EUROPEAN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE SP.

The course aims to provide an adequate critical knowledge of Italian literature and the fundamental tools for the textual interpretation. The teaching activity aims to start an analysis historically and philologically aware of the literary texts, founded on the mastery of the technical language. Because of the broad scope of the subject matter, different topics will be chosen each year. In this class, in particular, we will focus on early 20th century far-right wing literature and culture

1) Knowledge and understanding of the terminology of textual analysis and literary criticism. 2) Knowledge and understanding of literatures and cultures in a historical context to frame the interpretative and analysis capabilities of the texts. 3) Ability to analyze critical texts and to develop autonomous reflections on theoretical and methodological issues 4) Ability to select the bibliography appropriate to the proposed literary texts and to motivate the choice of the method adopted.

1) Knowledge and understanding of the main features of European literature in their historical context. 2) ability to frame interpretative and analysis of texts methods. 3) Ability to select the bibliography appropriate to literary texts. 4) Ability to orientation in contemporary critical debate.

In this class we will focus on early 20th century far-right wing literature, underlining a broad series of topics, such as the overlapping of art and politics, the concept of "community", the role of the Kultur, anti-modernity, anti-materialism, nationalism and the role of technology

Mandatory texts:
- Mimmo Cangiano, "Cultura di destra e società di massa. Europa 1870.1939"

Then, students will have to pick one text from the section "Far-right wing Literature" and one from the section "Far-right wing Culture"

1) Far-right wing Literature:

- Hugo von Hofmannsthal: il saggio "Lettera di Lord Chandos" e l'opera teatrale "La torre"

- Giovanni Boine: i saggi "La crisi degli olivi in Liguria", "Il purismo", e il racconto "L'agonia"

- Knut Hamsun, "Il risveglio della terra"

- Ardengo Soffici, "Lemmonio Boreo"

- Curzio Malaparte, "La rivolta dei santi maledetti"

- Louis-Ferdinand Céline, "La scuola dei cadaveri"

- Ernst Junger, "Nelle tempeste d'acciaio"

- Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, "La commedia di Charleroi"

- Ernst von Salomon, "I proscritti"

- Charles Péguy, "La nostra giovinezza"

- Arturo Stanghellini, "Introduzione alla vita mediocre"


2) Far-right wing Culture:

- Ernst Renan, "La riforma morale e intellettuale della Francia"

- Hugo von Hofmannsthal, "La rivoluzione conservatrice europea"

- Julius Evola, "Rivolta contro il mondo moderno"

- Oswald Spengler, "L'uomo e la tecnica"

- Knut Hamsun, "La vita culturale dell'America moderna"

- Charles Maurras, "La monarchia"

- Werner Sombart, "Mercanti ed eroi"

- Alfredo Oriani, "La rivolta ideale"

- Robert Brasillach, "Il nostro anteguerra"

- Curzio Malaparte, "L'Europa vivente"

- Romano Guardini, "Lettere dal lago di Como"

- Thomas Mann, "Pensieri di guerra"

- Ernst Junger, "L'Operaio"

- Charles Péguy, "Il denaro"

- Enrico Corradini, "Discorsi politici"

- Giovanni Papini e Giuseppe Prezzolini, "Vecchio e nuovo nazionalismo"

- Georges Sorel, "Riflessioni sulla violenza"

- Ardengo Soffici, "Battaglia fra due vittorie"

The assessment of learning takes place through an oral test, during which the student must demonstrate knowledge of the topics developed during the course and proving to know how to expose them in a formal way. The test includes three questions: one for each book.

Seminar and Frontal Lessons

Italian

Frequency is recommended

oral