LETTERATURA TEDESCA IN UNA PROSPETTIVA COGNITIVA-COMPARATA / GERMAN LITERATURE IN A COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

This course aims at presenting new crossover methodologies of research about German Literature and culture. The student is asked to use up-to-date methodologies by elaborating individual or group projects about literary topics or texts. The challenge is to apply and develop new and personal strategies of hermeneutics and narratology on the literary texts.

The course bases on the active participation of the students and will be organized like a seminar. Each student or group will be invited to work on a project to presented at the end of the course.

The course sketches epistemic innovations in different fields of humanistic knowledge and points out some turning points of literary research. It focuses on methodological topics and on their application, especially about the new theories regarding cognitive narratology and cognitive poetics, Reader Response Theory, Theory of mind, Neuroaesthetics and literary anthropology.

Narratology and Cognitive Poetics

A) Introduction

- Stefano Calabrese, Neuronarratologia. Il futuro dell’analisi del racconto, CLUEB, Bologna, 2012, pp. 256.

B) Cognitive Narratology (choose one of the following texts)

- Adalbert David Herman, Storytelling and the Sciences of mind, MIT press. Boston, 2013, 448 pp.

- Stefano Calabrese – Federica Fioroni, Leggere la mente. La lettura come stile di vita, ArchetipoLibri, Bologna, 2012, 136 pp.

- Stefano Calabrese, Neuronarrazioni, Editrice Bibliografica, Milano, 2020, 136 pp.

C) Topics

Individual researches will be developed on specific topics like in following examples. The chosen topic will be applied to one or two of the following literary texts (the texts listed here may be replaced with others in agreement with the teacher). The editions listed are for guidance only, and may be replaced with other editions of the same work.

• Cognitive Metaphors:

- Wieland Ch. M., Adis und Dahy, in: Dschinnistan oder auserlesene Feen- und Geistermärchen, teils neu erfunden, teils übersetzt und umgearbeitet ist eine Geschichtensammlung, Steiner, Winterthur,1786-1789; trad it.: Jinnistan. Fiabe, Milano, Mimesis, 2020, pp. 69-92.

- Chamisso, Adelbert von, Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte, (trad. it. Storia straordinaria di Peter Schlemhil, Garzanti, Milano 2007, 146 pp).

• Embodyment/ Empathy:

- E.T.A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann, (trad. it. L’uomo della sabbia e altri racconti, BUR, Milano 1998, 174 pp.).

- Schnitzler, Fräulein Else, (trad.it. Signorina Else, Adelphi, Milano 1988, 122 pp.)

• The reading act:

- Goethe J.W., Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, 1774, trad. it: I dolori del Giovane Werther, Garzanti, Milano 2003, pp. 160.

- Floire et Blancheflor (1160); versione it.: Florio e Biancifiore, in: Boccaccio G., Il Filocolo (1336),

• Vital relations:

- Kafka, Franz, Erzählungen, (trad. it. Tutti i Racconti, Mondadori, Milano, 2017, 541 pp.).

- Schwitters, Kurt, Erzählungen, (trad. it, Piccole storie Dada, Villaggio Maori, Catania, 2018, 220pp.).

• Consciousness

- Moritz K. Ph., Anton Reiser. Ein Psychologischer Roman, Berlin, Maurer, 1785; trad it. Anton Reiser. Romanzo Psicologico, Jacques e I suoi quaderni, 27(1996), 296pp.

- Goethe J. W. Von, Aus meinem Leben. Dichtung und Wahrheit (1811-33); trad. it. Dalla mia Vita. Poesia e Verità, Torino, Einaudi, 2019, 868pp.

D) Helpful materials:

- David Herman (ed.), The Living Handbook of narratology, http://wikis.sub.uni-hamburg.de/lhn/index.php/Cognitive_Narratology

- Enthymema. International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory and Philosophy of Literature, https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/enthymema

The students will have to elaborate a research on one of the texts or topics proposed during the course, looking for specific and up to date critical works on the web. For those who will not take part to the lessons, please write an e-mail to renatagambino@gmail.com to set the topic and the materials of the work.

NB. Students of the Master course LM14 who do not have a B1 level in German will work on the texts translated into Italian or in English.

Please remember that in compliance with art 171 L22.04.1941, n. 633 and its amendments, it is illegal to copy entire books or journals, only 15% of their content can be copied.

For further information on sanctions and regulations concerning photocopying please refer to the regulations on copyright (Linee Guida sulla Gestione dei Diritti d’Autore) provided by AIDRO - Associazione Italiana per i Diritti di Riproduzione delle opere dell’ingegno (the Italian Association on Copyright).

All the books listed in the programs can be consulted in the Library or on-line.