COLT 374G: Women Writers in Europe and America

Italian 462: The Novella Tradition-- Fables and Stories

Fall 2009

Professor Margaret Rosenthal Classroom: Taper Hall 105

Office: Taper Hall 155 H Class Hours: T/Th 2-3:20

Phone/Voice Mail: 213-7403702

E-mail:

Office Hours: Monday 12-2 and by appointment

Course Description:

We will begin the course with an examination of the nature of storytelling through a reading of selected tales from Italo Calvino’s collection of Italian fiabe. We will then expand on the notion of the fabulous in an examination of modern and contemporary racconti and novelle by Italian authors (Calvino, Maraini, Tamaro, Ortese, Ginzburg, Moravia, Soldati, Cassola, Petrignani, Tabucchi, Cialente, Scaramuzzino, Mizzau and Bompiani) who are interested in the relationship between the imagination and childhood; the ephemerality of the modern world; desire and the female body; childhood and innocence; beauty and the monstrous; social exclusion, and controversial subjects such as abortion, racism and homophobia. We will concentrate on written and spoken Italian in the form of weekly homework assignments, oral reports and creative writing.

Required Texts:

Penguin Short Stories in Italian, ed. Nick Roberts (PSSI)

Italian Women Writing, ed. Sharon Wood (IWW)

Italian Short Stories, ed. Raleigh Trevelyan (ISS)

Italo Calvino, Fiabe italiane, 3 vols. (FI)

Un buon dizionario (Zingarelli, Garzanti, ecc.)

Course Requirements:

Class Participation and Weekly Written Assignments: 30%

Midterm: 20%

Final Paper: 25%

First Oral Report: 15% and Second Oral Report: 10%

Note: There will be no final exam for this course.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AND READINGS

READINGS ARE TO BE COMPLETED FOR THE DAY THEY ARE ASSIGNED.

Italo Calvino: Fiabe italiane

I. La fiaba “infantile”

T. 8/25 Introduction: The fiabe of Italo Calvino

Th. 8/27 Calvino, FI, n. 37, vol. 1, pp. 163-167, “Il bambino nel sacco”

FI, n. 98, vol. 2, pp. 525-527, “Gallo cristallo”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

II. Le fiabe d’origine italiana

T. 9/1 Calvino, FI, n. 107, vol. 2, pp. 568-573, “L’amore delle tre melagrane”

FI, n. 8, vol. 1, pp. 33-36, “Il pastore che non cresceva mai” Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Th. 9/3 Calvino, FI, n. 121, vol. 2, pp. 617-619, “Le ossa del moro”

Calvino, FI, n. 181, vol. 3, pp. 942-945, “La vecchia dell’orto”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

III. Le fiabe della bellezza e della castità

T. 9/8 Calvino, FI, n. 85, vol. 2, pp. 452-454, “La ragazza mela”

Calvino, FI, n. 161, vol. 3, pp. 847-850, “Rosmarina”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Th. 9/10 Calvino, FI, n. 11, vol. 1, pp. 50-53, “Bambina venduta con le pere”

Calvino, FI, n. 15, vol. 1, pp. 65-69, “Il pappagallo”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

IV. Le fiabe della povertà, la fame e la miseria

T. 9/15 Calvino, FI, n. 108, vol. 2, pp. 574-576, “Giuseppe Ciufolo…”

Calvino, FI, n. 83, vol. 2, pp. 442-446, “Il regalo del vento tramontano”

Calvino, FI, n. 125, vol. 2, pp. 631-633, “Comare Volpe e Compare Lupo”

Calvino, FI, n. 142, vol. 2, pp. 728-732, “Le tre raccoglitrici di cicoria”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

V. Le fiabe della metamorfosi e la paura

Th. 9/17 Calvino, FI, n. 180, vol. 3, pp. 939-941, “La penna di Hu”

Calvino, FI, n. 1, vol. 1, pp. 3-5, “Giovannin senza paura”

VI. Le fiabe della salvezza

T. 9/22 Calvino, FI, n. 2, vol. 1, pp. 6-9, “L’uomo verde d’alghe”

Calvino, FI, n. 78, vol. 2, pp. 417-422, “Il gobbo che picchia”

Calvino, FI, n. 6, vol. 1, pp. 25-29, “Corpo-senza-l’anima”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

VI. La fiaba e il numero tre

Th. 9/24 Calvino, FI, n. 26, vol. 1, pp. 111-112, “Il lupo e le tre ragazze”

Calvino, FI, n. 116, vol. 2, pp. 603-605, “La finta nonna”

Calvino, FI, n. 138, vol. 2, pp. 704-706, “I tre orfani”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

VII. La fiaba di Cenerentola e le sue versioni italiane

T. 9/29 Calvino, FI, n. 129, vol. 2, pp. 655-657, “La fiaba dei gatti”

Calvino, FI, n. 183, vol. 3, pp. 951-953, “Le due cugine”

Calvino, FI, n. 95, vol. 2, pp. 514-517, “L’acqua nel cestello”

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

“Fiabe” moderne e contemporanee

I. La giovinezza

Th. 10/1 Morante, “Il cugino Venanzio,” IWW, pp. 71-75

Benni, “Un cattivo scolaro,” PSSI, pp. 110-124

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

II. L’innocenza, il conformismo, e il mondo moderno

T. 10/6 Tamaro, “L’isola di Komodo,” PSSI, pp. 71-93

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

III. La povertà

Th. 10/8 Cassola, “I poveri,” ISS, pp. 49-67

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

T. 10/13 Ortese, “Un paio di occhiali,” IWW, pp. 54-70

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Presentazione orale: Emma Ongaro

