Study-unit ENGLISH LITERATURE III
| Course name | Foreign languages and cultures |
|---|---|
| Study-unit Code | GP004925 |
| Curriculum | Comune a tutti i curricula |
| Lecturer | Annalisa Volpone |
| Lecturers |
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| Hours |
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| CFU | 6 |
| Course Regulation | Coorte 2023 |
| Supplied | 2025/26 |
| Learning activities | Affine/integrativa |
| Area | Attività formative affini o integrative |
| Sector | L-LIN/10 |
| Type of study-unit | Opzionale (Optional) |
| Type of learning activities | Attività formativa monodisciplinare |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | Prof. Caporicci’s part of the course offers an in-depth study of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. The analysis of the novel, which will be the object of close reading during the lessons, will be aimed as much at highlighting the characteristics of Conrad's narrative style as at contextualizing the text in relation to both the literary currents of the time and the geo-political situation of the historical period in which it is written. The part of the course taught by Professor Annalisa Volpone, A Room with a View by E. M. Forster – On the Threshold of Modernism, is dedicated to the analysis of A Room with a View (1908) by E. M. Forster, considered a quintessential example of the transition from Edwardian fiction to modernism. Through the study of style, themes, and character construction, the course explores how Forster challenges the social and narrative codes of the Victorian era, opening the way to a new aesthetic and moral sensibility. Particular attention will be given to the role of geography (Italy and England), the contrast between convention and authenticity, and the search for an individual and liberated perspective through which to interpret the world. |
| Reference texts | Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness (any edition). Giuseppe Sertoli, Introduzione to Heart of Dakness (Einaudi 2014) Chinua Achebe, "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'" (Massachusetts Review. 18. 1977) Sertoli’s and Achebe’s texts will be made available Unistudium. E. M. Forster, A Room with a View, any edition. Supplementary Readings: Selected essays and critical articles will be provided via Unistudium: https://www.unistudium.unipg.it/unistudium/login/index.php in the page dedicated to the course Letteratura Inglese III e Traduzione Letteraria. Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for the compensatory tools ensured by law (e.g. textbooks in digital format; teaching materials in accessible formats: presentations, handouts, workbooks, provided if necessary in advance of the lessons), for which consult https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa. For the request, students are invited to ask the teacher, who will put them in contact with the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it). |
| Educational objectives | By the end of Prof. Caporicci’s part of the course, students will be able to: Situate Joseph Conrad’s novel within the English cultural and literary panorama at the turn of the twentieth century. Recognize and analyze the stylistic features of Conrad’s writing. Actively engage with critical interpretations of Heart of Darkness, expressing their own perspective. Communicate their knowledge in an effective way, both in oral and written form. At the end of the part of the course taught by Professor Volpone, students will be able to analyze the main themes and recurring motifs in A Room with a View, reflect on the narrative techniques and stylistic choices adopted by E. M. Forster, and develop critical reading skills, interpretative autonomy, and an awareness of the dialogue with the critical perspectives discussed during the lectures. |
| Prerequisites | Knowledge of the historical and literary context (important) and of the texts examined (useful). |
| Teaching methods | Lectures: Frontal teaching with the use of slides. In Prof. Volpone’s part of the course, each class will begin with a lecture providing context, background information, and an overview of key themes and concepts related to the day's readings. Close Readings: Detailed analysis of selected passages to uncover deeper meanings and stylistic techniques. Class Discussions: Active participation in discussions, sharing insights and interpretations of the texts. Multimedia Resources: interviews, and other media to provide additional perspectives and enhance understanding of the texts. Supplementary discussions and activities on Unistudium for extended engagement with the material: https://www.unistudium.unipg.it/unistudium/login/index.php nella pagina dedicata al corso di Letteratura Inglese III. |
| Other information | Students with disabilities and/or SLD: for any information on University services, consult the page https://lettere.unipg.it/home/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or DSA Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it) |
| Learning verification modality | For Prof. Caporicci’s part of the course, the exam will consist of an ORAL test, on texts and topics examined during the course and on the assigned bibliography. The duration of the exam will be about 15 minutes. For Prof. Volpone's part of the course will be required a 2500 word essay to be submitted at least 10 days before the exam session. Grading: Each part of the exam (the written essay and the oral test) is worth 50% of the final grade. The course programme is valid for one year only. Students with disabilities and/or with SLD who, having completed regular accreditation through SOL, have obtained access to University services, can apply for compensatory tools, dispensatory measures and inclusive technologies ensured by law, to be requested and agreed with the teacher well in advance of tests and exams. For general information, consult the page https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Disability and/or SLD Department Coordinator (prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it).. |
| Extended program | Prof. Caporicci’s part of the course: 1: Introduction to the historical period and to the literary currents at the turn of the 20th century. 2: Introduction to Joseph Conrad. 3-9: Close reading of Heart of Darkness, focusing on the following aspects: - Narrative techniques - Use of myth - Use of symbolism - Role of female figures - Relationship with colonialism Prof. Volpone’s part of the course -1 Introduction to E. M. Forster Historical and literary context: the Edwardian era and modernism Themes and structure of A Room with a View Convention and authenticity -2 Reading and analysis: Chapters 1–3 Florence and the “room with a view” Characters and narrative voice -3 Reading and analysis: Chapters 4–6 The picnic and the death scene Nature, emotion, George Emerson -4 Reading and analysis: Chapters 7–8 The Pension Bertolini as a liminal space Charlotte Bartlett and female authority -5 Reading and analysis: Chapters 9–11 Return to England: repression and social conventions Cecil Vyse and the house as a space of order -6 Reading and analysis: Chapters 12–14 Courtship and Lucy’s ambivalence Irony and stylistic ambiguity -7 Reading and analysis: Chapters 15–17 Lucy’s crisis: lies, escape, awareness Renunciation of George and the function of the unsaid -8 Reading and analysis: Chapters 18–20 Finale: return to Florence, choice, transformation Landscape and individual freedom -9 Critical perspectives: Trilling, Said, queer reading, Foucault Cross-cutting themes: class, gender, travel, identity Summary and conclusions |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile | 4 and 5 |