Answer 1 of the following:

1. Write a commentary of no less than 1,500 words on one of the following passages
   a) ‘Quella sera in cui vennero a cercare in tutta fretta l’ingegnere [ . . .] per tirarlo via a viva forza’ (pars 9-11 of ‘Rosso Malpelo’)
   b) ‘Il giorno dopo lo strascinarono per le vie del villaggio [ . . . ] Ella non disse nulla’ (closing paragraphs of ‘L’amante di Gramigna’)
   c) ‘Alle sette del mattino [ . . .] – In nome di Dio’ (pp. 125-26 of ‘Terno secco’)
   (Remember to consult your ‘How to do a commentary ‘ handout when choosing this option)

OR

2) Write an essay of no less than 1,500 words on one of the following:
a) How important is detailed description to nineteenth-century realism?  Discuss how description is handled in at least three short stories by Verga and Serao.
b) How does Verga handle point of view in ‘Rosso Malpelo’ and ‘L’amante di Gramigna’?
c) Is Henry James correct in his observation that Matilde Serao is ‘a vivid painter [ . . .] of sensations and impressions’? Or do her strengths lie elsewhere, in your view?

Essays should be submitted by SafeAssign, and in hard copy to my postbox (D block, 3^rd floor Newman Building)with a submission form (available on Brightspace), by 5 pm on Friday March 8^th. Consult the School policy on plagiarism (on Brightspace) before beginning work on your assessment, and note that the submission form makes reference to plagiarism.