Comparative Literature

This course examines the configuration of space, place, and identity in relation to languages, gender, and social class in Sinophone literature and culture. Engaging the issues of multiculturalism, linguistic plurality, narrative heteroglossia, and transnational im/mobility. This class probes the concept of the Sinophone and how it relates to, complicates, and challenges China and Chineseness. What is the Sinophone? How does it inform our readings of texts produced outside and on the margin of China and Chineseness? In challenging existing centers of power and hegemony, does the Sinophone form new centers? How does migration during different time periods and across different space shape the cultures of these Sinophone sites? Building on recent scholarship on Sinophone studies, this course draws on postcolonial and postmodern theories to examine a culturally and geographically diverse body of contemporary Sinophone fiction and film.

This advanced course on postcolonial literature situates the representative texts of postcolonial literature in broader intellectual and historical contexts, exploring not only the works of literature under this category but also the important issues often associated with postcolonial studies in general by means of comparative, historical, and theoretical approaches.

This course examines what is a sonnet, what does it do with language, what does it do to and for us? It starts with Shakespeare’s Sonnets, with how they took life from their Italian precursors, especially Petrarch, and from a number of English innovators, and how they grew larger in a kind of dialogue with sonnet- writers such as Edmund Spenser and Philip Sidney. The early modern literary field is foundational (including Donne and Milton for example), but it is not by any means the end. 

This course offers a study of the structural, formal, and thematic characteristics of literary texts. Topics include: literature as a communicative language-- text and context; textual cohesion and textual pragmatics; the literary text-- nature, properties, and study methods; theory and praxis of text analysis and its typologies-- narrative, essayistic, lyrical, and dramatic.

The course introduces students to 20th century Persian-language literary texts available in translation as a means of understanding the efforts of an ever-expanding Iranian intellectual class to address issues surrounding the rise of the modern nation-state in the Middle East generally and Iran in particular over this period via use of both the short story and the novel. The course can intersect with other departmental courses on modern Middle Eastern Studies, allowing students to explore their particular interests generally. But, it also intersects in particular with a course in modern Persian history which considers the political and socio-economic history of Iran since the 16th century.
 

This course is part of the Laurea Magistrale degree program and is intended for advanced level students. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor. Art and literature can be seen weaving around each other, influencing one and another, and being used as a tool to teach students about liberal arts and humanity; this course explores various ways in which words and images have interacted and shaped Italian culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. It is divided into two modules.

Module 1: Literature and Visual Culture explores the relations between the Italian novel and comic strip fiction between the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting the fundamental role played by comics in the personal formation and creative activity of some writers. Tracing the development and diffusion of comic strip fiction in Italy starting from the second half of the 20th century, this module focuses in particular on how much the experience of comic strip readers influenced the narrative and non-fiction production of Italo Calvino and Umberto Eco, shaping their imagery and writing methods. The module analyzes and discusses interpretations of comic book characters and serial stories, as well as the different ways in which comics are incorporated into their texts.

Module 2: Literature and the Arts provides students with themes and areas for in-depth study: 1) the interaction between literature and photography; 2) the issue of the gaze in literature; 3) iconology, the visual turn and the pictorial turn; 4) literature and visual arts facing the crisis of modernity and postmodernity. In particular, the course delves into these specific forms of interaction between literature and photography: 1) the photographer as a character; 2) photography as a theme in literature; 3) photography as a way of writing or the role of photographic gaze in literature; 4) phototexts. At the end of the course, students are able to develop a general vision of the relationships between Italian Literature and other Arts, from the nineteenth century to nowadays, with a focus on painting. Students acquire knowledge on the most relevant works of literature which interact with images and they will be capable of analyzing critical, theoretical, and literary texts regarding visual arts.

This course is designed to reflect upon the relationship between humankind and nature through the study of selected literary works ancient and modern, mostly drawn from the English, French, and American traditions. 

This course examines the cultural fascination with the supernatural from the nineteenth century to the present. It explores a range of topics including the publication of important horror novels such as Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN (1818) and Bram Stoker’s DRACULA (1897), studies of séances and psychic investigations, as well as paranormal media and its online culture. Themes such as the otherworldly, monsters, magic, and supernatural forces continue to feature regularly in our modern society. Therefore, the course asks: how does the fascination with horror manifest itself in culture? And why are humans so drawn to the dark, evil, and macabre? By delving into the intersection of science, literature, media and the occult, this interdisciplinary exploration provides a deep understanding of the multiple contexts and social factors in which supernatural phenomena and the occult emerged and grew over the past two centuries. The course has a significant digital humanities component that takes up around 50% of the course.

This course examines Chinese literature from the Song Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty. The course will help students gain an understanding of cultural history and the internal development of literary history. Students will gain basic knowledge about Chinese literary works in this course knowledge and understanding of the relationship between historical conditions and literary production.

This course, "Gaming, Esports, and Interactive Narratives," offers a comprehensive exploration of the gaming and esports landscape, covering the cultural, artistic, and technical dimensions of games. Students examine complex questions about games' potential to achieve a depth of character development and insight into the human experience comparable to novels or films. Through literary criticism, postmodern theory, and cinema studies, we analyze how interactive narratives and visual design contribute to unique player experiences. Additionally, students gain an advanced understanding of the cultural and aesthetic history of games. A distinctive feature of this course is its integration of industry expertise. Gen G—one of the largest and most innovative companies in gaming— provides guest lecturers throughout the semester, including influential figures from the gaming industry, professional gamers, and experienced developers. These guest speakers offer valuable insights into the latest trends, challenges, and innovations shaping the gaming industry today. Guided by a "learning by doing" philosophy and a problem- and project-based learning (PBL) approach, students explore interactive narrative design and develop advanced game literacy. Hands-on assignments introduce students to the game development process, emphasizing game design principles and team collaboration. Through this approach, students understand the diverse roles within a game development team, gaining insights into how each role contributes to the overall design and player experience—laying the foundation for creative and collaborative project work.