Enrollment restrictions apply; see the Introduction to the Course and Curricula section of this catalog.

Taught in Italian Pre-requisite: Italian 101 or Italian 102 or consent of instructor “Il dono della letteratura è che ci può cambiare profondamente nello spazio di una pagina” (The gift of literature is that it can profoundly change you in the space of a page) There is power in the written word. Great novelists know how to use words to touch readers, to engage them with all five senses, to challenge expectations, to encourage reflection and rethinking of assumptions. A well written story is like a painting in motion, you see it unfolding right before your eyes, you embody a character’s journey into a different time and space with head, heart, hands and feet. The relationship between authors and readers is a delicate and intimate one. What motivates both to engage with such a powerful tool as the written word? In this discussion intensive course, we will read, discuss, and reflect on the work of such exceptional storytellers, focusing on contemporary female writers from the South. What makes Southern Italian female writers so unforgettable? What is it about their characters that stay with us long after we finish reading their stories? How do female writers have their characters talk about their sexuality, describe it, and experience it? How does it differ from the way male novelists have historically portrayed femininity in relation to masculinity? How does the use of language in narrating a story differ depending on the gender and positionality of the author? How is language manipulated to describe the power struggles and power dynamics between female and male characters in the historical and geographical contexts in which they take place? As we read through their novels, we will analyze their artistic choices and the ways in which their characters come to life, and stories masterfully unfold, both in their writing and, whenever available, in the screen adaptation. We will delve into themes such as female/male identity, friendship, abandonment, violence, memory, language, gender and class, sexuality, authorship, coming of age, adulthood. Students will be encouraged to draw from their respective fields of study and linguistic repertoires to draw comparisons and to analyze topics discussed in class from a wide range of perspectives. Readings and written assignments will be both in Italian and English while class discussion will be primarily in Italian. Class discussions are a very important component of the course and students are expected to participate actively at every meeting. A written paper will be due after completion of each novel (1500 words). The final assignment will be a more creative project (details to be given later) and a reflection paper on the material read. Those students who might feel more comfortable expressing more complex thoughts in English may do so occasionally, but they should also be able to follow what is being said in Italian by the instructor and other Italian speaking students (please, reach out to me if you have any concerns regarding this). For questions, please email me at ambellezza@berkeley.edu

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