The course aims at leading students to the knowledge and appreciation of important authors and important works in English literature. The course fosters a thematic study but asks a general familiarity with the main social and artistic trends of the historical period at hand.

Other Worlds: Dystopias and Futures

Dystopian fiction offers a vision of the future. Dystopias are societies in cataclysmic decline, with characters who battle environmental ruin, technological control, and government oppression. Dystopian novels can challenge readers to think differently about current social and political climates, and in some instances can even inspire action.

This course looks at major 20th century dystopian novels to find, discuss, and analyze the main connections these visions of the world’s future may have with present or imminent worldwide developments. Analysis and open discussion will primarily focus on -- genetic engineering and human reproduction -- evolution / devolution of language and communication -- the ‘revolutionary’ power of reading.

Novels:

• Huxley, A., Brave new world, Random UK, 2009 
• Orwell, G., Ninety Eighty-Four, Liberty, 2021 
• Bradbury, R., Fahrenheit 451, Harper Collins, 2008
   

Short Stories:
- Forster, E.M.,

• “The Machine Stops”
• “The Other Side of the Hedge”
• “The Celestial Omnibus”
   

Critical essays:

• Seed, David. “The Flight from the Good Life: "Fahrenheit 451" in the Context of Postwar American Dystopias”. Journal of American Studies, 28(2), pp. 225-240, 1994.
• Whalen, Tom. “The Consequences of Passivity: Re-evaluating Truffaut's ‘Fahrenheit 451’“. Literature/Film Quarterly, 35(3), pp. 181-190, 2007.
• Zimmermann, et Morgan. “E. M. Forster’s ‘The Machine Stops’: humans, technology and dialogue”. AI & Society, 34(1), pp. 37-45, 2017.
• Varricchio, M. “Power of Images/Images of Power in Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Utopian Studies , 10(1), 1999, pp. 98-114.
• Frost, L. “Huxley's Feelies: The Cinema of Sensation in "Brave New World.” Twentieth Century Literature , 52(4), 2006, pp. 443-473.
• Horan, T. “The Sexual Life of the Savage in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.71-92.
• Velasco Guerrero, L.A. “Orwell and the Reductionism of Language”. Revista de Letras, 58(1), pp. 133-142, 2018.
• Dwan, D. “Truth and Freedom in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Philosophy and Literature, 34(2), p381-393, 2010.
• Phillips, L. “Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Critical Survey, 20(1), pp. 69–79, 2008.
• Horan, T. “Desire and Empathy in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.147-168.

Knowledge and understanding: the student knows the essential historical-cultural and socio-anthropological foundations, as well as the critical-literary tools, to face the English literature of the modern and contemporary period.

- Applying knowledge and understanding: the student has the linguistic and literary skills for the description and analysis of English literature. - Making judgments: the student has critical skills that enable him to analyze and evaluate texts of literary and cultural topics, and can express autonomous opinions on socio-cultural issues concerning various English historical periods.

- Communication skills: the student has an attitude open to different realities and eras and knows how to use sectoral language.

- Learning skills: the student acquires the methodological tools and the bibliographic-critical skills necessary to further develop his own field of knowledge, and achieves the basic preparation necessary to continue the studies of literature in the Master's Degree.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Use of audiovisual aids is an integral part of the programme. The course will be held in English. 

Teaching

Students are responsible for:

• reading the three (3) ‘novels’
• reading two (2) ‘critical essays’ of their choice, from the list included here

Students are invited to visit the course page on the “Blended Learning” platform at Uniurb, where they will find ad-hoc study material. I strongly recommend Introduction to the "Twentieth Century and After" in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol 2. pp.1827-1847.

______________

- Course novels and short stories will be read and discussed in the original language; students are therefore encouraged to obtain the texts on the reading list before the start of the course, and bring them to class. It is better to get the edition suggested (see ISBN numbers), but any edition students may already have will work, granted it is a full version (unabridged). Students may use Italian translations for self-study at home.

Innovative teaching methods

All lessons will be held in English. We will tap into CLIL methodology for digressions into pertinent side topics. On the ‘Blended Learning’ site for this course, you will find study material and resources to expand on lectures.

