OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide the basic knowledge related to the history of Chinese culture and literature from the Tang dynasty (618-907) until the twentieth century, highlighting the development of literary production in the classical language up to the end of the imperial era and introducing the main cultural and literary trends of the first half of the 1900s.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims at examining in depth themes and periods of the Chinese culture in its diachronic evolution, form the Song Period (10th century) to the Quing Dynasty (17th-19th centuries), paying particular attention to literary production in its various genres (prose, poetry and theatre).

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to offer an overview of the diachronic development of Chinese culture, literary genres and the most significant works in both  verse and prose from the 5th-6th century AD until the early twentieth century, through a guided reading of selected texts that will be presented in during the lessons. At the end of the course, students must be able to: 1) elucidate the cultural and geo-linguistic space of imperial China from the Tang to the Qing and the early period of the republican era, highlighting the main peculiarities that emerged from the analysis of iconographic documentary and material sources, underlining the core points of the Chinese civilization; 2) know how to read the selected texts presented in class in both original and translated versions, and explain their contents with adequate contextualization; 3) display the acquisition of the methodological tools needed for the analysis of the historical context of the later stages of the Chinese civilization, being able to focus on the complex relationship between modernity and traditional civilization, emphasizing the crucial issues that still represent essential references for the understanding of contemporary Chinese society; 4) use appropriate scientific lexicon to express one's reflections in a persuasive and effective way. 5) have developed a functional and adaptive learning model for the evaluation of the complex historical-cultural events of modern and contemporary China.

PREREQUISITES

In-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of Italian language equal to a native speaker or at least to CEFR level C1.

TEACHING METHODS

Frontal lessons

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The program consists of lectures, delivered in Italian, on the contents of both the compulsory monographs listed in the bibliography and in-depth analysis of the selected texts and book extracts, focusing on the past and present reception of some key points of the traditional Chinese culture. Beside the wide range of selected works (presented in both original version and Italian translation), multimedia and interactive materials will be employed in order to have a more effective understanding of the main topics of the course, in particular related with the Tang dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Song dynasty, the Yuan dynasty, the Ming and Qing dynasties, and with the first phase of the modern era with the development of the contemporary literature and the New Culture Movement.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Compulsory works:

• Bertuccioli G., La letteratura cinese, Roma, L’Asino d’oro, 2013 (chp. IV-VIII).
• Pesaro N., Pirazzoli M., La narrativa cinese del Novecento, Roma, Carocci, 2019 (First part).
• Masi E., Cento capolavori della letteratura cinese, Macerata, Quodlibet, 2014 (from Liu Xie on).
• Selected texts delivered during class lessons.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LUCA PISANO (President)

GIOVANNA PUPPIN

XIAODANYANG ZHANG

LESSONS

Class schedule

CHINESE LITERATURE AND CULTURE II

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral interview in Italian. The students will show their ability to relate the various topics covered in the course. During the exam (with open questions, relating to the whole program including the compulsory books and the selected texts introduced during lessons), the quality of the presentation, the correct use of the lexicon (in particular while clarifying texts of philosophical content), the critical competence will all be carefully assessed.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The students will have to demonstrate the assimilation of the main topics, to have acquired the basic knowledge of the course contents, to be able to elaborate a short speech on one or more topics, related with the compulsory monographs and/or with the selected texts introduced during the course, placing them in the Chinese and Asian historical and cultural contexts. Attendance and active participation during the lessons will facilitate the examination process.

Exam schedule