EUROPEAN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE SP.

The course is part of the core subjects shared by the degree programme and aims to provide students with an adequate critical knowledge of European literature, as well as the fundamental tools for textual interpretation. In this course, we will examine different methodological approaches, focusing in particular on the crucial cultural climate of Modernism, with a specific emphasis on the English context. The course will address two main themes: the question of historicity (the concept of “belatedness,” decadence and the cult of the new, etc.) and the Second Industrial Revolution (technology, speed, productivity, etc.).

Knowledge and understanding of the terminology of textual analysis and literary criticism;
Knowledge and understanding of literatures and cultures in a historical context to frame the interpretative and analysis capabilities of the texts.

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.

The course introduces the main concepts and themes of European Modernism, with particular attention to the relationship between modernity, historical crisis, technology, and the transformation of individual experience. Through works by Eliot, Yeats, Mann, Kafka, Joyce, and Woolf, as well as films by L’Herbier, Lang, Chaplin, and Marker, the course explores the new aesthetic and narrative forms that emerged across literature and cinema, focusing in particular on fragmentation, temporality, memory, the metropolis, and modernization.

T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
W.B. Yeats, “The Second Coming” and “Leda and the Swan”
Thomas Mann, Death in Venice
Franz Kafka, “The Hunter Gracchus” ; “The Silence of the Sirens” ; “A Hunger Artist”
James Joyce, “The Dead”; “Calypso” (from Ulysses)
Virginia Woolf, “Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street

Assessment is based on a written paper (8–10 pages) on a topic of the student’s choice, provided that it focuses on or is related to the topics and authors covered in the course.

oral

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

18/30 Barely sufficient: minimal knowledge, incomplete answers, minor conceptual errors.
19–20/30 Sufficient: general understanding, weak but acceptable presentation.
21–22/30 Fair: adequate knowledge, correct but superficial answers.
23–24/30 Fair–Good: mostly accurate content, clear understanding, minor terminology issues.
25–26/30 Good: solid command of material, clear and coherent explanations.
27–28/30 Very Good: comprehensive knowledge, fluent and precise exposition, analytical ability.
29/30 Almost Excellent: strong preparation, critical analysis, excellent delivery.
30/30 Excellent: complete mastery, flawless and rigorous answers.
30 with honors Outstanding with honors: performance exceeding expectations, includes original insights.

Seminar and Frontal Lessons

Frequency is recommended