Program Overview

ANGLO-AMERICAN LITERATURES AND CULTURES

The course in Anglo-American Literature and Culture is part of the Master's program in Lingue e Letterature Moderne per l'insegnamento, l'editoria e i Media Digitali (LM-37 R) and runs throughout the academic year. It consists of 54 hours of lectures, practical exercises, and seminars, taught in English.

OVERVIEW

The course focuses on African American literature and culture developed in the United States from the colonial era to the contemporary period. It explores the essential features and most relevant issues of this tradition, including slavery, African tradition, the Middle Passage, slave narratives, segregation, the civil rights movement, and more recent developments such as Black Lives Matter.

AIMS AND CONTENT

The course aims to:

• Acquire knowledge about the key moments of 20th-century Anglo-American culture
• Recognize and interpret cultural phenomena within the realms of the Italian and English languages
• Contextualize and analyze texts of significant expressive complexity and historical importance
• Place literary texts within the historical-cultural context of the society that produced them
• Understand Anglo-American culture and society in its many facets, considering interdisciplinary perspectives
• Develop critical thinking through the interpretation of literary texts and cultural phenomena

PREREQUISITES

A good level of language proficiency (B2 or higher) is required to read the proposed texts in the original language.

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes lectures, seminar activities, workgroups, and close-readings. Attendance is mandatory for 41 out of 54 hours (75% of the course) for attending students.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course focuses on African American literature and culture, exploring themes such as slavery, African tradition, and the civil rights movement. The syllabus includes the analysis of Toni Morrison's novels, including A Mercy.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Toni Morrison, A Mercy (2008)
• Toni Morrison, (1992)
• Additional texts and critical materials will be made available on Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

The course is taught by Paola Anna Nardi.

LESSONS

Lessons start on Wednesday, October 1st, 2025, and the timetable is available on the Portale EasyAcademy.

EXAMS

The exam is written and consists of open-ended questions on the historical-cultural context, the history of literature, and the authors, texts, and critical materials studied in detail. The evaluation is based on participation in class activities, presentations, and the written exam.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The final exam includes open-ended questions and a guided essay for non-attending students. The exam requires commentary on excerpts from the works studied to test the student's ability to recognize the main formal features of individual texts and relate them to various historical-cultural contexts.

EXAM SCHEDULE

The exam schedule is available on the university website.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance is highly recommended. Students who are unable to attend will have to study supplementary material. Course enrollment via Aulaweb is mandatory. The syllabus is valid until February 2027. Erasmus students are welcome.