IJ1B010 Modern and Contemporary Italian Literature

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2021
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Daniela Shalom Vagata, MA, Dottore di Ricerca (lecturer)
doc. Egle Mocciaro, Dottore di Ricerca (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
doc. Paolo Divizia, Dottore di Ricerca
Department of Romance Languages and Literatures – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 16:00–17:40 G02
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( IJIA021 Italian Literature III || IJ1A023 Italian Literature III ) && IJ1A005 Practical Italian V
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course is devoted to the reading and the critical interpretation of Alessandro Manzoni’s "Promessi Sposi". The primary focus of this course will be to teach students how to understand the role played by the linguistic, stylistic, ideological and narrative strategies in Manzoni’s masterpiece. Attention will be paid to critical concepts such as style, traditions and conventions that govern genres, in order to provide students with analytical tools that will be valuable in their further analysis of literary texts.
Learning outcomes
Students will become acquainted with the concepts of plurilingualism and inter-textuality, polyphony and dialogism, and with the rhetorical figure of irony deriving from a clash of different perspectives. Students will become able to recognize a range of chronotopes. Finally the course introduces students to the Italian and European literary and socio-cultural context of "I Promessi Sposi".
Syllabus
  • Twelve lessons of 100 minutes. Main topics covered in the course: - Language, style and narrative techniques in "I Promessi Sposi";
 - The historical novels in 19th-century European literature
; - Manzoni’s understanding of history, French revolution and its aftermath. Students are expected to read from two to four chapters of Manzoni’s novel at time, and to actively participate in the class discussion. In order to achieve a complete understanding of some fundamental topics in "I Promessi Sposi", excerpts from other Manzoni’s works (including "Osservazioni sulla morale cattolica", "Del romanzo storico, e in genere de’ componimenti misti di storia e d’invenzione", and the poems "Cinque Maggio" and "La Pentecoste") and from "Renzo e Lucia" will be read in class. Students and instructor will also analyze the allusive illustrations of Promessi Sposi drawn by Francesco Gonin ("I promessi Sposi" (1840), tomo II, a cura di S. S. Nigro, con la collaborazione di E. Paccagnini per la "Storia della colonna infame", Milano, Mondadori, 2002). Students will become familiar with the literary criticism concerning "I Promessi Sposi". Handouts will be provided to the students.
Literature
    required literature
  • Promessi Sposi nell'edizione a cura di Raimondi, Bottoni; o a cura di Alfano, Palumbo, Viscardi; o a cura di Nigro
Teaching methods
The course will be conducted in Italian. The whole novel will be read in Italian. Students will receive weekly assignments and will be expected to actively participate in the class discussion. Chapters of the novel will be previously read at home, and then discussed in class.
Assessment methods
Attendance (45%) Active participation in class discussion (35%) Final oral exam (20 %)
Language of instruction
Italian
Further Comments
The course is taught annually.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2021/IJ1B010