Course books

NOVELS:

• Huxley, A., Brave new world, Random UK, 2009 (ISBN-13: 978-0099477464)
• Orwell, G., Ninety Eighty-Four, Liberty, 2021 (ISBN-13: 978-8899279974)
• Bradbury, R., Fahrenheit 451, Harper Collins, 2008 (ISBN-13: 978-0006546061)

CRITICAL ESSAYS

-- available on blended.uniurb.it

Bradbury —

• Seed, David. “The Flight from the Good Life: "Fahrenheit 451" in the Context of Postwar American Dystopias”. Journal of American Studies, 28(2), pp. 225-240, 1994.
• Whalen, Tom. “The Consequences of Passivity: Re-evaluating Truffaut's ‘Fahrenheit 451’“. Literature/Film Quarterly, 35(3), pp. 181-190, 2007.

Huxley —

• Varricchio, M. “Power of Images/Images of Power in Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Utopian Studies , 10(1), 1999, pp. 98-114.
• Frost, L. “Huxley's Feelies: The Cinema of Sensation in "Brave New World.” Twentieth Century Literature, 52(4), 2006, pp. 443-473.
• Horan, T. “The Sexual Life of the Savage in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.71-92.

Orwell —

• Velasco Guerrero, L.A. “Orwell and the Reductionism of Language”. Revista de Letras, 58(1), pp. 133-142, 2018.
• Dwan, D. “Truth and Freedom in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Philosophy and Literature, 34(2), p381-393, 2010.
• Phillips, L. “Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Critical Survey, 20(1), pp. 69–79, 2008.
• Horan, T. “Desire and Empathy in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.147-168.

Assessment

Written exam. Students are given 6 open questions, of which they should answer 5. At least two should be answered in English. Time allowed: 50 minutes. 

Assessment is based on knowledge and understanding, as well as on a coherent and correct expression of such knowledge and understanding. Students can score up to a maximum of 6 points per answer. Those who score at least 2 points for each of the five answers will be awarded 1 extra point; students who score at least 3 points for each of the five answers will be awarded 2 extra points.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Self study: Non-attending students are expected to acquire knowledge of the historical and cultural context for the period going from World War I to the 1940s. Reliable resources can be found on the Internet. Although, I strongly recommend the 'Introduction': "Twentieth Century and After" in The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vol 2. pp.1827-1847 -- available on blended.uniurb.it .

• reading the three (3) ‘novels’
• reading all three (3) ‘short stories’
• reading two (2) ‘critical essays’ of their choice from the list.

Students are invited to visit the course page on the blended.uniurb.it platform, where they will find ad-hoc study material.

Course books

NOVELS:

• Huxley, A., Brave new world, Random UK, 2009 (ISBN-13: 978-0099477464)
• Orwell, G., Ninety Eighty-Four, Liberty, 2021 (ISBN-13: 978-8899279974)
• Bradbury, R., Fahrenheit 451, Harper Collins, 2008 (ISBN-13: 978-0006546061)

CRITICAL ESSAYS

-- available on blended.uniurb.it

Bradbury —

• Seed, David. “The Flight from the Good Life: "Fahrenheit 451" in the Context of Postwar American Dystopias”. Journal of American Studies, 28(2), pp. 225-240, 1994.
• Whalen, Tom. “The Consequences of Passivity: Re-evaluating Truffaut's ‘Fahrenheit 451’“. Literature/Film Quarterly, 35(3), pp. 181-190, 2007.

Huxley —

• Varricchio, M. “Power of Images/Images of Power in Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Utopian Studies , 10(1), 1999, pp. 98-114.
• Frost, L. “Huxley's Feelies: The Cinema of Sensation in "Brave New World.” Twentieth Century Literature, 52(4), 2006, pp. 443-473.
• Horan, T. “The Sexual Life of the Savage in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.71-92.

Orwell —

• Velasco Guerrero, L.A. “Orwell and the Reductionism of Language”. Revista de Letras, 58(1), pp. 133-142, 2018.
• Dwan, D. “Truth and Freedom in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Philosophy and Literature, 34(2), p381-393, 2010.
• Phillips, L. “Sex, Violence and Concrete: The Post-war Dystopian Vision of London in Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Critical Survey, 20(1), pp. 69–79, 2008.
• Horan, T. “Desire and Empathy in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four” in Desire and Empathy in Twentieth-Century Dystopian Fiction, Palgrave, 2018, pp.147-168.

Assessment

Written exam. Students are given 6 open questions, of which they should answer 5. At least two should be answered in English. Time allowed: 50 minutes. 

Assessment is based on knowledge and understanding, as well as on a coherent and correct expression of such knowledge and understanding. Students can score up to a maximum of 6 points per answer. Those who score at least 2 points for each of the five answers will be awarded 1 extra point; students who score at least 3 points for each of the five answers will be awarded 2 extra points.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.