ENGLISH LITERATURE B I

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

L0852

Academic Year of enrolment:

2022

Year of supply:

2023/2024

Type of Course:

Basic

Degree:

Course of 1st Cycle Degree in LINGUISTIC MEDIATION AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Disciplinary Sector:

ENGLISH LITERATURE

Location:

PESCARA

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

COSTANTINI Mariaconcetta

Cycle:

Second semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

114

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites connected with the Curriculum structure. Students are however recommended to have a good knowledge of English, which they will need to read, understand and analyse the primary sources written in original language.

Objectives

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
A first aim of the course is that of offering students basic knowledge of socio-cultural and identity questions regarding class, gender and race, with special attention for the condition of women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The L12 Curriculum aims to train linguistic and intercultural mediators, as well as experts in languages who are to be employed in the field of international relations. In line with these professional objectives, the course intends to investigate identity questions concerning the British world, to develop the students’ ability to pursue a critical analysis of historical and cultural phenomena that take place in foreign countries, and to draw ever-new comparisons with the Italian reality. Considering the fcat that only one exam of English Literature B is compulsory in this Curriculum, moreover, the analysis of literary texts by two British women writers belonging to two different centuries aims to offer a basic knowledge of the main thematic and stylistic aspects of Victorian to contemporary English literature and of the changing cultural contexts. Students might choose to develop these basic notions by selecting non-compulsory exams in this Curriculum or by studying English literature in an MA course later in their career. The analysis of primary sources in this course is not only meant to favour the students’ direct knowledge of literature in its main thenatic and stylistic aspects. It will also enable students to acquire and improve their linguistic skills, which are essential to the professional figures the Curriculum aims to train. The course belongs to the literary and cultural area of learning. It intends to offer good knowledge of the English literatures and cultures, and to encourage comparative and interdisciplinary approaches (thanks to the historical and filmic aspects it deals with). The primary sources in English are used to reinforce the students’ abilities to understand specialized texts in English.

RISULTATI DI APPRENDIMENTO ATTESI
Acquisizione di alcune conoscenze fondamentali relative alla cultura e letteratura inglese dall’Ottocento ad oggi, con particolare attenzione per l’opera e le caratteristiche tematico-stilistiche delle due autrici studiate;
capacità di comprendere testi scritti in inglese di tipo settoriale (letterari, culturali, critico-testuali) interpretandoli in una dimensione internazionale e da una prospettiva interculturale;
capacità di analizzare testi in lingua inglese da un punto di vista linguistico, retorico, stilistico e intersemiotico, sapendoli collocare nel giusto contesto storico-letterario e di genere;
capacità di riflettere su tematiche identitarie e culturali anche in relazione alla propria realtà e al mondo contemporaneo;
acquisizione di conoscenze relative a diverse metodologie critiche e approcci al testo letterario, con particolare attenzione per la critica femminista;
capacità di classificare, sintetizzare dati e informazioni, rielaborarli e trasmetterli oralmente in un discorso argomentato in un italiano corretto e formale, esponendo le tematiche in modo critico autonomo.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Acquisition of somel knowledge of English culture and literature from the nineteenth century to the present day, with special attention for the works and the thematic and stylistic peculiarities of two women writers;
ability to undestand written specialized texts in English (literary, cultural, critical) and to interpret them from an international and intercultural perspective:
ability to analyse texts written in English from a linguistic, rhetorical, stylistic and intersemiotic perspective; ability to connect these texts to their appropriate historical and literary context and to recognize their typology;
ability to reflect on identity and cultural themes, also in relation to the students’ reality and to the contemporary world;
acquisition of knowledge of various methodologie and critical approaches to literary texts, with special attention for feminist theories;
ability to classify and synthetize data and information, to elaborate them and communicate them orally in a well-argued, critically autonomous speech in correct, formal English.

