OVERVIEW

First year course of LM 37 (9 credits). It consists of 54 hours. First semester: 3 hours per week; lectures with some seminar activities. Second semester: 2 hours per week; workshops. 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 English-language literatures 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 critically reflect on the themes of Transhumanism, Artificial Intelligence and, more generally, the posthuman as 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

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. The first semester consists of lectures with occasional seminars for the discussion of the assigned readings. The second semester consists of workshops with presentations, discussions and group work.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

From the Postmodern to the Posthuman: Clones, Robots and Androids in Contemporary Culture and Fiction 

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 novels such as Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, 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 also explored through examples from other English-language literature, more specifically the novels of South African-Australian writer J.M. Coetzee and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. Moreover, students will read in Ian McEwan's Atonement and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go in their entirety. The latter, which tells the story of a group of clones, will link the first part of the course to the second, which will be devoted to the posthuman.

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, exploring changing conceptions of the “human” in the age of cognitive capitalism, artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. This part of the course will explore, through the lens of fiction and screenwriting, what it means to be “human” in the age of cognitive capitalism, Artificial Intelligence and neuroscience, which are merging the digital and biological worlds. It will investigate issues such as the increasingly blurred boundaries between humans and machines, ethics in the age of AI, robot 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:

Ian McEwan, Atonement (2001);

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. Those who take the course for only 6 credits will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the topics and texts covered in the first semester.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

October 2025.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

All students will be assessed through a final exam consisting of a set of open questions covering the entire programme. However, those who attend regularly and actively will be able to:

- take intermediate written tests on the contents of the first semester;

- be assessed on an ongoing basis based on the regularity and quality of their participation in the planned activities (presentations, text analysis, classroom discussion, academic papers or creative writing, etc.).

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Written exam. Students must demonstrate:

- knowledge of the texts included in the programme and the critical bibliography;

- mastery of theoretical issues and approaches;

- adequate ability to analyse and contextualise literary texts;

- effective written expression in English.

Workshop activities. Assessment will be based on weekly activities (short text analyses, classroom discussions, presentation of papers or creative texts in the form of a small conference organised by the students themselves).

You will need to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the texts and the ability to:

- reflect on the topics proposed and analyse literary and non-literary texts using theoretical and critical tools;

- evaluate different arguments and question preconceived ideas;

- creative thinking.

- work in groups and learn through seminar discussions;

- communicate ideas and arguments effectively in written form;

- 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.