish. Students must choose 3 of the 4 novels to be read and studied thoroughly (all 4 will be presented at the course, and they are all part of the syllabus). Some of the works dealt with in the course are discussed and they are referred to their significant biographical, cultural and literary contexts. One question may deal with reading, translating from Swedish / Scandinavian into Italian a passage from one of the works included in the syllabus.

Additional syllabus for students not attending the course

Students not attending the course must study the syllabus described above. They must, in addition, talk to the professor in his office hours before taking the examination. Successful attendance means at least two thirds of the lectures; it normally means attendance in the classroom; for this academic year, the student’s statement that s/he has followed a sufficient number of recorded lessons on Moodle, will be valid.
Students not attending the course will have to study the fourth novel in addition, plus the essay
- Georg Simmel [1903], Le metropoli e la vita dello spirito, a cura di P. Jedlowski, Roma: Armando 1995 // “Die Großstädte und das Geistesleben”, in Id., Brücke und Tür, Stuttgard: K.F. Koehler 1957, 227-242 (entrambe le versioni pdf su Moodle)

The course offers mainly frontal lectures, but with parts of participatory learning, as students may, on a voluntary basis, present and discuss in class, in Swedish, one of the works included in the syllabus. Texts will be mainly used in the original version in class. Swedish will be the language normally used in teaching and in class intercourse; the professor will help the students to read and understand texts from Norwegian and Danish.

If you have questions or need further explanations, please write to massimo.ciaravolo@unive.it. Booking time with an e-mail is recommended if you want to meet the professor. Student who cannot attend the course must contact the teacher in order to discuss the syllabus with the supplementary reading.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development