Obiettivi Formativi

Fare acquisire una conoscenza contestualizzata della letteratura e dalla cultura degli Stati Uniti d’America a partire dal periodo coloniale fino ai giorni nostri. Fare acquisire adeguate metodologie di analisi letteraria e competenze critiche.

Learning Goals

Students will acquire contextualised knowledge of literature and culture of the United States from the colonial period to the present day. Students will acquire analytical competences and methods.

Metodi didattici

Lezioni frontali, seminari, presentazioni in aula.

Teaching Methods

Lessons, seminars, class presentations.

Prerequisiti

Conoscenza della lingua inglese livello B2.

Prerequisites

Knowledge of the English language at B2 level.

Verifiche dell'apprendimento

Esame orale. Gli studenti sono tenuti a presentare almeno un autore/argomento in lingua inglese.

Assessment

Oral exam. Students are required to discuss at least one author/topic in English.

Programma del Corso

Il corso è suddiviso in tre moduli. MODULO 1: Storia della letteratura angloamericana dal periodo coloniale fino ai giorni nostri. MODULO 2: Analisi e commento dei seguenti testi. 1. Anne Bradstreet, “The Author to Her Book”, “Upon the Burning of Our House”, “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild--Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old”. 2. The Declaration of Independence 3. Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle” 4. Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 5. Ralph Waldo Emerson, from Nature: “Introduction”, Chapter 1: “Nature”. 6. Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself Sections: 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 16, 21, 24, 31, 49, 52. 7. Emily Dickinson, “Success is counted sweetest”, “Wild Nights—Wild Nights!”, “There is a certain Slant of light”, “This is my letter to the World”, “Because I could not stop for Death”, “Tell all the truth, but tell it slant—”; “The soul selects her own Society-”; “After great pain, a formal feeling comes –”; “Much madness is divinest sense –“ ; “Tie the strings to my life my lord”. 8. Mark Twain. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. 9. Robert Frost. “The Road not taken”, “Mending Walls”, “After Apple-Picking”, “The Death of the Hired Man”. 10. William Carlos Williams. “The Red Wheelbarrow”, “The Great Figure”, “Portrait of a Lady”. 11. Zora Neale Hurston. “How it feels to be colored me”. 12. Ernest Hemingway. “Indian Camp”. 13. William Faulkner. “A Rose for Emily”. 14. John Steinbeck. “The leader of the people”. 15. Allen Ginsberg. “Howl” Section 1. 16. Richard Wright. “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”. 17. Toni Morrison. “Recitatif”. 18. Raymond Carver, “Cathedral”. MODULO 3: Introduzione alla cultura americana. Temi centrali come immigrazione, appartenenza etnica, assimilazione e resistenza saranno analizzati in relazione alla formazione ed evoluzione del concetto di identità americana.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus comprises three modules. MODULE 1: History of American literature, from the Puritanism to Postmodernism. MODULE 2: Critical commentary on the following texts: 1. Anne Bradstreet, “The Author to Her Book”, “Upon the Burning of Our House”, “In Memory of My Dear Grandchild--Elizabeth Bradstreet, Who Deceased August, 1665, Being a Year and a Half Old”. 2. The Declaration of Independence 3. Washington Irving, “Rip Van Winkle” 4. Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Young Goodman Brown” 5. Ralph Waldo Emerson, from Nature: “Introduction”, Chapter 1: “Nature”. 6. Walt Whitman, from Song of Myself Sections: 1, 2, 5, 6, 11, 16, 21, 24, 31, 49, 52. 7. Emily Dickinson, “Success is counted sweetest”, “Wild Nights—Wild Nights!”, “There is a certain Slant of light”, “This is my letter to the World”, “Because I could not stop for Death”, “Tell all the truth, but tell it slant—”; “The soul selects her own Society-”; “After great pain, a formal feeling comes –”; “Much madness is divinest sense –“ ; “Tie the strings to my life my lord”. 8. Mark Twain. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”. 9. Robert Frost. “The Road not taken”, “Mending Walls”, “After Apple-Picking”, “The Death of the Hired Man”. 10. William Carlos Williams. “The Red Wheelbarrow”, “The Great Figure”, “Portrait of a Lady”. 11. Zora Neale Hurston. “How it feels to be colored me”. 12. Ernest Hemingway. “Indian Camp”. 13. William Faulkner. “A Rose for Emily”. 14. John Steinbeck. “The leader of the people”. 15. Allen Ginsberg. “Howl” Section 1. 16. Richard Wright. “The Man Who Was Almost a Man”. 17. Toni Morrison. “Recitatif”. 18. Raymond Carver, “Cathedral”. MODULE 3: Introduction to American culture. Important issues such as immigration, assimilation, ethnicity and resistance will be discussed in relation to the evolution of American identity.