This module is assessed by means of two assessed essays of between 1500 and 2000 words (2000 maximum) (total 50%) and a two-hour written exam in May/June (50%). The exam will consist of a two-hour paper with one essay and one commentary exercise. The dates for submission are:

First assessed essay: MONDAY 11th JANUARY 2016, 12 noon

Second assessed essay: MONDAY 25th APRIL 2016, 12 noon

First Essay

You are required to write an essay of between 1500-2000 (2000 maximum) words on one of the topics listed below. This is an assessed essay, which contributes 25% to the total mark for this module. You will need to submit one copy of your essay online via Tabula by the deadline. You are also requested to hand in a hard copy of your essay to the School office.

Essays must be handed in by the stipulated time. If you require an extension, you should apply online via Tabula. Please refer to the School of Modern Languages Handbook for penalties for late submission. Ensure that you read and understand the guidelines on avoiding plagiarism.

Essay 1: Questions

1. To what extent was Ungaretti’s poetry influenced by the Italian futurist movement? Select at least TWO poems from L’Allegria and refer to at least TWO futurist paintings or poems in your answer.

2. ‘Non amo la guerra. Sono anzi un uomo della pace’ (Ungaretti, 1969). Examine the portrayal of war in Ungaretti’s L’allegria and consider whether it presents the poet as a ‘man of peace’ or a ‘man of war’. Make reference to at least three poems in your response.

3. Roma città aperta ‘provided a founding myth of the post-war nation’ (O’Leary, 2011). How does the film represent the Italian Resistance movement and what purpose does this serve in the construction of post-war Italian national identity?

4. Discuss the relationship between reality and fantasy in Calvino’s representation of the Italian Resistance in Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno.

5. Discuss the reasons underlying Calvino’s choice of a child protagonist in Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno. To what extent does the choice of protagonist and narrative perspective impact on his portrayal of the Resistance?

6. Consider the extent to which Il sentiero dei nidi di ragno AND Roma città aperta present a hagiographic vision of resistance fighters and supporters.

Essay 2: Questions

1. Nowell-Smith claims that ‘there is a constant tension in Visconti’s work between an intellectual belief in the cause of progress and an emotional nostalgia for the past world that is being destroyed’. Discuss this assertion with close reference to Rocco e i suoi fratelli.

2. Caro Michele is a novel which exposes the alienation and marginalisation of women in society. To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Make close reference to the novel in your response).

3. Sostiene Pereira is a novel set in Lisbon in 1938. To what extent can it be read as a novel about Italy in the 1990s? (Focus on the text in your response.)

4. With reference to EITHER Quando sei nato non puoi più nasconderti OR Lamerica, discuss how the film contributes to understandings of Italian national identity.

5. Outline and discuss the significance of the use of space in either Giordana’s Quando sei nato non puoi più nasconderti OR Amelio’s Lamerica.

6. Discuss the role and significance of memory in at least ONE of the texts you have studied for this module.

7. Identify ONE of the works you have studied for this module which you consider to provide a detailed commentary on developments in the Italian family in the twentieth century. Outline and discuss the representation of the family in the work.

Essay writing support

The study skills programme is available here