MODERN EUROPEAN LITERATURE

The course "Modern European Literatures" is framed in the common curriculum of the Bachelor's Degree Programme "Humanities".
According to the aims of the Bachelor's Degree and to the areas of Literatures and Cultures, the course provides the ability to consolidate advanced critical and methodological instruments and a solid knowledge of European literary texts in Italian translation (19th and 20th cent.), and debates in their cultural and historical context.

The course is open to interested students attending other Degree Programmes.

Aims of this course are:

a) the ability to analyse critically some of the most significant literary and theoretical texts of the cultural debates subject of the course;
b) the comprehension of these debates in their cultural and historical context;
c) the ability to consolidate critical and methodological instruments;
d) the ability to comprehend and analyze texts and contexts in a competent and autonomous way;
e) the ability to perfectionate communication and production by an accurate reading of the texts, the discussion in class and and a detailed study of scientific writing;
f) the ability to discuss in seminars and workshops about the subjects of the course.

No precondition is required.

COURSE TITLE: The canon of European short prose literature: short story, novelette, anecdote, tale, parable (1800-1945).

A. Literary texts:

- English texts:
--- Charles Dickens, Canto di Natale, Rizzoli BUR, Milano 2022;
--- Herman Melville, Bartleby lo scrivano, a cura di Gianni Celati, Feltrinelli, Milano 2020 (o edizioni precedenti);
--- Joseph Conrad, Un avamposto del progresso, a cura di Matteo Codignola, Adelphi, Milano 2014;
--- James Joyce, I morti (a disposizione su Moodle).

- German texts:
--- E.T.A. Hoffmann, L'uomo della sabbia, in: L'uomo della sabbia e altri racconti, Mondadori, Milano 2020;
--- Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Una lettera / Ein Brief, a cura di Marco Rispoli, Marsilio, Venezia 2018 (vanno lette le parti di commento contenute nel volume);
--- Thomas Mann, Tonio Kröger
--- Franz Kafka, Il verdetto, in: Franz Kafka, La metamorfosi e tutti i racconti pubblicati in vita, Feltrinelli, Milano 2019.

- Russian texts:
--- Nikolaj V. Gogol', Il naso (Moodle);
--- Nikolaj V. Gogol', La mantella (Moodle);
--- Fëdor M. Dostoevskij, La mite, Adelphi, Milano 2018 (vanno lette le parti di commento contenute nel volume);
--- Lev N. Tolstoj, Se di molta terra abbia bisogno un uomo (Moodle).

- French texts:
--- Honoré de Balzac, Il capolavoro sconosciuto, a cura di Davide Monda, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli, Milano 2022 (o edizioni precedenti);
--- Gustave Flaubert, Un cuore semplice (Moodle);
--- Guy de Maupassant, Boule de suif (Moodle).

-Spanish texts:
--- Benito Pérez Galdós, Morte sul sagrato (Moodle);
--- Jorge Luis Borges, Funes, o della memoria, in: Jorge Luis Borges, Finzioni, Einaudi, Torino 2014.

B. Historical and cultural context:
- available on the course moodle.

C. Literary criticism:
- available on the course moodle.

Oral exam (about 45 minutes) aiming to verify the abilities acquired by students, to check their knowledge of the whole programme and their ability to reflect critically on its topics.

Assessment outline:
- knowledge of the course topics and of the literary texts (see item A of the bibliography) = 0 to 12 points
- knowledge of the historical and cultural-literary context (see items B of the bibliography) = 0 to 9 points
- knowledge of literary criticism (see item C of the bibliography) = 0 to 9 points

Regular class sessions. Teaching materials will be provided in pdf format on the course Moodle.
Front lectures and seminars.

Italian

Students are kindly requested to check frequently the notices on the lecturer's CF-home page.

oral

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