IT302-15 Assessment guidelines
You are required to write an essay of 2,500 words (50%) and submit a portfolio of
work (50%)
Your essay (due on 27 April 2015 at 4pm ) must be submitted online via Tabula and
a hard copy handed in to Harpal Singh, the Italian Departmental Secretary (H405).
Essay titles will be distributed later in term.
The portfolio (due on 11 May 2015 at 4pm ) will consist of three short pieces of work
outlined below (approx 700-800 words each).
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A short commentary based on an extract or quotes from one of the core texts
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A journalistic opinion or response article
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A book review
Commentary
You should select either one paragraph or two/three short quotations from one of
the four novels that you find particularly interesting and relevant to the themes of
the module.
Introduce the extract (author, context). Explain why you chose the extract and
examine its significance within the text.
Provide a critical analysis of the extract and consider how it relates to the historical
and theoretical topics covered in the module. You may want to consider the
following:
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form and genre
narrative voice and perspective
Language, style, pace – formal, colloquial, type of lexis, length of phrases
Themes, key ideas, motifs
Characterisation
Imagery, metaphors, dream sequences
Intertextual references – how does it relate to the text and other texts?
Finally comment on how the text as a whole has affected you and what aspects of it
you find memorable.
It would help if you include the whole passage at the top of the page. If this isn’t
practical then please include page numbers and opening and closing lines. The
passage / quotations selected for commentary should not be included in any word
count.
Although you should aim for a formal academic style of writing and should provide
critical analysis, personal responses to the text are also welcome in the final section.
I will read and comment on a draft of your commentary if it is submitted in hard
copy on Monday 16th February.
You will be assessed on the depth and focus of your analysis; identification and critical
reflection on the main issues; presentation (structure, style, register, language), and ability to
relate the novel to the historical and theoretical concerns of the module.
Journalistic article
You are free to write on any topic which you find particularly compelling and which
relates to the topics discussed in the module (gender, feminism). This does not have
to be restricted to the Italian context.
For ideas, consider recent events, or look at sections of newspapers e.g.
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/women, equivalent sections of Il
corriere, or the Radlio 4 Women’s Hour archive.
You should aim for a journalistic register of language (i.e. equivalent to UK
broadsheet newspaper).
If you are responding to an article, then you should provide the original article in
your portfolio (but don’t include it in any word count).
It is highly recommended that you post a draft of your article on the module forum
by the end of Term 2 and invite comments from other students over the Easter break.
(note: if you invite comments from other students, you should be prepared to
comment on their articles too!).
You will be assessed on your engagement with issues discussed on the course, your use of
appropriate terminology and register, and the structure, strength and originality of your
argument.
Book Review
You should write a short book review based on a novel written by an Italian female
author since 1968 (not one of the core texts studied – although you may want to
consider other works by Maraini, Fallaci, Ferrante and Duranti). The book should
relate to the topics and themes discussed in the module.
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Introduce the author and themes of the novel and provide a summary and
personal evaluation of the text.
Assume that the reader of your review has not read the book and try to give a
sense of the plot, character and themes without just retelling the story.
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What seems to be the purpose of the text and, in your view, how successful is
the text in achieving its aims?
Are there any passages or quotes which particularly stand out?
Comment on language, style and genre.
If reviewing an older text consider its reception and influence.
You can use brief quotes from the text to support your points.
You should again aim for a formal journalistic style – think more The Times
Literary Supplement and less Amazon.com!
You will be assessed on your ability to engage with the text and relate its contents to the
themes of the module; your ability to convey a sense of the novel’s content and themes in an
engaging style using appropriate register and structure; your capacity for critical ability and
evaluation.
Footnotes and bibliography:
For the essay and commentary you should footnote all your sources and include a
bibliography.
For the journalistic article and book review you should avoid using footnotes unless
absolutely necessary. However, you should still make it clear when you are citing
someone else or referring to another person’s ideas or theories.