CZECH LITERATURE 2 MOD.1

The course is part of the curriculum and aims at understanding the history of Czech literature and culture, the theory of literary history and the analysis of literary text.

The aim of the course is to deepen the knowledge of cultural and literary production in the Czech language as well as of a literary and cultural investigation. The analysis of the text is inserted in the historical - cultural discourse both in a diachronic sense, that is as a history of literature, and synchronically, as a specific phenomenon within a pulsating cultural system. The achievement of these objectives allows the student to enrich his literary and cultural education both in analytical and synthetic terms.

1. Knowledge and understanding
● Know the basic linguistic terminology and understand the texts that make it
use.
● To know literary production and its interaction with the different spheres of culture.
● To know the theory of analysis of the literary text in its linguistic, literary and cultural components.

2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
● (Know the basic linguistic terminology and understand the texts that make it
use.) Knowing how to properly use linguistic terminology in all processes
application and communication of acquired knowledge.
● (Knowing the literary production and its interaction with the different spheres of culture.) Knowing how to relate the analysis of the specific text with contemporary and coherent critical production in addition to the mechanisms for using the text
● (To know the tools of analysis of the literary text in its linguistic, literary, cultural components.) To be able to apply the analysis tools and the literary production as a whole to the single specific text.

4. Communication skills
● Know how to communicate the specificities of literary reflection, using one
appropriate terminology.
● Knowing how to interact with peers and with the tutor, in a critical and respectful manner, in the presence and
on the virtual classroom forum.
5. Learning skills
.
● Knowing how to critically consult the reference texts and the bibliography in them
contained.

Knowledge of the Czech language is not required.

What sound does loneliness make? Bohumil Hrabal, an eccentric by necessity

For Hanta, the protagonist of one of Bohumil Hrabal’s best-known books, loneliness can be all too noisy. The course will examine the work of Bohumil Hrabal (1914–1997) within the context of Czech literature, offering an insight into one of the best-known and most widely translated Czech authors in the world. Numerous Italian publishers have released his work (including translations and reprints, the SBN catalogue lists 114 entries) and he is the first Czech author to be included in the prestigious Meridiani series by Mondadori (edited by A. Cosentino and S. Corduas, 2003). The second is Jaroslav Hašek, an author much loved by Hrabal.
A prolific writer with a penchant for the short form, Hrabal did not have an easy literary career. From his very first publication, a collection of poems in 1948, Hrabal’s work was frowned upon by the communist authorities, eventually leading to a ban on publication. The fame he achieved during the Prague Spring, which saw his book Closely Watched Trains adapted for the cinema (1966, Menzel; winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film), became a further reason for censorship following the Soviet occupation of 1968. His work spread through the channels of the samizdat press (illegal underground press). His closeness to intellectuals, the public’s affection for him, and his ability to depict the horrors of repressive regimes whilst maintaining the innocence of a child’s gaze made him thoroughly unwelcome to the authorities during the Normalisation period (1969–1989).

Open to many literary influences, which he assimilated, yet with the flexibility to embrace diverse European artistic currents, Hrabal developed his own distinctive style as the decline of Europe, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, unfolded before his gaze, imbued with tragic irony. Hrabal seemed to foresee the decline of his immense culture – and, with it, an idea of the ‘good life’ – and of the object that represented it more than any other: the book. His writing is characterised by an often unbridled, restless and cheerful storytelling fervour, marked by an inexhaustible parataxis, the result of great nominalistic precision despite the verve of oral narration.
Alongside an examination of Hrabal’s main themes and style, the course also addresses the literary landscape of the socialist period (1948–1989) and that of samizdat.

Hrabal- partial literarute
Una solitudine troppo rumorosa;
Ho servito il re d'Inghilterra;
Treni strettamente sorvegliati;
Inserzione per una casa in cui non voglio più abitare;

Opere scelte (a cura di S. Corduas e A. Cosentino)

Scientific literature - partial

Jiří Pelán: Bohumil Hrabal: A Full-length Portrait
Jiri Holy, Jan Culik: Writers Under Siege: Czech Literature Since 1945

Petr Poslední, Underground in the Czech literature of the 1950s
Charles Sabatos, Hrabal’s Satirical Legacy in the Central European Autobiographical Novel

The final assessment consists of an oral examination (lasting approximately 30 minutes) covering the module content, the assigned presentation and the specified reading list.

Working students unable to attend are required to contact the teacher as soon as possible for the assignment of the specific topic to be presented during the exam.
In general, in case of problems related to attendance, it is highly recommended to contact the teacher as soon as possible to evaluate any possible solutions.

oral

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 grade will be determined by: 1. knowledge of the topics covered during the course (up to 10 points); 2. ability to explore the topic in depth (up to 5 points); 3. detailed and accurate knowledge (up to 5 points); 4. confidence in presentation (up to 5 points); 5. ability to argue (up to 5 points).

Lectures and seminar sessions.
Each participant will be assigned a text by Hrabal (in Italian) to read. The book must be presented and discussed in class. The presentation will be assessed and will count towards the exam mark.