Literature in Spain since 1700 (251-0-2)
Instructors
Francisco Miguel Caballero Vazquez
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 2-440: Tues, Thurs 11:00AM - 12:20PM
Overview of class
This course is conceived for literature-lovers who wants to cultivate their passion for reading in another language, but also for those who tend to have a harder time with literature, particularly older texts when written in Spanish. We will study literature in historical context and vis-à-vis other media. The purpose is that the students improve their language and critical analysis skills, while familiarizing themselves with the most important aesthetic and political currents of the last centuries in Spain through literature. We will think in and out of the canon of Spanish literature with a critical approach. Issues such as the construction and deconstruction of authorship, the audience, literary genres, avant-garde experimentation and censorship will be discussed. Novels, poetry, and plays are analyzed with an emphasis on the impact of empire and post-empire, feminism, anti-racism, queerness, and plurilingualism. This course provides a foundation to further study of the Spanish cultures in more advanced courses. Prerequisite (may be taken concurrently): SPANISH 200-0 or 204-0
Registration Requirements
Prerequisite (may be taken concurrently): SPANISH 200-0 or 204-0
Learning Objectives
1) Learn the literary genres and styles in Spain from the 18th century to the present through the study of literary theory and close reading practices.
2) Engage with scholarship describing the historical and contemporary structures, processes, human-environment relationships, and practices that shape intercultural relations in Spain.
3) Gain awareness of the social, political, and cultural factors influencing, and being influenced by, literary expression, the relations between the writer, the state, and the public, and the potentials of literature to challenge or affirm social and cultural norms. We will explore issues including nationality, cultural identity, empire, colonialism, migration, war, democracy, education, and travel.
4) Explore how literature reveals cultural differences and continuities, serving as both an instrument of power and an instrument of emancipation.
5) Learn how to question traditional taxonomies and the construction of literary canons and counter-canons.
6) Produce persuasive interpretations of literary texts through class participation and writing assignments.
7) Improve their writing skills.
8) Improve their spoken Spanish.
Class Materials (Required)
Course materials available on Canvas.
Class Attributes
Advanced Expression
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite (may be taken concurrently): SPANISH 200-0 or SPANISH 204-0.