Spanish and PortugueseSpanish 110- Elementary Spanish I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 110 is a first-semester language course that emphasizes the development of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and videotaped interviews with native speakers, your aural and oral abilities will improve at the same time that you will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. You will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that you can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and grammatical structures. Reading strategies will facilitate your comprehension of the texts included in the course syllabus. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, films) and a class project will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing your intercultural competence.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. Working in small groups and in pairs, you will participate in class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.
Goals
By the end of this course you can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting:
- Greet and introduce people, invite people to events, accept or reject invitations, ask for directions, tell time, shop and order meals in a restaurant
- Talk about yourself, family, and friends regarding physical and emotional states, daily routines, leisure, preferences and plans
- Use the information learned in class about the Hispanic world as an icebreaker to find common ground with people from the countries that we have studied
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
SPANISH 110 CRF
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 112- Elementary Spanish I and II: Accelerated
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 112 is an intensive course designed for students who have already satisfied the language requirement in another language and have not previously studied Spanish. By combining the curriculum of Spanish 110 and 120, Spanish 112 seeks to develop students’ foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and mini documentaries shown in class, students will develop their aural and oral skills at the same time that they will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. Students will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that they can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, and films) and a class project will advance students’ knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing their intercultural competence.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
- Talk about themselves, families, and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
- Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with a wide a variety of Spanish speakers
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form. Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 115- Spanish for the Medical Professions, Elementary I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 115 is a first-semester elementary Medical Spanish Language course and the first in the Spanish for Medical Professions sequence. It is designed for students with no prior coursework in Spanish. This course teaches beginning students the fundamentals of practical Spanish with an emphasis on medical situations and basic medical terminology. In this course, particular attention will be given to developing speaking and listening skills, as well as cultural awareness. It incorporates activities, vocabulary, and readings of particular interest to healthcare practitioners, while adhering to the goals and scope of Spanish 110, the first-semester Spanish language course.
Students who have already taken Spanish 110 will not receive credit for Spanish 115. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 115).
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
SPANISH 115 CRF
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 121- Elementary Spanish
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 121 is designed for students who have some prior experience in Spanish. It is an intensive elementary-level language course that in one semester covers the material studied over two semesters in our Spanish 110 and Spanish 120. The course provides a quick-paced review of material normally covered in a first semester Spanish course and then proceeds to introduce new material so students will be prepared to take Spanish 130 during the subsequent semester. As in other Spanish courses, Spanish 121 emphasizes the development of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Through listening activities and mini documentaries shown in class, students will develop their aural and oral skills at the same time that they will become familiarized with different varieties of standard spoken Spanish. Students will be given ample opportunities to practice orally and in writing so that they can reinforce newly acquired vocabulary and linguistic structures. Readings focused on a specific country or region, visual items (such as maps, photos, and films) and a class project will advance students’ knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices and products while increasing their intercultural competence.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide you with guided practice before moving to more independent and spontaneous language production. You will participate in paired, small-group and whole-class activities that simulate real-life situations that will help you gain confidence communicating in Spanish.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of day-to-day situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Introduce themselves, use greetings, describe people, places and things, give instructions, tell time, go shopping, order meals in a restaurant, and make travel plans
- Talk about themselves, families, and friends regarding academic life, daily routines, health, work, leisure, and preferences (using the present and past tenses)
- Use the cultural information learned in class as an icebreaker to find common ground with a wide a variety of Spanish speakers
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 130- Intermediate Spanish I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 130, a first-semester intermediate-level course, emphasizes students’ acquisition of new vocabulary and linguistic structures in a cultural and communicative context while building on their previous speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills. A substantial amount of the course is devoted to learning and using the past tenses. As in other Spanish courses, students will take part in a wide range of activities including video blogging, role-plays, film viewings, listening to music, and class discussions of current social and cultural topics. Unique to this course is the creation of a “cultural journal” throughout the semester in which students pursue their own interests in the Spanish-speaking world while taking advantage of some of the rich resources within Philadelphia’s own Hispanic community.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of common situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Narrate past actions, ranging from personal anecdotes to historical events
- Give advice, recommendations, and commands to people
- Express their feelings and doubts when reacting to what others have said
- Talk about their future expectations and wishes
- Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 135- Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate I
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 135 is a first-semester intermediate-level language course that emphasizes the development of the four basic skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and the acquisition of medical terminology. Students will be expected to participate in classroom activities such as role-plays based on everyday situations that they may encounter at work settings such as doctors’ offices, clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms in order to develop meaningful and accurate communication skills in the target language. Students will also review and acquire other essential tools of communication in the target language applicable both within and outside the medical field. Major course goals include: the acquisition of intermediate-level vocabulary, the controlled use of the past tense, and the development of writing skills at a paragraph level with transitions.
