GBL 2580 THE LITERATURE OF SOUTHERN ITALY: MYTHS, MAFIA, AND MIGRATION
This is a course about transformation as reflected through the lens of the literature of Southern Italy. We will engage in close readings of poetry and fiction in translation and see how literature and language are a means for exploring cultural difference. In the pre-departure course you will become familiar with a selection of myths from Ovid’s Metamorphoses in which people transform into other life forms, and you will prepare for your time abroad by learning more about Italian language and culture. Before landing in Sicily you will become familiar with Inspector Montalbano who will provide a footing in Sicilian culture as we explore how the Mafia has transformed over time in Southern Italy. Lastly, we will investigate how contemporary Italy is undergoing a major transformation with the advent of peoples migrating from nearby countries. On our journey through Sicily, up the stunning Amalfi coast to Naples, Pompeii, and Rome, we will wander through ancient Greek and Roman ruins reliving what you have learned in your studies, and we will see and taste what you have imagined through course readings. Through the course texts and your experience in Southern Italy, you will develop a deeper understanding of the values that underlie Italian culture and in contrasting them to your own, you may be transformed as well.
Course Types
Expression, Literature
Offered
Offered Winter.
Course Outcomes