Georgetown University

The course explores the historical and cultural factors that shaped the notion of woman in twentieth-century Italy. It traces the development of female identity through an analysis of the turn of the century struggle for electoral rights, the Fascist celebration of motherhood as women's sole mission, the postwar years, and feminism. Particular attention will be devoted to the ways in which women writers participated in and reacted to cultural discourses. Novels by Aleramo, De Cespedes, Banti, Fallaci and others; movies by Visconti, Scola, and Archibugi. Conducted in Italian.