Reading and composition course based on works by Italians and foreigners about Italy and its culture and by Italians about their distinctive experiences of other cultures as tourists and emigrants. Works studied will be primarily chosen from among fiction and non fiction narratives, both originally in English and translated into it. R5A satisfies the first half of the Reading and Composition Requirement and R5B satisfies the second half.

This course explores and problematizes the traditional and canonic narration of Italian history and culture. Indeed, the modern student interested in Italy will encounter a rich array of artists, writers, political figures, philosophers and more… and yet remain blissfully unaware of the role women played in all the above-mentioned fields. Through this class, the students will learn about prominent women throughout Italian history, reflect on their roles in the general society and in the more exclusive intellectual and/or political circles they existed in, and gain critical knowledge on the erasure of women from Italian history. The course covers the time period between the XVI and XXI centuries (roughly 1500 – 2020), and will focus on literary texts, poetry, artworks, and other primary sources as instruments to question, problematize and deconstruct the canonic narration of history. This course is a writing-intensive class which fulfills Part B of the university’s requirement for Reading and Composition and teaches students to read and reflect critically about literary texts and works of art and to express their own, original ideas in an argumentative academic essay. Assignments will focus on close reading, text analysis, visual analysis and written composition. Students will also learn to develop their own ideas and respond to those of their classmates through class discussion and peer review. Primary Texts include (readings will be in English; subject to change): Laura Cereta, In defense of the liberal instruction of women, 1488 Moderata Fonte, The merit of women, 1600 Arcangela Tarabotti, Paternal tyranny, 1654 Elena Ferrante, My brilliant friend, 2011 Igiaba Scego, The color line, 2020 Secondary Texts include (readings will be in English; subject to change): Constance Jordan, Renaissance feminism, 1990 Christiane Klapisch-Zuber, Women, family and ritual in Renaissance Italy, 1985 Meredith Ray, Daughters of Alchemy, 2015 Caroline Castiglione, Accounting for affection, 2015

Requisites

• Previously passed an R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Previously passed an articulated R_A course with a letter grade of C- or better. Score a 4 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Literature. Score a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Exam in English Language and Composition. Score of 5, 6, or 7 on the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Examination in English.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills