Error message
User error : Failed to connect to memcache server: druportbe01:11211 in dmemcache_object() (line 415 of /production/drupal/dim_prod/drupal/d7cl4/prod/unich/releases/7/web/sites/all/modules/contrib/memcache/dmemcache.inc ).
Single discipline educational activity
Course Sheet Academic Year of enrolment:
Professor and Collaborators:
Hours of classroom activity:
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary as well as a general awareness of the history of English literature and its main authors and tendencies.
Objectives Contents Course contents
The aim of the course is to expose students to the central themes of Nineteenth and Twentieth century English literature through an examination of works by four authors who represent different artistic sensibilities and stylistic approaches as well as different ways of confronting the epistemological, existential and moral dilemmas of the age.
Extended Syllabus Course description
Modulo1: 3 credits. Creatures and Creators: A Paradise Lost.
Through an analysis of two classics, this module will deal with dilemmas of the human condition arising from the clash between Good and Evil. In both works rebellion on the part of the being created towards its creator initiates a series of events which lead to the punishment of human conceit. Milton’s epic poem (of which a selection of passages will be read) is inspired by the epic tradition of Homer and Virgil. Moving along diverse levels of interpretation (religious, political, philosophical, etc.) at its centre lies the author’s firm belief in human free will and responsibility and the divine means of its redemption. Two hundred years after its first publication, Frankenstein, besides being of great relevance to today’s society (particularly in connection with recent developments in the fields of genetic manipulation and artificial intelligence) provides the opportunity for a profound philosophical and moral reflection. The module will also consider re-writings of the novel including parodies and theatrical and film versions.
Module 2: 3 credits. The Expansion of the Conscience: Paradise Regained?
This module will explore the moral and philosophical implications that lie behind the rebellion of the poetic imagination against the dominance of rationalism and empiricism in the eighteenth century. William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is at once a satirical retort to Emmanuel Swedonborg’s Heaven and Hell and a bold challenge to orthodox notions of good and evil. In its blend of satire and prophecy it remains one of Blake’s most extraordinary and disturbing works. In his final novel, Island, Aldous Huxley, definitely abandons the satirical and critical vein of his previous fictional works to represent his vision of a utopia in which Western science and rationality is reconciled with the cultural and philosophical traditions of the East.
The division of the course into two separate modules does not, of course, preclude the possibility of considering the intertextual connections of the works chosen. Therefore, students will be encouraged to reflect on the thematic convergences as well as the literary and ideological objectives behind their composition
Recommended Bibliography Course textbooks
John Milton, Paradise Lost [Italian edition: Paradiso perduto, Mondadori, 2017. Parallel text]
Mary Shelley, Frankenstein [Italian edition: Frankenstein, Garzanti, 2017.]
William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.
ALDOUS HUXLEY, Island.
CRITICAL TEXTS
Nel segno dell’orrore: Forme e figure di un genere, a cura di Michela Vanon Alliata, Cafoscarina, 2007.
Invito alla lettura di Aldous Huxley, Stefano Manferlotti, Mursia, 1987.
La filosofia perenne, Aldous Huxley, Adelphi, 1995.
Occidente e oriente, René Guénon, Adelphi, 2015.
Other material may be indicated during the course.
Methods of Provision Teaching Methods Teaching methods
Lessons with powerpoint and seminar activities (group discussions). It is imperative that students read the texts before the beginning of the course.
Evaluation methods Verification of learning:
Course grade determination
Oral exam with marks out of thirty. The topics will reflect the issues dealt with during the course. Besides showing an in-depth knowledge of the texts students must be able to discuss the themes they deal with appropriately as well as express their own reading responses and interpretations.
Contacts/More Information Other information
Students must see the teacher individually during office hours before the beginning of the course in order to plan the work necessary for their individual attainment of the objectives of the syllabus.
