Fascism and Resistance

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

In this seminar we will investigate how Fascism emerged in Italy in the twentieth century, and how some Italians resisted the rise of totalitarianism. Reflecting on the role of culture throughout Italy's "difficult modernity," we will examine how leading artists and intellectuals worked to support or to combat the Italian dictatorship. Against the backdrop of the historical crises that both preceded and outlasted the Fascist period, we will engage with Italian literature, cinema, theatre, and art in order to evaluate the complex relationships between culture and power. Authors studied include Italo Calvino, Umberto Eco, and Cesare Pavese. Filmmakers studied include Bernardo Bertolucci, Vittorio De Sica, and Roberto Rossellini. Course is taught in Italian