In questo corso leggeremo tre racconti fantastici di Italo Calvino: Il visconte dimezzato (1952), Il barone rampante (1957) e Il cavaliere inesistente (1959). Questi tre racconti costituiscono una trilogia che è intitolata I nostri antenati. Sono ambientati in periodi storici diversi, dal medioevo al settecento ma parlano di problemi attuali ancora oggi. Costituiscono una genealogia fantastica e allegorica dell'essere umano contemporaneo nata in anni molto intensi della storia italiana: il decennio 1950-1960. Il corso presterà particolare attenzione all’analisi linguistica, stilistica e letteraria, senza dimenticare lo sfondo storico delle vicende.

SCHEDULE (in progress)

GRADING AND REQUIREMENTS

- Participation to class discussions and electronic forums (30%);

- 1 Presentation (15%);

- 1 midterm; (20%)

- Project for the final paper (5%)

- Final paper 8 pages each (30%).

*** Le assenze superiori a 1 avranno un'influenza negativa sul voto finale.

GRADING POLICY FOR THE ESSAYS

Scores:

Excellent Essay: A- (90-93) A (94-97) A+ (98-100).
Good Essay: B- (80-83) B (84-87) B+ (88-89).
Satisfactory Essay: C- (70-73) C (74-77) C+ (78-79)

Criteria for each category:

-The thesis is clear and developed logically and coherently, using vivid and concrete detail and appropriate evidence to back up the argument (20%);

-This essay makes a fluid, reasoned, well-supported argument (10%);
-It includes pertinent quotations from multiple sources (10%)
-Each paragraph is coherent and begins with a topic sentence that presents a point of your argument and relates to your thesis (10%);
-It is well-organized: it includes an introduction, a body and a conclusion, and features smooth transitions (10%)
-Evidences varied sentence structure, fresh diction, strong voice, appropriate tone, and something memorable and original (5);
-This writing interests its audience in what you have to say. It invites reading (10%);
-There are only insignificant grammatical and mechanical errors, if any (5%)

Unsatisfactory Essay (D-,D, D+). The writing detracts from the essay’s thesis and may make reading difficult. The essay will have a thesis that is insufficiently supported with specific detail. The thesis itself may not be suitable to the audience or the scope of the assignment, or the thesis and argument of the essay may not be in agreement. Organization may be sketchy or inadequate. There are such errors in grammar, mechanics, logic, sentence structure, or organization that the controlling idea of the essay is obscured rather than clarified, or the ideas themselves lack careful thought. The essay may not be the assigned length.
Unacceptable Essay (F). This essay has no discernible thesis and thus no structure stemming from it. Serious grammatical and mechanical errors abound. There is no attempt to identify or reach an audience with this writing. Unacceptable writing also includes writing that is plagiarized in part or as a whole.

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