This class will be taught via synchronous remote instruction. Time conflicts are not allowed for this class.

Our course is interested in the rudimentary question: how do we relate to one another? Among many possible answers, the family is prominent. In this class, we read literature and film drawn from modern and contemporary Italian and U.S. American cultural production, to consider how representations of family are constructed, reproduced, challenged, and reinvented. Informed by intersectional feminist scholarship, we read representations of family across differences of gender, race, class, and citizenship. Students participate as active learners and pursue research agendas of their choosing, informed by our close readings of fiction and film.

Readings selected from: Toni Morrison’s Beloved, Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry Heart, Nanni Balestrini’s Sandokan, Igiaba Scego’s Adua, Elena Ferrante’s The Days of Abandonment. Films may include: Pier Paolo Pasolini’s Mamma Roma, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Red Desert, Ettore Scola’s Ugly, Dirty and Bad, Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love, Emmanuele Crialese’s Terraferma, Barry Jenkin’s If Beale Street Could Talk. In addition, we will read selections from relevant critical and theoretical texts.

This writing-intensive course fulfills the second half of the Reading and Composition requirement. We will hone our skills in close reading, critical thinking and research, peer review, and clear, effective writing to craft compelling literary essays. Assignments will include regular journaling and several papers of varying length, including one more substantial research paper. All readings are in English and students from all majors are welcome.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of the “A” portion of the Reading & Composition requirement or its equivalent. Students may not enroll in nor attend R1B/R5B courses without completing this prerequisite.