Instructor: P. Valesio
This course continues the analysis of Venice as the locus of myth, anti-myth, and the degradation of myth, and it also continues the discussion of the dialectic between the public and private dimensions. However, this course is autonomous and independent from ITAL G4490 “A Stray Branch of Laurel: Venice and Literary Modernity.” This course’s perspective is concerned with the development from Late Romanticism to Symbolism, to Modernism, and on the contemporary scene. Among other elements, Venice will be considered as a case study for revisiting the widely used notion of the “floating signifier.” Authors read in the course include John Ruskin, the brothers Boito, Henry James, Ezra Pound, Gabriele d’Annuzio, F.T. Marinetti, Thomas Mann, Daphne du Maurier, Giuseppe Berto, and Pier Maria Pasinetti. The readings are integrated with film screenings. Additional elements of the course include: a concise bibliography, critical essays, and guest speakers.
