Unit AMERICAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE
- Course
- Italian, classical studies and european history
- Study-unit Code
- A000186
- Curriculum
- Letteratura e filologia italiana
- Teacher
- Mirella Vallone
- Teachers
-
- Mirella Vallone
- Hours
- 54 ore - Mirella Vallone
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2026
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Lingue e letterature moderne
- Sector
- ANGL-01/B
- Type of study-unit
- Opzionale (Optional)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- English
- Contents
- Narratives of the Self in Contemporary American Literature
The course examines narratives of the self in contemporary American literature, exploring their expression in fiction, literary criticism, poetry, and memoir, in their various intersections. Drawing on Judith Butler, the course will investigate the ways and limits of “giving an account of oneself,” and how the authors under consideration begin with representations of the autobiographical self to explore the relationship between the individual and the community, engage with collective and literary memory, question American society and politics, propose new perspectives, and reflect on the ethical role of literature. The authors examined will include Marilynne Robinson, Victoria Chang, Claudia Rankine, and Maxine Hong Kingston. - Reference texts
- Marilynne Robinson, Gilead and some essays from The Death of Adam;
Victoria Chang, Obit and Dear Memory: Letters on Writing, Silence, and Grief;
Claudia Rankine, Don't Let Me Be Lonely: An American Lyric;
Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts;
Judith Butler, Giving an Account of Oneself.
Additional critical material will be uploaded to the Unistudium platform. - Educational objectives
- At the end of the course, students should be able to understand the themes developed in the course; 2. to analyze the texts studied about their historical, social, and cultural context and to perform a formal and critical analysis; 3. to effectively communicate the knowledge acquired with argumentative coherence and adequate critical language.
- Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of American history and literature.
- Teaching methods
- Lectures and seminars.
- Learning verification modality
- Oral exam. The exam will consist of an interview on the texts and topics covered in the course, aimed at verifying 1. the understanding of texts and their contexts; 2. the ability to apply the knowledge covered by the course; 3. the ability to expose and communicate what has been acquired with clarity and appropriate critical language.
Students with disabilities and/or DSA, who have been duly recognised by the SOL and have obtained access to the University's services, may, for the purpose of taking exams, make use of the compensatory aids, assistive devices and inclusive technologies provided for by the regulations, to be requested and agreed with the teacher well in advance of the exams. For further information, please visit https://www.unipg.it/disabilita-e-dsa and contact the Departmental Officer for Disability and DSA (Prof. Alessandra Di Pilla: alessandra.dipilla@unipg.it). - Extended program
- Narratives of the Self in Contemporary American Literature
The course examines narratives of the self in contemporary American literature, exploring their expression in fiction, literary criticism, poetry, and memoir, in their various intersections. Drawing on Judith Butler, the course will investigate the ways and limits of “giving an account of oneself,” and how the authors under consideration begin with representations of the autobiographical self to explore the relationship between the individual and the community, engage with collective and literary memory, question American society and politics, propose new perspectives, and reflect on the ethical role of literature. The authors examined will include Marilynne Robinson, Victoria Chang, Claudia Rankine, and Maxine Hong Kingston. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- 5. Gender equality;
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries