Borges (344-0-1)

Instructors

Alejandra Uslenghi
847/467-1713
3-113 Crowe

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 2-430: Tues, Thurs 9:30AM - 10:50AM

Overview of class

In this course we will focus on the poetry, essays and short fiction of Jorge Luis Borges. We will explore the connections to the Argentine literary tradition that saw his figure emerged in 1940s and also to the debates that his literature helped define: What constitutes a (modern) literary text? What is an author and how a name carries authority? What are the challenges in writing/reading literature in the age of the mass media? How does literary translation inform cultural translation? What kind of cultural tradition can the Latin American writer claim as their own? What is Borges place in contemporary world literature? Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0.

Registration Requirements

Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0.

Learning Objectives

- Students will be familiar with Borges' literature, its main topics, and will acquire knowledge of its historical and socio-cultural context.
- Students will be able to critically read Borges' short stories and poetry and to identify significant aesthetic and philosophical aspects of his literature.
- Students will be able to connect Borges' literature to other modernist authors and determine singular elements that make his work particular among world literature.

Class Materials (Required)

All readings will be available on Canvas course site and in a course reader package for those students who prefer less screen-based reading.

The bibliography on Borges is vast and rich, so we will accompany our readings of Borges' fiction with selected secondary readings that focus on providing a historical, cultural and specifically literary context.

Class Materials (Suggested)

Jorge Luis Borges, Obra poética 1927-197 (ISBN-10: 8420633186); Ficciones (ISBN-10: 8420633127) y El aleph (ISBN 10: 8420633119). Edición en español de la colección Libros de Bolsillo, Biblioteca Borges, Alianza Editorial, 1997.

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: 1 course from SPANISH 250-0, SPANISH 251-0, SPANISH 260-0, or SPANISH 261-0