Students who have already taken Spanish 130 will not receive credit for Spanish 135. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level. Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 135).
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 140- Intermediate Spanish II
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 140 is a fourth-semester language course that both reinforces and enhances the communicative skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) previously acquired while exploring the rich cultural mosaic of the Spanish-speaking world. Class activities are designed so that students can build up these four skills in order to function at an intermediate language level. Readings focused on contemporary social and political issues of the Hispanic world will advance your knowledge of Hispanic cultural practices while increasing your intercultural competence. Unique to this course is the preparation of an oral presentation on a topic related to the Hispanic world throughout the semester and presented during the last days of classes. The purpose of this task is to help students develop their presentational competence in Spanish.
Conducted entirely in Spanish, this class will provide students with ample opportunities to work in small groups and in pairs while gaining confidence communicating in Spanish. This course satisfies the language requirement at Penn.
Goals
By the end of this course students can expect to handle a variety of situations in a Spanish-speaking setting such as:
- Express their opinions on a variety of contemporary events and issues
- Defend their position when presented with a hypothetical situation
- Deliver short presentations on a chosen subject after thorough preparation
- Demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Hispanic cultural practices and products
Prerequisites & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 145- Spanish for the Medical Professions, Intermediate II
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Course Description
Spanish 145, the continuation of Spanish 135, is an intermediate-level integrated skills language course. It emphasizes the development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities. Students will be expected to participate actively in classroom activities such as communicative activities, role-playing based on typical doctor/patient interactions as well as other medical situations. Students will also review and learn other essential tools of communication applicable both inside and outside the medical field. Students who have already taken Spanish 140 will not receive credit for Spanish 145. Although these courses have different numbers, they are at the same level.
Students who have already fulfilled the language requirement (AP, SAT II, etc.) or have taken courses at the 200- and 300-level may not take basic level language courses (100-level courses) in the same language. They will not receive credit for this course (Spanish 145).
Prerequisite & Credit Regulation Form
The prerequisites for registering for this course are clearly detailed in this Credit Regulation Form:
Students will have to complete and submit this form during the first week of classes so their instructors can verify that they are enrolled in the appropriate course.
Spanish 180- Spanish Conversation
Staff
La casa hispánica residents only.
Spanish 202- Advanced Spanish
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.
The purpose of this course is twofold: (a) to develop students' communicative abilities in Spanish, that is, speaking, listening, reading and writing, and (b) to increase their awareness and understanding of Hispanic cultures and societies. Homework and classroom activities are designed to help students build their oral proficiency, expand and perfect their knowledge of vocabulary and grammatical structures, improve their reading and writing skills, and develop their critical thinking abilities. The material for this class includes short stories, newspaper articles, poems, songs, cartoons, video clips and a novel, such as César Aira’s La villa. At the completion of this course students will feel confident discussing and debating a variety of contemporary issues (cultural and religious practices, family relationships, gender stereotypes, political events, immigration to the USA, etc.).
Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.
Spanish 208- Business Spanish I
Prof. Lebaudy
See Timetable for time(s)
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Spanish 140 or equivalent.
Spanish for Business I provides advanced-level language students with technical vocabulary and communicative skills covering business concepts as they apply to the corporate dynamics of the Spanish-speaking world, with a special emphasis on Latin America. Through readings, presentations, discussions, and video materials, we shall analyze those cultural aspects that characterize the business environment in the region as well as focus on economies and markets in light of their history, politics, resources and pressing international concerns.
Any questions about placement should be directed to the directors of the Spanish language program.
Spanish 209- Business Spanish II (Advanced Spanish in the Business World)
Prof. Lebaudy
See Timetable for time(s)
Pre-requisite(s): Departmental permission required.
This course is specifically designed for advanced speakers of Spanish (i.e., native speakers, high-level heritage speakers, and students who have studied in a Spanish-speaking country for at least one semester). Students will take an in-depth look at the corporate dynamics of a number of countries in Latin America, focusing on their economies and markets, as well as on the cultural and business protocols of each region. Through the creation of an entrepreneurial project and the writing of a business plan, students will enhance their business and language skills.
Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.
Spanish 212- Advanced Spanish II: Grammar and Composition
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or equivalent.
Spanish 212 is an advanced-level language course that emphasizes the acquisition of the tools necessary for successful written expression in Spanish. These tools include a solid knowledge of the major points of Spanish grammar, an ample vocabulary, control of the mechanics of the language (spelling, punctuation, etc.), and a thorough understanding of the writing process. Throughout the semester students will use these tools to analyze authentic texts and to produce a variety of written assignments. By the end of the course students will have developed their awareness of the norms of standard Spanish and learned to incorporate these features into their own writing. The class will be conducted in Spanish and students are expected to speak in Spanish at all times.
Any questions about placement should be addressed to the directors of the Spanish language program.
Spanish 219- Hispanic Texts and Contexts
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.
The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used. At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.
Spanish 223- Introduction to Literary Analysis
Staff
See Timetable for time(s)
Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202 or Spanish 212.
Literature from Spain and Latin America contains a wealth of information about language, history and culture. The goal of this course is to help students develop skills to carefully read Spanish literary works while preparing them for upper-level courses and study abroad. We begin reviewing the main characteristics of various literary movements and of the four genres (narrative, poetry, theater and essay). During the second part of the semester students become familiarized with a wide variety of theoretical approaches to the study of literature with the purpose of applying them to their own analytical writing. In the last part of the course students produce their own essays on a text chosen by them and based on research. Sample essays written by other students and included in the textbook will serve as models. Throughout the course students will have ample opportunities to hone their skills through the close reading and class discussion of varied and stimulating works by Miguel de Cervantes, Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, Roberto Bolaño, etc.
Spanish 330- Reading Old Spanish
Prof. Esposito
See Timetable for time(s)
The aim of this course is to develop a working knowledge of early medieval Spanish language and textuality. To this end, we will be working exclusively with early texts in their original language, and when appropriate, in manifold forms (manuscripts, competing editions etc.). The matter of the course will center around the earliest literary manifestations of Ibero-romance textuality. Primitive texts will include the Mozarabic jarchas, the tenth-century Glosas and the Auto de los Reyes Magos. Early literary texts will include the epic Cantar de mio Cid and examples from early thirteenth-century clerecía - Berceo and the Poema de Fernán González. We will then explore Alfonso X's attempt at standardization by exploring fragments of the Primera Crónica General with an eye towards textual maturity and modernity. This course serves the intersectionality of two purposes: the first is linguistic, and to this end we will focus heavily on vocabulary and grammatical structure, with the goal of attaining a hands-on appreciation of linguistic change; the second is literary, as we explore the aesthetic and cultural impact that these texts have had. The course itself will be structured as a workshop, and the method of evaluation will be based on regular assignments and written reflections, periodic exams, and a final take-home project.
Spanish 386-301- 5 Ways to Read Don Quijote
Prof. Brownlee
See Timetable for time(s)
Why does Don Quixote continue to exert such enduring fascination 400 years after its publication? Why does it lend itself to so many types of interpretation? Faulkner read it every year as some read the Bible, while Camus said it should be read by concentration camp survivors. Why does Don Quixote continue to inspire other works (textual, visual and musical) belonging to popular as well as high culture?
This course explores Cervantes’ seminal text from literary, historical, medical, philosophical and visual perspectives.
Spanish 386-302- Voices and Texts: Music, Literature and Culture in Modern and Contemporary Spain
Prof. Arlandis
See Timetable for time(s)
La música ha sido siempre expresión de una época: ha marcado los intereses, la ideología, los deseos, las críticas, las aspiraciones culturales o sus frustraciones de generaciones de españoles. La relación entre música y literatura en la España contemporánea no ha sido aún abordada por la crítica, aunque el interés por estudiar el fenómeno literario desde la multidisciplinariedad está modificando estos intereses: sin duda, aquellas inquietudes sociales que más decididamente afectó a los españoles a lo largo del siglo XX hasta nuestros días han encontrado en la música y en sus letras una inigualable fuente de expresión que ha traspasado las fronteras sincrónicas y diacrónicas. Se relacionará el fenómeno musical con algunas de las claves culturales de la España contemporánea, en relación con el cine y, sobre todo, con la literatura, donde destacará la poesía, pero sin olvidarnos también de la novela.
