Learning objectives

The course, held in English, aims at introducing students to relevant aspects of English literature, from the Pre-Romantic to the contemporary period, through the reading of a selection of canonical texts. Primary notions about possible methodological approaches for the analysis of literary texts and genres will be imparted. Furthermore, the course will provide a sound knowledge of the English literature of the period (historical context, texts, genres, literary movements and authors) and stimulate abilities and skills for the critical analysis of texts, their discussion and analysis, in consideration of their historical, cultural, and context specificities. At the end of the course, students will be able to: - Analyse the literary texts of the syllabus discussing them in relation to their historical and cultural context; - Discuss the texts using an appropriate critical approach demonstrating the knowledge of the literary conventions of their time; - Express the acquired literary and critical knowledge demonstrating an adequate competence also in the English language.

Prerequisites and basic notions

Being a first-year exam, no preliminary skills, other than those required to enroll, are required. A sufficient competence in English, however, is advisable in order for students to understand lectures conducted in English, comprehend primary texts and scholarly work in the discipline in English, and take the exam in English.

Program

Pictures of Femininity in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century British Theatre
Building on a selection of late nineteenth- and twentieth-century dramas, the module will offer an overview of British theatre with special regard to the stage representation of women and of different female discourses: from the ‘woman with a past’ of Pinero’s Victorian drama, to its ironical reversal in Shaw and Wilde, to Eliot’s female characters that serve the playwright’s corrosive outlook on the pillars of bourgeois society (and drama).

The programme consists in three parts (see the BIBLIOGRAPHY section below):
a. Primary texts
b. Readings
c. Handbook
Further details on required readings, general information on bibliographical material, and exam method will be given during classes.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
a. Primary texts
- Arthur Wing Pinero, The Second Mrs Tanqueray, Project Gutenberg, 2012.
- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan, in Id., The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays, ed. by Richard Allan Cave, Penguin, 2000.
- George Bernard Shaw, Mrs Warren’s Profession, in Id. Plays Unpleasant, ed. by Dan H. Laurence, Penguin, 2000.
- Thomas Stearns Eliot, The Cocktail Party, Faber and Faber, 1950.
b. Readings
- Peter Raby, “Theatre of the 1890s: breaking down the barriers”, in The Cambridge Companion to Victorian and Edwardian Theatre, ed. by Kerry Powell, Cambridge University Press, pp. 183-206.
- Peter Raby, “Wilde’s Comedies of Society”, in The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde, ed. by Peter Raby, Cambridge University Press, 1997, pp. 143-160.
- Kerry Powell, “New Women, new plays, and Shaw in the 1890s”, in The Cambridge Companion to George Bernard Shaw, ed. by Christopher Innes, Cambridge University Press, 1998, pp. 76-100.
- Carol H. Smith, “Eliot’s ‘Divine’ Comedies: The Cocktail Party, The Confidential Clerk, and The Elder Statesman”, in A Companion to T. S. Eliot, ed. by David E. Chinitz, Wiley-Blackwell, 2009, pp. 542-564.
- Margherita Giulietti, “The Cocktail Party e la vocazione alla drammaturgia di T.S. Eliot”, Aevum, 68 (3), 1994, pp. 713-730.
3. Handbook
As regards the literary and cultural context spanning from the Romantic Age to the present, students will refer to:
- Paul Poplawski (ed.), English Literature in Context, Cambridge University Press, 2017: chapters 4 (“The Romantic Period, 1780-1832”), 5 (“The Victorian Age, 1832-1901”), 6 (“The Twentieth Century, 1901-1939), 7 (“The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries, 1939-2015”) and 8 (“Postcolonial Literature in English”).

Bibliography

Didactic methods

Whole class teaching in English.
Supplementary teaching materials (slides, images, videos, other texts, etc.) that will be used during classes will be available for download from the MOODLE e-repository. These contents do not substitute but complement the mandatory readings listed in the PROGRAM section.
It is strongly advised, although not mandatory, to attend classes.

Learning assessment procedures

Oral exam (the exam will last approximately 20/30 minutes and will be based on 5/6 questions).
Students may be required to read and comment on passages taken from primary texts (see “PROGRAM > Bibliography > a. Primary texts).
There will be no mid-term tests.

Evaluation criteria

1) the knowledge and comprehension of the module’s topics (texts, authors, and genres) and of the literary and cultural context (from the Romantic Age to the present);
2) the development of good analytical and synthetic skill levels with regard to the main historical, cultural, textual, and critical topics of the module;
3) the use of an appropriate vocabulary.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The assessment of the three components listed above (see "Evaluation criteria") will form the final grade, awarded on a 30-point scale.
Minimum pass: 18/30
Maximum: 30/30 (cum laude)

Exam language

Inglese / English