LITERARY CRITICISM METHODOLOGY

The course is inserted between the basic disciplines common to the Program of Study and aims to provide an adequate critical knowledge of Italian literature and the fundamental tools for the textual interpretation. The teaching activity aims to start an analysis historically and philologically aware of the literary texts, founded on the mastery of the technical language. Because of the broad scope of the subject matter, different topics will be chosen each year. The general perspective will be open to making comparisons with European and Extra-European literature.

1) Knowledge and understanding of the terminology of textual analysis and literary criticism. 2) Knowledge and understanding of literatures and cultures in a historical context to frame the interpretative and analysis capabilities of the texts. 3) Ability to analyze critical texts and to develop autonomous reflections on theoretical and methodological issues 4) Ability to select the bibliography appropriate to the proposed literary texts and to motivate the choice of the method adopted.

1) Knowledge and understanding of the main features of Italian and European literature in their historical context. 2) ability to frame interpretative and analysis of texts methods. 3) Ability to select the bibliography appropriate to literary texts. 4) Ability to orientation in contemporary critical debate.

1) The main methodologies of literary criticism elaborated in the twentieth century will be revisited: from formalism to Marxism, from deconstruction to gender criticism, etc. 2) The reflections and critical readings of literary texts (Lukács, Gramsci, Auerbach, Williams, Said, Butler) will be proposed 3) We will analyze methodological approaches reading Aldo Palazzeschi’s novel: Il codice di Perelà

Mandatory texts:
- Fredric Jameson, Postmodernismo, ovvero la logica culturale del tardo capitalismo, Roma, Fazi, 2007 (pp. 1-79; 151-172; 240-317; 353-387)
- Guido Mazzoni, Teoria del romanzo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2011
- Aldo Palazzeschi, Il codice di Perelà, Milano, Mondadori, 2018

- Other short essays (by Auerbach, Lukács, Benjamin, Gramsci, Said, Spivak, Butler, etc.) will be provided by the professor
- Massimiliano Tortora (a cura di), Il modernismo italiano, Roma, Carocci, 2018

The assessment of learning takes place through an oral test, during which the student must demonstrate knowledge of the topics developed during the course and proving to know how to expose them in a formal way. The test includes three questions: the first one on a single chapter of Jameson’s book, the second on a single chapter of Mazzoni’s book, the third on Palazzeschi’s novel.

Seminar and Frontal Lessons

Italian

Frequency is recommended

oral