Three hours of lectures, readings, and discussion per week on major authors, themes, and movements in Italian literature.

Taught in both Italian and English In this discussion intensive course, we will embark on a journey through the Neapolitan world of literary sensation Elena Ferrante. Students will have the option of reading the books in Italian, English or another Romance language. We will dive into Ferrante’s Naples, exploring the ways in which her characters come to life, and her stories masterfully unfold, both in her writing and in the HBO series. The author of the international best-selling quadrilogy, My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who stay and The Story of the Lost Child, has caught the imagination of readers around the world. We will analyze Ferrante’s writing delving into themes such as female identity, coming of age, adulthood, friendship, abandonment, violence, memory, language, gender and class, authorship. 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, class discussions and assignments will be both in Italian and English. Discussion in class is a very important component of the course and students are expected to participate actively. Short written assignments (500 words) will be due weekly. The final assignment will be a longer paper (2000 words) written in either Italian or in English. For questions or concerns, please email me at ambellezza@berkeley.edu Required Text: L’amica geniale (My Brilliant Friend) by Elena Ferrante Secondary texts: TBD later

Prerequisite: Italian 101 or equivalent, or consent of instructor

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Requirements class fulfills