CALI CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM - FIRENZE
ITL 350 Women and Stereotypes of Power in Italian Literature 1100-1600 Fall 2019-2020
Monday: 12:00 - 13:20
Wednesday: 11:30 - 12:50
Instructor: Prof. Beatrice Fabbri e.mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday 13:30 – 14:30 & Wednesday: 13:00 – 14:00 and by appointment.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course explores Italian literature from Early Middle-Ages to the late Renaissance-early Baroque, through the reading and analysis of the works of some relevant personalities, poets, and essayists, including Dante Alighieri, Guido Cavalcanti, Computa Donzella Giovanni Boccaccio, Francesco Petrarca, Caterina da Siena, Niccolò Machiavelli, Laura Cereta, Moderata Fonte, Gaspara Stampa, Laura Cereta, Ludovico Ariosto, Torquato Tasso, Veronica Franco, Vittoria Colonna, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Isabella Andreini. The focus of this course will be to elucidate the rise and fall of stereotypes of power in Italian literature along five centuries and how they shape Italian identity. In this perspective, women played a huge role not just as a source of inspiration to writers and poets but as authors themselves who looked for legitimation into the public sphere. Italian women authors’ works will highlight different perspectives on how and why social roles stereotypes were set and how women set strategies to resist in a patriarchal society, in order to escape from idealization.
REQUIRED BOOKS/READINGS:
• Brand, Peter, Pertile, Lino, The Cambridge History of Italian Literature, London-Cambridge, 1999. (fee: around 50 euros) You can purchase by download as ebook at: http://universitypublishingonline.org/cambridge/histories/ebook.jsf?bid=CBO978113 9056175 *Some copies of the book are available on reserve at CSU Library • Handouts and material given/and or sent by email or googledrive by the instructor GENERAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS: • 2 papers (Mid-term & Final papers) • 2 Class oral presentations • periodical home assignments. • 1 written final exam You are responsible for the weekly readings, the information given to you in class, on handouts and via email. Part of your grade will be determined by regular attendance, participation in class discussion and active engagement in all activities of this course. Make sure to check your email on a regular basis for updates and additional information.
CLASS SITE VISITS: Museo Davanzati (dates to be announced) Friday 12/06/2019; Friday 01/10/2020 (to be confirmed) Details to be announced.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: • Students will read and analyze works from Italian Male and Female authors from Early Medieval to Late Renaissance-Early Baroque Literature. • Students will gain an understanding of the social, historical, political conditions that shaped the specific Italian literary canon. LEARNING OUTCOMES: • Students will fully grasp the significance of male and female stereotypes in Literature and how this impacts on the definition of Italian identity. • Students will fully appreciate different literary texts and genres (poetry, fiction, non-fiction, essays, letters, treatises, etc.) and will have a detailed overview on Italian Literature.
GRADES AND EXAMS Your grades will be determined by the following assignments; • Midterm and Final Papers: 30% • Final written exam: 20% • Class presentations: 25% • Class participation and home assignments: 20% • Site visits/field trip presentation 5%
100-94 A 93-90 A- 89-88 B+ 87-83 B 82-80 B- 79-77 C+ 76-73 C 72-69 C- 66-63 D 62-60 D- 59 and below F The + and – symbols will be used for grading (except for A+). Specific information about the paper, exams and other projects will be given to you during the semester. As for late work, none is accepted unless pre-arranged with the instructor. VERY IMPORTANT: Failure to complete all work and exams assigned in the course could result in failure of the class.
CLASS CODE OF CONDUCT: Activities unrelated to the course (including private conversations, emailing text messaging reading, websurfing, etc.) are not permitted during class time. Please turn off or put all electronic devices on silent mode prior to the beginning of the class.
Academic Dishonesty Will Not Be Tolerated: Any form of plagiarism or cheating may result in a failing final grade in the course and might be reported to IP and your campus. You are better off spending your time studying for the class. If you have questions about what contitutes academic dishonesty, please refer to the student handbook and catalog of your campus and also ask me and/or the Resident Director for more information.
ATTENDANCE POLICY For a better performance, a good attendance and participation at assignments is recommended. In particular, reading one's textbooks as a regular home assignment is mandatory to develop one's knowledge appropriately. Attendance to all CSU courses is mandatory. One unexcused absence is allowed during the semester but more than one unexcused absence will lower your grade as follows (excused absences will be accepted for serious medical reasons or emergencies): TWO unexcused absences, lowers by 1.5 letter grades (i.e., B to C-); THREE unexcused absences, lowers by 3 letter grades (i.e., A to D). More than THREE unexcused absences will result in failure of the course.
In order not to disrupt the class, punctuality is required. Students are expected to be in class at the beginning of the class hour; any delay exceeding ten minutes will be considered an absence.
Dates of mid-term and final exams can not be changed for individual travel plans or personal needs. Students should take note of the dates and hours of the midterm and final exams and plan their trips after the last exam. It is important to inform friends and relatives about these exam dates so that no tickets are purchased for you that will interfere with these exam dates. Missing the midterm or the final exam will mean failure of the course.
During the academic year photocopies and other material may be distributed in class by the instructors. Students who were not in class are responsible for getting the material from their classmates and making their own photocopies.