OBIETTIVI FORMATIVI
L'insegnamento intende innanzitutto fornire agli studenti conoscenze di base su questioni socio-culturali e identitarie di genere, classe e razza in Inghilterra, con particolare attenzione per la condizione della donna tra Ottocento e Novecento. In linea con gli sbocchi occupazionali e professionali del CdS L12, che mira a formare mediatori e facilitatori linguistici e interculturali, nonché esperti linguistici nell’ambito delle relazioni internazionali, il corso si propone di esaminare questioni identitarie che riguardano il mondo britannico, nonché di sviluppare la capacità degli studenti di analizzare criticamente fenomeni storico-culturali che hanno luogo in società diverse dalla propria e di operare continui confronti con la realtà italiana. Considerando che per l’esame di Letteratura Inglese B è prevista una sola annualità nel CdS, inoltre, l’analisi dei testi letterari di due autrici britanniche rappresentative di due diversi secoli mira a fornire una conoscenza di base degli aspetti tematico-stilistici più rilevanti della letteratura inglese vittoriana e contemporanea e dei rispettivi contesti culturali. Tali nozioni di base potranno eventualmente essere approfondite dagli studenti con esami a scelta o in un successivo percorso di Laurea magistrale. Oltre a costituire un elemento fondamentale per una conoscenza diretta della letteratura nei suoi principali aspetti tematico-stilistici, l’analisi dei testi primari sarà anche volta a favorire l’acquisizione e il miglioramento delle competenze linguistiche, essenziali per le figure professionali previste dal CdS. Nel suo complesso, l’insegnamento si colloca nell’area di apprendimento letterario-culturale: esso ambisce a fornire solide conoscenze dei patrimoni culturali e letterari delle lingue di studio, anche in prospettiva comparatistica e con collegamenti interdisciplinari (inclusi quelli storici e filmici). I testi primari in inglese sono utilizzati per potenziare le competenze di comprensione di testi settoriali nella lingua di studio.

Contents

Introduction to Victorian England: historical, social and cultural aspects, with special attention for gender, class and racial identity, and with in-depth reflection on the condition of women at the time. Introduction to the fairy-tale tradition, on the diffusion of this literary genre in Victorian England and on the gender models it conveyed.
Introduction to twentieth-century England: main changes in gender, class and racial relations. Comparisons with the previous century.
Basic knowledge of the main feminist theories.
The English novel of formation between the nineteenth and the twentieth cnetury: structure and themes.
Thematic and stylistic characterists of the Victorian novel and postmodern fiction. Postmodern rewritings and parodies of the fairy-tale tradition.
The literary representation of gender identity in the works by Charlotte Brontë e Angela Carter: strategies and themes.
Filmic adaptations of literary texts: the case of “Jane Eyre”.

Extended Syllabus

Programma esteso: *

Parte 1: Jane Eyre come eroina vittoriana ribelle (4 CFU)
La prima parte prevede un’introduzione teorica sull’identità di genere e sulla critica femminista, con un’illustrazione delle principali teorie femministe tra Ottocento e Novecento. Saranno poi fornite conoscenze sul contesto socio-culturale del periodo vittoriano con particolare attenzione per questioni di genere, classe e razza, e nozioni specifiche sulla condizione femminile vittoriana, soprattutto per quanto riguarda l’istruzione femminile, il ruolo matrimoniale e sessuale della donna vittoriana, e le sue limitate possibilità di sviluppo professionale. Sarà anche introdotta la tradizione favolistica europea e la sua diffusione in Inghilterra, con riflessioni su come le principali “fairy-tales” contribuirono alla codificazione dei ruoli di genere vittoriani. Tali questioni saranno poi rintracciate in “Jane Eyre” (1847), un romanzo di formazione che costituisce un classico della letteratura inglese. L’eroina del romanzo incarna una figura di donna per molti versi anomala e ribelle. Una riflessione specifica sarà inoltre condotta sul ruolo ‘secondario’ di Bertha Mason, la cui marginalità è rafforzata da indicatori di devianza psichica ed etnica. Alla lettura e commento di passi centrali del romanzo farà seguito la visione guidata dell’adattamento filmico di Cary Fukunaga (2011), con ulteriori riflessioni sulle differenze tra mezzo letterario e mezzo cinematografico, e sul processo di trasposizione filmica.
Il testo primario utilizzato sarà Charlotte Brontë, “Jane Eyre”. Il testo critico consigliato, per studenti che desiderino approfondire l’analisi del romanzo, è Francesco Marroni, “Come leggere ‘Jane Eyre’”. Per l’analisi del contesto storico vittoriano il testo secondario è Richard D. Altick, “Victorian People and Ideas” (solo pp. 17-80). Sul piano teorico, sono consigliati il volume “Le filosofie femministe” (solo pp. 3-115) come introduzione alle principali teorie femministe, e “L’officina del racconto”, come guida all’analisi testuale e ai meccanismi di interpretazione della favola tradizionale.

