OVERVIEW

First-year course of LM 37 (9 credits). It consists of 54 hours. First semester: 3 hours per week including both lectures and seminars. Second semester: 2 hours per week; lectures and seminars. The course is taught in English and introduces aspects and issues of British literature and culture, as well as other literatures in English, from the 1980s to the present day.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to sharpen the students’ ability to analyse texts in the literatures of Britain and other English-speaking countries by reading them in the light of specific social and political contexts and in relation to broader cultural phenomena. Students will be encouraged to use relevant theoretical and philosophical concepts as critical tools to develop a more sophisticated comprehension of the texts. They will also acquire competencies in academic and/or creative writing on the topics addressed.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide an understanding and appreciation of the development of contemporary British literature and culture from 1980 to the present day, with a particular focus on the new millennium, as well as certain aspects of other literatures in English from the same period. It also aims to introduce students to the investigation of the most recent forms of the novel through some essential concepts of contemporary theoretical and philosophical thought. Finally, the specific aim of the second part of the course is to reflect critically on the themes of Transhumanism, Artificial Intelligence and, more generally, the posthuman as it is represented in fiction.

The expected outcomes are the acquisition of the ability to:

analyse literary texts using theoretical and critical tools;

evaluate different arguments and question preconceived ideas;

work in groups and learn through seminar discussions;

communicate ideas and arguments effectively in written and oral form;

identify and use relevant bibliographic resources;

produce an academic and/or creative text.

PREREQUISITES

A general knowledge of British literary history, its periodization and main lines of development. An advanced knowledge of the English language (C1).

TEACHING METHODS

The course is taught in English. It consists mainly of lectures with some seminars for the discussion of the assigned readings. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

From the Postmodern to the Posthuman

First semester

Students will familiarise themselves with the political, economic and social contexts of contemporary Great Britain from the 1980s to Brexit and with the literature and culture of the same period through a selection of political speeches and film excerpts, as well as passages from novels such as Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, White Teeth by Zadie Smith and the Seasonal Quartet by Ali Smith. Particular attention will be paid to the themes of Englishness and multiculturalism and to postmodern narrative techniques. The latter will be analysed also through the reading of two dystopian novels: The Handmaid's Tale by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Ishiguro's story of a group of clones, which deals with the posthuman, provides an introduction to the second part of the course.

Second semester

Literature and popular culture have often reflected on the future scenarios that technological innovations seem to herald. The popularity of TV series such as Black Mirror (2011-2013) testifies to the widespread interest in the arts' ability to imagine what it means to interact morally and more and more intimately with posthuman entities. Ishiguro's novels Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun, analysed in this course, raise fascinating questions about cloning and transhumanism. This part of the course will use the lens of fiction and screenwriting to explore what it means to be “human” in the age of cognitive capitalism, AI and neuroscience, in which the digital and biological worlds are merging. It will investigate issues such as the increasingly blurred boundaries between humans and machines, ethics in the age of AI, consciousness and the relationship between human and non-human or quasi-human entities.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

For the whole course:

• a selection of political speeches and critical essays;
• Excepts from novels, films and TV series, as well as other audiovisual materials.

First semester:

• Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale (1985);
• Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go (2005).

Second semester:

• Kazuo Ishiguro, Klara and the Sun (2021).

Additional information will be posted on aulaweb including details for the students unable to attend on a regular basis. Erasmus students interested in the course are welcome and invited to contact me.

The content and bibliography are valid till July 2028.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

End of September/beginning of October.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Students will be assessed via a final written exam consisting of a set of open-ended questions covering the entire programme. However, those who attend regularly and participate actively will be able to take intermediate written tests.

To keep up with lectures and in-course assessments, students are highly recommended to start reading The Handmaid's Talebefore classes start, completing it by late October/early November. The reading of Never Let Me Go should be finished by December. This timeline ensures they will be prepared for the mid-year exam on both novels at the start of the second semester.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Written exam. 

Students will demonstrate that they have acquired:

- a thorough knowledge of the texts included in the programme;
- a good mastery of theoretical issues and approaches.

The test will assess also their ability to:

- analyse and contextualise literary texts;
-  express themselves effectively in written English;
- analyse literary and non-literary texts using theoretical and critical tools;
- evaluate different arguments and question preconceived ideas;
- produce creative thinking.
- identify and use relevant bibliographic resources.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Course enrolment via aulaweb is mandatory. Examination enrolment is through the Ateneo website.

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.