Italian Colonial Legacies: Perspectives in Literature and Film

(4 Credits)

Italy participated in colonial endeavors from almost as soon as it was established as a nation. After World War II, Italy lost its colonies and made an effort to forget its colonial past, but many authors, filmmakers, and intellectuals engaged with these repressed colonial legacies. The first part of the course explores perspectives on colonialism from authors hailing from within the colonial center; the second focuses on perspectives of authors hailing from places formerly occupied or colonized by Italy. We will place all of these materials into context with broader ideas about the mechanisms of colonialism and imperialism.