116-470 Italian Special Research Project

Formerly available as 116-070. Students who have completed 116-070 are not eligible to enrol in this subject.

Completion of 37.5 points of Italian at intermediate or post-VCE level for third year. Admission to the postgraduate diploma or fourth-year honours in Italian for fourth year.

Writing Women in Contemporary Italy: This subject will examine a selection of recent women's writing in Italy. The subject will focus on a number of key texts that have achieved both critical acclaim and public recognition, and that demonstrate the richness of voices, topics and structure in Italian women's writing today. The aim is to provide a broad literary framework through which students can appreciate the characteristics and innovations of contemporary Italian women's fiction. Students will analyse texts which raise questions of self-definition, gender, memory, and historical (re)interpretation. On completion of the subject, students should have developed an awareness of current theoretical debates and be able to understand and discuss critically, issues dealing with women and representation in contemporary Italian culture. This subject is taught in Italian and makes use of a range of web-based material.

One class paper of 1500 words and one essay of 2500 words for 3rd year or 3500 words for 4th year.

• P Capriolo, Con i miei mille occhi. Milan, 1997.
• F Duranti, La casa sul lago della luna. Milan, 2000.
• S Petrignani, La navigazioni di Circe. Milan, 1997.
• C Covito, Racconti dal Web. <www.carmencovito.com>.