Spanish 386-401- The Spanish Labyrinth: The Films of Pedro Almodóvar
Prof. Guadalupe
See Timetable for time(s)
The metaphor of the labyrinth has been used to explain the complexities of Spanish History that led to the Spanish civil war, and it has been recently employed again in the title of a recent monograph about Almodovar’s cinema to reflect on his iconic status both as a postmodern artist and as the best representative figure of the new and liberated Spain emerging from decades of dictatorship and cultural backwardness. One of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the world, Almodóvar is unquestionably the most international of today’s Spanish filmmakers. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with Pedro Almodovar’s films and to shed some light to the intricacies of its themes, cultural background, and visual style. Together with first and secondary literature, we will offer an overview of Almodovar’s career from his early iconoclastic Post Franco films of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to his most recent work that has garnered him a reputation as an international auteur. Some of the topics covered will include questions of nacional identity, gender, sexuality, as well as Almodovar’s original use of genre, visual style, and the director’s relationship to the postmodern concepts of performance and parody.
Spanish 386-402- Spanish modernization through literature and film
Prof. Moreno Caballud
See Timetable for time(s)
This course will explore the relations between Iberian artists and the complex process of modernization that took place in the Spanish state during the second half of the twentieth century. We will examine how writers and filmmakers dealt with the fact that it was under Franco’s dictatorship that Spain changed from a mostly agrarian and traditional society to an urban and “modern” one. We will analyze documental approaches, testimonial practices, avant-garde experimentations, realist poetics, and “postmodern” fictions that contend with the exclusions and dislocations produced by Spain’s accelerated and uneven modernization.
Spanish 390- 21st Century Latin American Literature
Prof. Garcia-Serrano
See Timetable for time(s)
This course explores recent developments in Latin America narrative by closely examining works by Roberto Bolaño, César Aira, Patricio Pron, Rodrigo Fresán, Mario Bellatin, and Guadalupe Nettel. The texts selected, whether dialoging with the colonial past or depicting contemporary events, challenge traditional genres (historical, autobiographical, detective novel, etc.), undermine readers’ expectations at every turn, and, more importantly, evidence a deep understanding of contemporary issues. Throughout the course students will attempt to establish connections between these writers and their literary predecessors, such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez, and Julio Cortázar. Readings include Bolaño's El gaucho insufrible; Aira's Un episodio en la vida del pintor viajero; Pron's El espíritu de mis padres sigue subiendo en la lluvia; Fresan's La parte inventada, and Nettel's El matrimonio de los peces rojos.
Spanish 394- Gabriel García Márquez and the Latin American Literature of the 20th Century
Prof. Montoya
See Timetable for time(s)
The publication of Cien años de soledad in 1967 was one of the highest moments in 20th century Latin American literature. Behind this masterpiece was the arduous and tireless work of a writer that had been searching for a personal style during almost a decade. This search also has a continental dimension. In García Marquez’s work, readers find the main topics, aesthetic quests, and political conflicts that hold the Latin American imagination, from the “crónicas de conquista” to the artistic vanguard adventures of the middle of the century. His narrative brings together early discussions about magical realism and the literary boom, anthropological inquiries rooted in transculturation and critical regionalism, as well as questions on class, race, and gender.
In this course we will read different moments of his work, from his early short stories to some of his major novels. In addition, we will compare his writing to some of their contemporaries’, in order to have a comprehensive idea about the formation of the Latin American contemporary canon.
Spanish 396-401- An Architecture of Latin American Identities: Who Am I? Who Are You? Who Are They?
Prof. Grabner
See Timetable for time(s)
Sociological theory maintains that identities, like the meaning of utterances in a conversation, are not fixed and unchanging. Rather, they are negotiated, or constructed, if you will, through our interactions with others in the world around us. This course will explore such social architecture in an attempt to elucidate just a few of the many “floors” (or layers) of experience that contribute to the conception of a “Latin American” identity, in both social and personal terms. We will study a variety of texts of literary, cultural and theoretical origins that theorize, identify and exemplify various means of expressing or manifesting identity, including nationality or citizenship, gender, ethnicity, religion, and even transnationalism, or identity expressed across borders.
The goals of this course are to increase students’ understanding of regional and sociocultural differences in the Hispanic world and to enable them to theorize and analyze identity construction in general, and constituted Hispanic identities in particular. In the process, they may come away with a deeper understanding of and appreciation for both Hispanic and their own respective cultures. They will also develop and improve communication skills through cooperative group work, expressing their ideas clearly in written and spoken Spanish.