Th. 10/15 Classe aperta

Read: IWW, Introduction, pp. 7-10

T. 10/20 MIDTERM EXAM

III. La donna, il corpo e il matrimonio

Th. 10/22 Maraini, “La ragazza con la treccia,” IWW, pp. 81-92

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Presentazione orale: Claire George

T. 10/27 Ginzburg, “La madre,” IWW, pp. 43-53

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

IV. La donna e la libertà

Th. 10/29 Cialente, “Marcellina,” IWW, pp. 33-42

Read: IWW, pp. 1-6

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Presentazione orale: Jessica Quintero

V. L’uomo e la misoginia(?)

T. 11/3 Moravia, “L’angoscia,” ISS, pp. 134-147

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Th. 11/5 Soldati, “I passi sulla neve,” ISS, pp. 150-173

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

VI. Il femminismo e il consumerismo

T. 11/10 Petrignani, “Donne in piscine,” IWW, pp. 109-114

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

Presentazione orale: Rachel Berman

Th. 11/12 Bompiani, “Il ladro,” IWW, pp. 115-123

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

T. 11/17 Scaramuzzino, “Roba da supermercato,” IWW, pp. 87-92

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

VII. Il linguaggio e la comunicazione

Th. 11/19 Mizzau, “All’aereoporto,” IWW, pp. 124-126

Capriolo, “Il dio narrante,” IWW, pp. 127-131

Esercizi scritti: (look at homework assignment sheet)

VIII. Conclusione

T. 11/24 Oral Presentation # 2 (in English) on Final Paper Project

Claire and Emma

Th. 12/3 Oral Presentation # 2 (in English) on Final Paper Project

Jessica and Rachel

Course Requirements:

1. Class Participation and Written Assignments (30%)

a. Class meets twice a week and is taught in Italian. Attendance is mandatory and you are encouraged to participate fully in order to have lively class discussions. This means that you should have done the day’s readings and be ready to discuss them. You are allowed one absence for the semester (for any reason). Unexcused absences after that will lower the class participation score of your final grade.

b. Please do not be late for class. If you are more than ten minutes late, you will be marked absent. You are responsible for acquiring any handouts distributed during a class or any portion of a class you have missed.

c. Written Assignments: Most weeks during the semester you will turn in written assignments (in Italian). The type of assignment will differ from class to class. Please get in the habit of checking Blackboard as I will post all of your assignments under “Homework Assignments.” A late assignment will have a full grade deducted for each day it is late.

The homework assignments will be letter graded and must follow these stylistic criteria:

1. They must be submitted in paper copy (3-5 typed pages maximum, double spaced). An emailed paper will not count as having been submitted.

2. Please follow these stylistic guidelines:

12 pt. Times Roman; double spaced; 1 inch margins; page numbers on every page; type your name on the first page; staple pages

2. Oral Reports (First One, 15%; Second One, 10%)

Oral Report #1: This report is in Italian (15-20 minutes). You will cover the class assigned reading by leading a discussion that has two parts. First, explain generally what the text was about, pinpoint the ideas you found most compelling and pick out specific passages for the class to examine that relate to these ideas. This could be, for example, something you found fascinating, or incomprehensible, or brilliant, or troubling. Second, think of two creative questions for us to consider.

Notes: Do not speak to me but to the whole class when you present your reports. You will be surprised how quickly 15-20 minutes fly by! Make sure to rehearse your presentation many times before the day of your report and time yourself!

You need to prepare a handout in Italian to assist the class in following your report (more on that later). Your report will be marked on the following criteria:

-organization of content

-clarity in presentation

-keeping to the allotted time frame

-depth of content and analysis

-fluency and grammatical accuracy

-correctly written handout

I will be happy to make copies of your handout before class. Make sure to leave enough time to get this accomplished.

Oral Report # 2: This report is in English (10-15 minutes)

This report will present the main ideas that you will be focusing on in your final paper.

3. Midterm Exam (20%):

All questions will be drawn from lectures, class discussions, and oral reports.

4. Final Paper (25%):

In the place of a final exam, you are expected to write a final essay in English (10 page, double spaced) on a subject of your choice (in consultation with me). This is not a research paper. It is an interpretive essay. I will post on Blackboard the requirements for this paper. It is due on Thursday, December 10 between 9-12 a.m. Please follow the stylistic criteria above when preparing your essay. Leave your essays for me in the Dept. of French and Italian (drop-off box), Taper Hall 155.

Grading Scale:

100-95: A

94-90: A-

89-85: B+

84-80: B

79-75: B-

74-70: C+

69-65: C

64-60: C-

59-55: D+

54-50: D

49-45: D-

44-0: F

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another writer. Plagiarism undermines the intellectual collaboration -- the exchange of ideas -- that should mark academic discourse because it permits the writer to avoid any genuine involvement with the concepts or opinions of others. Because the false discourse of plagiarism corrupts values to which the university community is fundamentally committed -- the pursuit of knowledge, intellectual honesty -- plagiarism is considered a grave violation of academic integrity and the sanctions against it are correspondingly severe (sanctions recommended by the university range from a grade of "F" in the course to suspension from the university). Most simply, plagiarism can be characterized as "academic theft." As defined in the University Student Conduct Code (published in the current SCampus), plagiarism includes:

· "The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student's own work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near verbatim form;"

· "The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style;" and

· "Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or papers." (§11.11)

· Office for Student Conduct: FIG-107