Learning objectives
The course aims to explain a very important moment of Italian national history; during which were definied cultural values and identity pattern that founded the national culture of unified Italy. Also the course aims to stimulate the students to think about links between critical interpretation of literature and the present of critic itself, looking for a hermeneutic method that will never lose the awareness of complexity of cultural fenomena, looking at historiography as a continuous rewriting of past.
Prerequisites
Overall knowledge of XIX century Italian Literature history, and a sintentic knowledge of the main writers of this age.
Course unit content
The course counts 6 CFU (30 hours of lessons), his carachter is monographic.
Lessons: from april 8th- to may 15th
Title: “Vi esorto alle istorie”: literature History ac national identity Building, during Romantic Age
The course is based on lectures and analysis of critical writings and Italian literature Histories of XIX century, when was built a romantic and ‘national’ canon of Italian Literature. Historical analysis will be followed by a methodological and theoretical meditation about these points: 1) The link between narrative way and historical research, between fictional writing and historiography 2) the national historiography as nazional identity building 3) the links between the building of national tradition and the use of ‘mithical’ plot.
Full programme
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Bibliography
The Teacher will give to students all the texts read during the course. Pages will be selected, from the works of: U. Foscolo; ‘conciliatoristi’; G. Mazzini, G. De Sanctis and others (G. Montani; C. Tenca).
Critical bibliography:
Literary History
C. Dionisotti, Appunti sui moderni, Il Mulino, Bologna, 1988 (selectes pages)
E. Raimondi, Letteratura e identità nazionale, Bruno Mondadori, Milano, 1998
F. Sberlati, Filologia e identità nazionale, Sellerio, Palermo, 2011 (selected pages)
In theoretical and methodological field:
E. J. Hobsbawm e T. Ranger, L'invenzione della tradizione, Einaudi, Torino, 2002.
R. Ceserani, Raccontare la letteratura, Bollati-Boringhieri 1990.
G. Bollati, L’italiano. Il carattere nazionale come storia e come invenzione, Einaudi, Torino, 2011
Changes of bibliography will be possible during the course.
Teaching methods
Frontal, but interactive, lessons. Students will have to take activ part to critical discours building, with a close reading of texts (key-words; ideological patterns; rhetorical topics ecc.).
Assessment methods and criteria
Examination will be articulated on two tipologies:
a) oral examination – Students will show to be able to analyse a critical text and to underline its main carachters. They will have to know the main tools of textual analysis and they will have to understand the problematic points of subject of the course.
b) Paper (4/ 5 pages). – Students will have to write a short paper about a subject agreed with teacher.
Other information
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