PORTUGUESE AND BRAZILIAN LITERATURE 1 MOD. 2

The course is part of the core (characterising) activities of the Iberian and Ibero-American Studies track within the Master’s Degree in European, American and Postcolonial Languages and Literatures (LLEAP). It aims to deepen students’ knowledge of Brazilian Modernism, with particular focus on the work of Mário de Andrade, within its historical, cultural, and artistic context.

By the end of the course, students will be able to contextualise a cultural object, including oral forms, within its context of production; apply analytical methodologies to understand the society and culture that produced it; read and comment on literary texts using appropriate academic language and methodological rigour; and work with sources within an adequately contextualised critical framework.

Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge of the main developments of Brazilian Modernism, with particular reference to the work of Mário de Andrade. Ability to understand the historical, cultural, and artistic context of Brazil in the early decades of the twentieth century and the role of Modernism in shaping a national cultural identity. Ability to recognise and interpret the relationships between literature and other forms of expression, not exclusively verbal, such as visual arts, music, cinema, and theatre.
Applying knowledge and understanding
Ability to apply analytical methodologies to the interpretation of literary texts and cultural objects, including oral forms, placing them within their historical and cultural context. Ability to handle sources and critical references within an appropriate contextual framework.
Making judgements
Ability to develop independent and well-argued interpretations, identifying the main critical perspectives on Brazilian Modernism and on the work of Mário de Andrade. Ability to critically evaluate texts and cultural phenomena.
Communication skills
Ability to understand and re-elaborate academic discourse; to present complex content clearly and coherently; and to use appropriate specialised terminology.
Learning skills
Ability to develop independent research paths, formulate interpretative hypotheses, and construct a coherent thematic bibliography.

Basic knowledge of European and Brazilian history and culture is required. Familiarity with the main concepts of literary analysis and with tools for interpreting cultural phenomena is also recommended.

The course aims to analyse Brazilian Modernism through the study of the work of Mário de Andrade, a central figure of the movement, situating it within both national and international historical, cultural, and artistic contexts. Particular attention will be devoted to the construction of a Brazilian cultural identity and to the relationship between literature and other forms of expression.

The main topics covered during the course will include:

the concepts of the modern, modernity, and modernism;
the precursors of Modernism in Brazil;
the historical, political, and cultural context of Brazil in the early decades of the twentieth century;
the Semana de Arte Moderna (1922) and its historical and cultural significance;
the role of manifestos and journals in the dissemination of Modernism;
the main figures and artists of Brazilian Modernism;
the poetic, narrative, and essayistic work of Mário de Andrade;
Macunaíma and the question of national identity;
the relationship between literature, music, and the visual arts;
orality and popular culture in Brazil;
the critical reception of Brazilian Modernism.

1. Primary texts
Required readings

ANDRADE, Mário de, Macunaíma: o herói sem nenhum caráter, ed. by Telê Ancona Lopez and Tatiana Longo Figueiredo, São Paulo, Global, 2024.

ANDRADE, Mário de, Poesias completas, selected texts, Belo Horizonte, Vila Rica, 1993.

ANDRADE, Oswald de, “Manifesto da poesia Pau-Brasil”, in TELES, Gilberto Mendonça (ed.), Vanguarda europeia e modernismo brasileiro, 7th ed., Petrópolis, Vozes, 1983.

Recommended primary readings

ANDRADE, Mário de, “O movimento modernista”, in Id., Aspectos da literatura brasileira, 6th ed., Belo Horizonte, Itatiaia, 2002, pp. 278–280.

2. General and historical-literary background
Recommended readings

BOSI, Alfredo, Storia della letteratura brasiliana, Milan, various editions.

CANDIDO, Antonio, Formazione della letteratura brasiliana, various editions.

BRITO, Mário da Silva, História do modernismo brasileiro: 1. Antecedentes da Semana de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Civilização Brasileira, 1978.

TELES, Gilberto Mendonça, Vanguarda europeia e modernismo brasileiro, Petrópolis, Vozes, 1983.

3. Critical studies
Recommended readings

CARDOSO, Rafael, Modernidade em branco e preto, São Paulo, Companhia das Letras, 2022.

FINAZZI-AGRÒ, Ettore, “O homem amarelo na cadillac verde…”, in FONTES, Maria A. (ed.), Modernismo e modernismos (1922–2022), 2024.

FISCHER, Luís Augusto, A ideologia modernista, São Paulo, Todavia, 2022.

NASCIMENTO, Evando, “A Semana de Arte Moderna no Brasil (1922)…”, in Ângulos, 2002.

The exam consists of a written test composed of five questions: one longer open-ended question, worth up to 10 points, and four shorter open-ended questions, worth up to 5 points each.

During the course, students may take a mid-term written test (partial exam), which will be assessed on a pass/fail basis. In case of a non-passing result, the assignment may be revised and resubmitted.

Students who complete the optional written assignment will be allowed to answer three questions instead of five in the final exam and may consult their own work during the test.

Answers are expected to consist of well-argued personal commentaries, capable of linking the various aspects addressed during the course (lectures, discussions, and bibliography), with particular attention to historical and cultural contextualisation and critical analysis of texts and cultural phenomena.

As for the expected length of the answers, students are required to write approximately:

one page for the longer question;
half a page for each of the shorter questions.

written

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

The final grade will be determined on the basis of the following criteria:

knowledge of the course contents (up to 12 points);
ability to critically analyse texts and cultural phenomena (up to 5 points);
clarity, coherence, and organisation of written expression (up to 3 points);
mastery of specialised terminology and appropriate use of language (up to 5 points);
ability to develop an independent and well-structured argument (up to 5 points).

The maximum score is 30/30. Honours (lode) may be awarded in the case of outstanding performance in all the criteria listed above.

The course includes lectures complemented by moments of discussion and interaction with students, aimed at developing critical analysis and argumentative skills.

In addition to lectures, the course features seminar-based activities involving active student participation through presentations, guided text analysis, and discussion of specific topics. Particular attention will be devoted to the application of literary and cultural analytical methodologies.

The course also includes workshop-style activities, such as:

exercises in textual analysis and commentary;
comparative analysis between literary texts and other forms of expression (visual arts, music, cinema);
guided use of sources and critical bibliography.

The course encourages the development of an independent approach to study and research, fostering the ability to connect course content with broader historical and cultural contexts.

Students who do not have Portuguese as their language of study may take the exam in Italian.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development