Parte 2: Ruoli di genere e riscritture postmoderne delle favole: i racconti di Angela Carter (2 CFU)
La seconda parte analizza un caso particolare di ‘riscrittura’ postmoderna di testi tradizionali che codificano i ruoli di genere: quello dei racconti di Angela Carter che, in “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”, mette in discussione la ruolizzazione del passato proponendone un’efficace decostruzione e parodia. Dopo un’introduzione all’autrice e al contesto storico-letterario, con cenni al Modernismo e una più ampia introduzione al Postmodernismo, saranno analizzati in dettaglio i quattro racconti carteriani indicati, in ognuno dei quali viene parodiata e messa in discussione l’ideologia di genere di alcune favole tradizionali.
Il testo primario utilizzato è “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”. Come guida all’approfondimento dei racconti carteriani gli studenti utilizzeranno il volume di Anna Notaro, “Magiche rifrazioni” (solo pp. 15-79), mentre per l’analisi testuale dei testi primari e delle favole tradizionali ci si avvarrà del volume “L’officina del racconto”.

Part 1: Jane Eyre as a Victorian rebel heroine (4 credits)
Part 1 opens with a theoretical introduction to gender identity and the main feminist theories developed between the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. This introduction will be followed by a study of the Victorian socio-cultural context, with special attention for gender, class and racial problems. The condition of Victorian women will also be examined, especially with regard to female education, marriage, sexuality and women’s limited professional opportunities. Another main topic witll be the development of the European fairy-tale tradition and its diffusion in England. The role fairy tales had in encoding Victorian gender roles will also be explored. All these issues will later be discussed in relation with “Jane Eyre” (1847), a novel of formation considered a classic of English literature, whose heroine set an unorthodox, rebel model of femininity. Another figure taken into account will be Bertha Mason, a minor character repersented in terms of psychic and ethnic deviance. The reading and comment of relevant passages from the novel will be followed by a discussion of the filmic adaptation by Cary Fukunaga (2011), with specific reflections on the differences between filmic and literary texts, and on the process of filmic adaptation.
The primary text used in this part is Charlotte Brontë’s novel “Jane Eyre”. A critical guide recommended to students who wish to analyse the novel in depth is Francesco Marroni, “Come leggere ‘Jane Eyre’”. The secondary text used to study the Victorian context is Richard D. Altick, “Victorian People and Ideas” (only pp. 17-80). Advised theoretical texts are “Le filosofie femministe” (only pp. 3-115), which offers a good introduction to the main feminist theories, and “L’officina del racconto”, a good guide to textual analysis and to the interpretation of traditional fairy tales.