Participation: Continuous lateness as well as leaving the class for long breaks without your instructor's permission definitely influences the evaluation of your participation. It is important that students come to class on time. Three delays/early departures will be considered one absence. A correct, active and responsible participation is strictly recommended. You are strongly urged to ask questions and express opinions in this course,approaching readings and ideas actively and critically. As you do so, however, please strive to be courteous to your fellow students.During lectures, students are not allowed to use any electronic devices (cell- phones, Ipod, Blackberry etc.). Use of the computer in class is restricted to oral presentations, unless previously approved by the professor. Note-taking is mandatory. Eating is NOT allowed in class. Cellular phones must be turned off or placed on silent mode during class.
IMPORTANT: Exams You must attend all exams and quizzes as scheduled. Make-up exams are given only for valid reasons, Please check your academic calendar BEFORE you book trips, flights and hotels
Copyright and Privacy Laws: No portion of the text videos, and other material used in this course can be reproduced in any format including scanning, electronic downloading or sharing files. In addition, no portion of class lectures, discussions, and activities can be reproduced and used in any format, including electronic, without the written consent of the instructor and/or guest speakers.
Changes- Important Information contained in this syllabus including the class calendar, other than that mandated by the University may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the Instructor.
CLASS CALENDAR Week 1: 04/11/2019; 06/11/2019 Introduction to the course and socio-historical overview upon Italian history & society. Highlights on Italian vernacular. Sicilian school, Tuscan school and the Dolce Stil Novo (Sweet New Style) Dante Alighieri e Guido Cavalcanti. Beatriz de Dia & Computa Donzella. Love: spiritual and carnal love: angelic women and real, tormented women. The role of women in the literary and social sphere. Different imageries and rethorics in Italian medieval panorama. References to European medieval literature. Week 2: 11/11/2019; 13/11/2019 Dante’s perspective on womanhood : from the Convivio to the Divina Commedia: the evolution of womanhood: Beatrice as a Master of Philosophy for the Poet: Holiness vs lasciviousness, power vs authority. Other women stereotypes in the Divine Comedy: are they allegories of Italian Medieval society? Week 3: 18/11/2019; 20/11/2019 Giovanni Boccaccio, The birth of Battle of sexes in Italian late medieval literature : the rise of women in the public sphere, their role, new imageries. The invention of the story-story in Italian Literature (la novella. Plot, characters and narrative strategies. Parallel/comparisons with G. Chaucer; 22/11/2019; 24/11/2019: CSU Field trip Milan Week 4: 25/11/2019; 27/11/2019 Reinventing social and political roles for women in public sphere: Writing as a form of independence and resistence: which is the place of men ? St Catherine of Sienne: mysticism and sensuality: highlights on her epistolary; Cristina da Pizzano (aka Christine de Pizan), The Book of the City of Ladies This aims to educate women of all estates; 28/11/2019; 01/12/2019: Thanksgiving Break – CSU closed.
Week 5: 02/12/2019; 04/12/2019 & 06/12/19 Petrarch: the birth of Italian Humanism and the role of the Intellectual in the Pre- Renaissance Italy: light and shadows. The invention of Poetic canon and the definitive idealization of women; Cassandra Fedele: The most renowned woman scholar in Italy during the last decades of the Quattrocento: the power of learning for women to change their role in society. Are Women human? Basics on the debate held in Europe at that time: domestication and free will. Friday, Dec. 6: Class site visit in the morning– details TBA
Week 6: 09/12/2019; 11/12/2019 Machiavelli: the invention of Man of Power (the Prince): rethorics and power. Masculinity and feminity in his works: allegories of violence and brutality. Moderata Fonte: the worth of women: the first feminist literary manifesto in Italian Renaissance Literature. Laura Cereta: slavery of women in marriage and for the rights of women to higher education.
Week 7: 16/12/2019; 18/12/2019 Vittoria Colonna & Michelangelo Buonarroti: the noblewoman and the artist: poems and letters. When a Woman poet is a Mentor to the Artist. 18/12/2019 Oral presentation I - Mid-term paper due 20/12/2019- 06/01/2020: Winter break- CSU closed.
Week 8:
08/01/2020: Veronica Franco I, Vittoria Colonna: the rise of Courtesan in Renaissance Venice I: the shaping a new role for women. Baldassarre Castiglione: the Courtesan. How to be an excellent Man (habits, manners, style) in Renaissance Italy Friday, Jan. 10: Class site visit – details TBA
Week 9: 13/01/2020; 15/01/2020 Veronica Franco II : the rise of Courtesan in Renaissance Venice II: poems and epistolary about women education.
Week 10: 20/01; 22/01 Ludovico Ariosto & Torquato Tasso: the birth of fantasy in Italian Renaissance literature: Knights, warrior women, magicians, witches, fools. Revitalizing the Epic poem to celebrate gender diversity, to rethink women and men’s roles and submit new imageries and discuss
Week 11: 27/01; 29/01 Commedia dell’Arte I: features and plots formats. How Italian theater deconstructed stereotypes and roles (clear references to be found later in Shakespeare’s Romantic comedies). Isabella Andreini: a woman playwright and performer in the Late Renaissance and Early Baroque.
Week 12: 03/02/2020; 05/02/2020 Commedia dell’Arte II: Isabella Andreini Revisiting the Battle of sexes, witty women and weak men. Her Plays and epistolary. 05/02/2020: Oral Presentation II.
Week 13: 10/02/2019; 12/02/2019: Final exam to be announced.
Extra- curricular activities: Site visit to Dante’s house and/or Museo Davanzati