CULTURES AND SOCIETY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE

The module is part of the modules specifically related to the Languages taught in the LCSL degree course. Its aim is that of enlarging the knowledge of the linguistic, literary and cultural heritage of Great Britain by focussing on some of its main characteristics, as far as its history, social and political culture are concerned, while – at the same time - further widening, through the reading of texts in the original language, the students’ lexical mastery of the English language.

The course will investigate, through the reading of classics and critical texts, the characteristic features and peculiarities of British history and British social and political culture, as they have developed historically over the centuries in the wider context of European history. Students will develop their critical capacity of analysis of those phenomenons, and their consciousness of the implied social, scientifical, and ethical issues. Through the analysis of the texts on the syllabus, the students’ capacity of critical understanding and judgement - in a language both specific and proper- will be enhanced, also in a larger comparative perspective involving their knowledge and experience of Italian national culture.
In particular the students will build:
1. a knowledge of the historical and cultural context from which postmodernism has emerged;
2. the capacity to analyse postmodern texts with regard to their use of techniques such as irony, parody, intertextuality, metafiction, self-reflexiveness, deconstruction, mise en-abyme;
3. the ability to recognise the postmodern treatment of social complexity, indeterminacy, gender difference, cultural dialogue, mimesis and simulacrum, hermeneutics, the carnivalesque, psychological, existential and social identity, plural identity, poliphony.

A very good knowledge of the English language; a good knowledge of modern and contemporary literature and culture.

"The Postmodern Novel in England"
The module will discuss the rise of postmodernism both a historical phenomenon (postmodernity) and its literary and cultural aspects (postmodernism). Starting from the socio-cultural analysis of the "postmodern condition" in the works of Jean-François Lyotard, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, and other scholars, we will analyse the ways in which English writers used the main concepts of postmodernism in their works, thorugh a discussion of two important novels as specimens of postmodern fiction, and of two films that were adapted from them.
The module will provide:
- a knowledge of the historical and cultural context from which postmodernism has emerged;
- the capacity to analyse postmodern texts with regard to their use of techniques such as irony, parody, intertextuality, metafiction, self-reflexiveness, deconstruction, mise en-abyme;
- the ability to recognise the postmodern treatment of social complexity, indeterminacy, gender difference, cultural dialogue, mimesis and simulacrum, hermeneutics, the carnivalesque, psychological, existential and social identity, plural identity, poliphony.

Students will have to read the following books:

Primary literature (novel)
A. John Fowles, The French Lieutenant's Woman, London: Vintage Books (BALI library E 8 FOW/Fre)

B. Introductions to the context and cultural background of postmodernism (compulsory reading):
1. Bran Nichol, "The Cambridge Introduction to Postmodern Fiction", Cambridge U.P.: read the "Introduction" and chapter 1, pp. 1-49 (BALI library EF Nic/Cam)
2. Simon Malpas, The Postmodern, London: Routledge (available at the BALI library, Palazzo Cosulich: EX8 Mal/Pos)

C. We'll watch together the film that has been adapted from John Fowles' novel, and compare it to the original texts:
Karel Reisz (director), The French Lieutenant's Woman, MGM (screenplay by Harold Pinter) (BALI library DVD E REI 3)

The examination will consist in a written test on the programme.
It will comprise:

A. 2 questions with open answers (10 to 15 lines) on the main concepts and notions considered in the general part of the programme on postmodernism (Aims 1 and 3)
B. A one page (facciata) a commentary on a selected passage taken from "The French Lieutenant's Woman" (Aim 2)
C. 2 questions with short answers (2-3 lines) on the characters, plot, themes, etc. of "The French Lieutenant's Woman (Aim 2)

The examination will be in English. Students will be allowed to use a monolingual dictionary of English; no other dictionaries, books, nor tablets, smartphones etc. will be allowed during the exam.

Front lectures, seminars, presentations.

Italian

Non attending students are requested to contact the teacher for supplementary readings, which they may find in the moodle materials (signalled as "for non attending students")

Students who do not participate to lessons (either in class or online) are non-attending students. Students who simply watch the panopto videos and do not interact in class are non-attending students.

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