Topic: Adventure in Italian Literature and Culture.  This course
discusses the concept of adventure in Italian literature and culture
from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century. We will analyze
this concept as the exploration of both the outside world and the
inner self, or, differently put, as the challenges the individual
faces while pursuing his or her personal destiny. The texts will be
discussed in their diverse historical contexts in order to provide a
broader understanding of the works and to develop a critical
approach to literature. Materials discussed will include: Dante's
journey through the realm of the dead; short stories by Boccaccio
and Machiavelli; Renaissance epic poems of war and love; 17th-
century poems describing Galileo as an explorer of the sky;
Casanova's enterprises; journeys and adventures in Manzoni's
Betrothed and Collodi's Pinocchio; the cult of the
hero in Fascist propaganda (and in its opponents); representations
of the anti-Nazi Resistance. Screenings of Antonioni's
L'avventura and Salvatores' Nirvana will also be
included. The class will be conducted in English. A reader will be
available. Fulfills A & H, CSA requirements. May be repeated with a
different topic for a maximum of 6 credit hours. No credit for
Italian major.