Part 2: Gender roles and postmodern rewritings of fairy tales: Angela Carter’s short stories (2 credits)
The second part focuses on a specific case of postmodern rewriting of traditional texts that encode gender roles: Angela Carter’s short stories collected in “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”, which questions, decostructs and parodies old-fashioned roles. After an introduction to the author and her historical and literary context, with hints at Modernism and Postmodernism, Part 2 will analyse the four Carterian stories listed above, which all parody and question the ideology of gender conveyed in traditional fairy tales.
The primary source is “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”. A recommended guide to the stories is Anna Notaro, “Magiche rifrazioni” (only pp. 15-79). For the textual analysis of the stories and of traditional fairy tales the recommended guide is “L’officina del racconto”.

Recommended Bibliography

PRIMARY SOURCES:
-Charlotte Brontë, “Jane Eyre”, Oxford University Press (or any other edition in English)
-Angela Carter, “The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories”, Penguin (or any other edition in English). Only the following 4 stories: “The Bloody Chamber”, “The Courtship of Mr Lyon”, “The Tiger’s Bride”, “The Company of Wolves”

SECONDARY SOURCES:
-Richard D. Altick, “Victorian People and Ideas”, Norton, 1974 (onl pp. 17-80)
-Adriana Cavarero, Franco Restaino, “Le filosofie femministe”, Mondadori, 2002 (only pp. 3-115)

ADDITIONAL SOURCES (guides for those students to wish to analyse the primary texts in depth)
-Francesco Marroni, “Come leggere ‘Jane Eyre’”, Solfanelli, 2013
-Anna Notaro, “Magiche rifrazioni. Angela Carter e le riscritture della tradizione”, Istituto Universitario Orientale, 1993 (only pp. 15-79)
-Angelo Marchese, “L’officina del racconto”, Mondadori, 1983.

Teaching Methods

The course, consisting of 36 teaching hours, is mainly taught in 2-hour classes according to the university’s teaching schedule. Lectures and seminars are held by the teacher responsible for the course. Seminars held by academic experts are foreseen, depending on the department’s ability to organize them during the academic year. Lectures and seminars will be arranged as follows: from context to text (cultural analysis); reading and comment of relevant passages from primary sources (semantic and structural analysis); discussion on films (basic intersemiotic analysis). At the end of each part of the syllabus., there will be a discussion on the main topics dealt with in class: students will be asked questions by the teacher and encouraged to answer individually.
Attendance is non compulsory but advised. The exam will be the same for students who attend and students who are unable to.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

Students will take an oral exam in Italian, conversing on the topics dealt with in class and listed in this syllabus. They will be asked 4-5 questions meant to assess their ability to express themselves correctly in Italian, and their knowledge of the historical context, the socio-cultural and identity issues, as well as the stylistic and thematic peculiarities of the authors’ works and contexts. The students’ ability to understand and conduct a critical analysis of the literary texts listed in this syllabus will be also assessed.
The final score will be from 0 to 30. Students will pass the exam with a sufficient score if they show a basic knowledge of the topics; they will get an excellent score if they show a very good knowledge of the topics and an ability to develop a critical discourse on them.
In particular, the exam will assess:
the students’ knowledge and understanding of historical and cultural contexts, of the literary contexts, in which the primary texts were composed, of the fairy-tale tradition in the nineteenth and twentieth cneturies, of the thematic and stylistic characteristics of the primary sources and their authors;
knowledge of different methodologies, especially of feminist theories;
the students’ ability to read. understand, analyse and sum up specialized texts written in English, to interpret them from an intercultural perspective, and to develop a critical analysis of these texts which would focus on their linguistic, rhetorical, stylistic and intersemiotic aspects;
the students’ ability to reflect on identity and cultural issues, also in relation to their own reality and to the contemporary world;
the students’ ability to classify, sum up and elaborate data and information;
the students’ ability to converse and discuss the various topics of the syllabus orally in a well-argued, critically autonomous speech in correct, formal Italian.

Contacts/More Information

Incoming Erasmus students will be allowed to be examined in English if they wish so. They will however need to inform the teacher during the teaching semester. The teacher will provide study material and mentoring in English.

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Aree