12/07/2023
🌸Spotlight on Spring 2024 Courses🌸
ITAL 37088 SEE NAPLES AND DIE
"See Naples and die": this expression was first used to suggest that after observing the beauties of Naples there is nothing to live for. Yet Naples is a very problematic city, where beauty meets violence and from which one would seek liberation as if from a spell. This course will focus on the representation of Naples in contemporary Italian literature, theater and cinema, focusing on a selection of texts that engage with the notion of napoletanita. Drawing from the concept that Walter Benjamin labeled "porosity," we will explore the extent to which such texts challenge the idea of Naples as a unitary urban space, or as a beautiful postcard. We will discuss writings in prose by Matilde Serao, Anna Maria Ortese, Curzio Malaparte, Elena Ferrante, a play by Edoardo De Filippo, and their filmic adaptations, as well a sample of Neapolitan songs. The course integrates reading and writing strategies and aims at helping students develop critical thinking mainly through close-reading techniques, in-class discussions, and the writing of response papers.
Pre-req: Contact an advisor
