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CODE 65310
ACADEMIC YEAR 2024/2025
CREDITS
SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINARY SECTOR L-LIN/08
LANGUAGE Italian
TEACHING LOCATION
  • GENOVA
SEMESTER Annual
TEACHING MATERIALS AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

The tale of the self. A narrative journey between Portugal, Africa and Brazil.

AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The aim of the course is to trace a history of Portuguese-language literatures (in addition to Portuguese and Brazilian literature, emphasis will be placed on African Portuguese-language literatures) through works from mainly 20th-century and contemporary fields that narrate the dimension of the self and reflect on the poetics that arise from it.

The course aims at a literary and translating incursion into the everyday universe of two great Brazilian women writers of the 20th century (Clarice Lispector and Hilda Hilst).

The course aims to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the writing of the self in relation to Brazilian literature of the second half of the 20th century with particular regard to the development of fiction, prose poetry and genre writing. 

Students who have attended this course and studied the proposed materials will be familiar with the literary forms and the most important figures in Brazilian literature coeval with the two authors who will be examined in depth; they will be familiar with numerous aspects and problems of modern Brazilian literature; they will be able to read and understand Brazilian texts; they will be able to analyse texts by referring them to the historical and socio-cultural context.

The course is intended for 2nd and 3rd year students

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 compulsory and 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 course intends to investigate the themes linked to the narration of the self, with particular emphasis on the modernist turning point and the poetics of the 20th century up to contemporary times and the recent modalities of autofiction. In the Portuguese sphere, a pivotal text will be tackled, The Book of Restlessness by Bernardo Soares (Fernando Pessoa), which is indispensable for a reflection (also of a psychoanalytical type) on the inconcio. Still on the Portuguese side, the diaristic and autobiographical dimension in José Saramago will be analysed. On the Brazilian side, space will be given to the existential dimension (also of genre) through the fiction of Clarice Lispector and the poetic prose of Hilda Hilst. Luandino Vieira's Prison Diaries (on the African side) will close the course with a foray into the political dimension of self-narrative.

Key words of the course: narration of the self, autofiction

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

Roberto Francavilla, Inocencia Mata, Valeria Tocco, Le letterature africane di lingua portoghese, Milano, Hoepli, 2022

Roberto Francavilla, Quel che il mare non vuole. Letteratura e paesaggio in Portogallo, Milano, Mimesis, 2023

Fernando Pessoa, Il secondo libro dell'Inquietudine, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2008

José Saramago, I suoi nomi, Milano, Feltrinelli, 2023

Hilda Hilst, L'Oscena Signora D, Roma, Castelvecchi, 2024

Luandino Vieira, Scritti dal Carcere, Milano, Mimesis, 2019

Clarice Lispector, un romanzo a scelta fra: Acqua viva, Un soffio di vita, Milano, Adelphi

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 

Start date and times will be announced shortly

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will be a conversation in Italian or Portuguese and will consist of questions on the whole course (https:// servizionline.unige.it/studenti/esami).

 

 

Exam schedule

Data appello Orario Luogo Degree type Note
21/01/2025 10:00 GENOVA Orale
21/01/2025 10:00 GENOVA Orale
04/02/2025 10:00 GENOVA Orale

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