OVERVIEW

The Brazil of Jorge Amado

AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

In addition to the political and existential profile of the great Bahian writer, the course aims at tracing a phenomenology of Brazil in the light of its main historical processes and the interactions between these and literature, particularly in the reasons marked by the latifundium, the slavery matrix, privileged backgrounds of Amado's fictional work.

The course is addressed to 2nd and 3rd year (three-year) students for a total of 54 hours (9 cfu).

At the end of the course, learners will be able to critically analyse Brazil and its complex and varied socio-cultural aspects.

PREREQUISITES

The course is addressed to 2nd and 3rd year (three-year) students for a total of 54 hours (9 cfu).

TEACHING METHODS

Lessons are held in Italian and some texts will be read in Portuguese. The lectures will be in presential mode. The course also includes a number of seminar lectures and conferences held by lecturers from other universities and the presentation of books by writers and translators.

Attendance is not monitored, but is nevertheless strongly recommended, especially for those who have never had any background in Lusophone literature.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department's disability liaison.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The main objective is to provide an examination of Afro-Brazilian culture, taking as its geographical and cultural centres the city of Salvador and the state of Bahia (the territory of the plantation), and as a privileged epoch that historical moment defined as the “cocoa cycle”, providing the critical instrumentation necessary to deconstruct the stereotype emanating from Freyre's luso-tropicalism (the sensuality of mestizaje, the theory of the homem cordial, the absence of racism) and the analysis of phenomena of cultural resistance such as religious syncretism (candomblé) and the presence of the magical element, the samba and the contribution of the musical language, capoeira. These are all decisive elements in Amadeus' work and in particular in two novels that will be the focus of the course: Jubiabà (for the author's reflections of political militancy) and La bottega dei miracoli (for the definition of a new Bahian imaginary and for the claims of subalternity). The themes addressed will also include the archaic code system of the coronéis (the law of arms and the hierarchies of the latifundium), oral culture, the literatura de cordel and, in general, the resilience of the Bahian people, their stories and sagas.

The course is intended for 2nd and 3rd year students (54 hours, 9 cfu)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Luciana Stegagno Picchio, Storia della letteratura brasiliana, Torino, Einaudi, 1997

Luciana Stegagno Picchio, “L’ABC di Jorge Amado”, in Jorge Amado, Romanzi, Mondadori Meridiani, Milano 2002

Luciana Stegagno Picchio, La letteratura Brasiliana, Torino, Einaudi, 1998

Jorge Amado, La bottega dei miracoli, Milano, Garzanti

Jorge Amado, Jubiabá, Torino, Einaudi

Two other novels by Amado of your choice

At least two novels of your choice (one Portuguese, one Brazilian and one African) from a series of titles to be discussed in the first lectures of the course for students who are required to have 6 credits and at least three novels for students who are required to have 9 credits.

Further critical materials will be provided by the lecturer during the course of the lectures

The bibliography is indicative and should be discussed with the lecturer during the module. Non-attending students are requested to contact the lecturer to agree on possible changes to the bibliography..

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The course is annual and will begin in the first semester. 

Classes will begin on Tuesday, 30 September, with the following schedule:

Tuesday 18-19 Classroom 7 Albergo dei Poveri

Wednesday 9-11 Classroom F Language Teaching Centre

Class schedule

PORTUGUESE LITERATURE AND CULTURE II

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination consists of an interview lasting approximately half an hour, aimed at assessing the candidate's knowledge of the course content and reasoning skills. Consequently:

1) Questions will focus on the culture and literary history of Portuguese-speaking countries, the periods, authors and topics covered in class (or included in the list for non-attending students) and on the novels of your choice (see bibliography), some of which – at the lecturer's discretion – will be commented on.

2) The textbooks listed in the bibliography are an integral part of the programme: in addition to verifying that they have been read, the teacher will ask candidates for personal analysis and reflections, and any comparisons and judgements based on the literary knowledge acquired during the course.

3) Students are also required to independently study (from a literary, historical, social, cultural, comparative or interdisciplinary perspective) a topic of their choice that is relevant to the course programme.

Please note that the mark obtained, which will be communicated at the end of the interview, may be rejected. In the event of rejection of the mark or failure of the exam, the candidate may always repeat the test at the next exam session. There is no limit to the number of attempts.

In addition to the annual examination sessions (two in the winter and autumn sessions, three in the summer session), there are special sessions for graduating students, students who have exceeded the standard duration of their studies and Erasmus students. The dates of these sessions will be communicated directly to the students.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Great importance will be given to the ability to navigate the different periods of Portuguese and Brazilian literary history, to contextualise the works and themes studied, and to develop a personal critical judgement on the phenomena considered.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a certified DSA, disability  

or other special educational needs to contact the lecturer 

at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods that 

while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual 

individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools