13338 - Contemporary Italian Literature (A-D)

Course Unit Page

Academic Year 2019/2020

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student has acquired a working knowledge of wide areas of twentieth-century literary history, with special emphasis on the relation between literature and historical, social, anthropological, and more broadly cultural phenomena. Study is assisted by secondary literature and face-to-face tuition and covers close reading of the text as well as problems of form, structure, composition, and reception.

Course contents

The literature and the recomposition


In the course will be analyzed some fundamental texts to follow the trasformation of the subjectivity between the sixties and the eighties of the XX°.

The themes that will be faced are: 1. The representation of the body 2. the analysis of the new forms of Power 3. the feelings of shame and fear 4. the relationship among generations 5. the breakup of the literary forms of tradition 6. the formulation of a method of analysis between literature and anthropology.


The studenst that have to take the exam for 12 credits have to read these books:


1. Vittorini, Conversazione in Sicilia (BUR)

2. Tomasi di Lampedusa, Il Gattopardo (Feltrinelli)

3. G. Bassani, L'airone (Feltrinelli)

4. E. Morante, La Storia (Einaudi)

5. H. Janeczeck, La ragazza con la Leica (Guanda)

The students that have exam for 6 cfu (Course of History and Communication Sciences) have to read and study the texts at point 1. 2. 3., and the texts of critical bibliography.

The same program applies for the students that not frequent the lessons, that have to study the authors on a manual of Italian Literature, if they don't know the fundamental works.

Teaching methods

The course is based on the reading, the analysis and the discussion of the literary texts in biblioghaphy.

Assessment methods

Assessment consists of a viva voce examination aiming to assess the knowledge and critical skills acquired by the candidate during the course.

1. First-class marks will be awarded to candidates who demonstrate an ability to analyse texts in depth and to produce an organic overview of the topics covered in the course. Overall mark between 27 and 30 cum laude (high linguistic ability is required).

2. A mostly mnemonic knowledge of the subject, analytical skills lacking depth, and correct but not always apposite expression will result in a modest mark. Overall mark between 23 and 26.

3. Elementary knowledge, superficial understanding, poor analytical skills, and inapposite expression will lead to a pass or only slightly higher mark. Overall mark between 18 and 22.

4. Gaps in the candidate’s knowledge, inapposite language, and inadequate engagement with the secondary literature offered in the course will result in a fail mark.

Office hours

See the website of Marco Antonio Bazzocchi