Spanish 396-402- Love, family and politics in Contemporary Latin American Literature
Prof. Escalante
See Timetable for time(s)
This course explores the representation of families and love in Latin American narratives and their relation to political and historical events in Latin American history. Families are in the intersection of public and private spaces in this sense our study will consider the limits between these two spaces. Love and family could be used as symbols or allegories of the State but they can also be forces against it. We are also going to analyze the emotion, affects and passions related to family life and love. We are going to read literature from the middle of 19th century to the end of 20th century. Authors will include Isaacs, Gomez de Avellaneda, Machado de Assis, García Márquez, Rulfo, Arguedas, Mastretta, Esquivel, Bayly among others. Films will also be included.
SPAN 397-401- Latin American Literature and Pop(ular) Culture
Prof. Feliciano
See Timetable for time(s)
This course will explore the intersections between Latin American literature and pop/popular/mass culture forms. Specifically, we will analyze how literary texts have borrowed styles, references, structures, and strategies from so-called “low art” registers in order to illuminate sociohistorical processes; to challenge stagnant conceptions of race, class, gender, and sexuality; to propose new ways of understanding subjectivity; and to explore emerging identitarian configurations in the region. We will discuss concepts such as “camp” and “hybridity,” as well as engaging with pop(ular) artistic forms such as bolero, salsa, “folletines,” and comics. Authors that we will read include Manuel Puig, Julio Cortázar, Pedro Lemebel, Carlos Monsiváis, and Rita Indiana Hernández.
Spanish 397-402- Jungle Narratives / Narratives of la selva
Prof. Knight
See Timetable for time(s)
The Amazon evokes opposing images. It has been described alternately as paradise lost and green hell, a place to retreat from the restraints of civilization or to be devoured by savage men and beasts, a land of natural abundance and environmental degradation. Our objective in this course is not to determine which of these descriptions is most accurate, but to understand how these opposing visions were created and what they aim to communicate. As we explore the Amazon through works of fiction we will gain an appreciation of the problems and promise of the region as well as greater knowledge of important authors, themes, and techniques of Latin American literature. Fictional texts for the course include short stories by Horacio Quiroga and the novels Cumandá by Juan León Mera, La vorágine by José Eustasio Rivera, Los pasos perdidos by Alejo Carpentier,El hablador by Mario Vargas Llosa, and the film “At Fields of the Lord” by Héctor Babenco. We will also study non-fiction articles and documentaries about the Amazonian region.
Spanish 400-301- Literature during Franco's dictatorship
Prof. Lopez
See Timetable for time(s)
In this course we study the major literary trends and works published in Spain between 1939-1975. These are the years of the dictatorship led by Franco. Conventionally, it has been assumed that the lack of freedom motivated a culture that lacked true significance, for it was removed from the main literary and artistic trends prevalent in other the western countries. However, a close analysis of the literary works of this period suggests that this is a simplistic view in need of review. During the Franco years culture and literature were viewed as a form of resistance. There does not exist a literature of the Franco years, but a literature produced during (and under) the Franco regime. This fundamental difference explains the passion art and literature raised in the public during the authoritarian regime Art and culture contributed to develop a political awareness that was the seed for the consolidation of democracy after 1975. Readings in this course will include: poetry by Celaya, Hidalgo, Ángel González, Gloria Fuertes, Claudio Rodríguez, Gil de Biedma, Gimferrer; novels by Cela, Matute, Sánchez Ferlosio, Martín Gaite, Mendoza; plays by Sastre, Buero-Vallejo, Olmo. Class discussions, two oral presentations, and a research paper will decide final grade.
Spanish 400-302- Literature and politics in Contemporary Latin American Culture
Prof. Escalante
See Timetable for time(s)
Literature and politics have always been closely related in Latin America. Many Latin American authors have played an important role in politics and many politicians have used literature to illustrate their political projects or as a discourse to attack political and ideological opponents. In some cases, the distinction between literary and political discourses becomes problematical. In this course, we will analyze the representation of power and authority in important contemporary works, the figure of the Latin American intellectual who has the double role of artist and politician, and literature as a subversive, critical discourse against political power. Among the authors to be considered are Simón Bolívar, D.F. Sarmiento, José Martí, Alejo Carpentier, Roa Bastos, Mario Vargas Llosa, Roberto Bolaño, and two films.