Nineteenth-Century Italian Literature and Culture

Undergraduate

This course examines the changes in literary vision and artistic forms from the beginning of the nineteenth century, through the country’s unification, to the First World War. Emphasis will be placed on Italy’s growing self-awareness as a nation and on analysis of aesthetic and intellectual issues. Specific topics will vary for each offering; themes may include the emergence and significance of popular art such as satire and cookbooks; opera and national identity; and women’s literature as an innovative cultural force. Readings and artists may include Foscolo, Leopardi, Manzoni, Verga, Verdi, Puccini, Marchesa Colombi, Collodi, Artusi, Montessori, Grazia Deledda, and F. T. Marinetti.