SPANISH COURSES
SPRING 2018
Spanish 272: Cultural Heritage of Latin America
Prof. Ariel Strichartz
Prerequisite: Spanish 250
This course will explore the textual treatment of three fundamental moments in contemporary Latin American history– the Mexican Revolution (1910), the Cuban Revolution (1959), and Argentina’s most recent military dictatorship (1976-1983). Through the analysis of a variety of cultural texts– essays, political speeches, manifestos, stories, plays, films, and a novel– , we will examine how these events have shaped Latin American society and identity. Our interpretation of such texts will be informed by a careful study of the historical contexts in question. Classes will be predominantly discussion-based. Tentative readings include but are not limited to the following:
Mal de amores (Mexico, 1996; novel)
Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda (Mexico; 1994; play)
Selected plays from Teatro Abierto (Argentina, 1981-1985)
Selected plays from Teatro x la Identidad (Argentina, 2000-Present)
El lobo, el bosque y el hombre nuevo (Cuba, 1991; story)
Fresa y chocolate (Cuba, 1994; film)
Guantanamera (Cuba, 1995; film)
Spanish 275—Exploring Hispanic Literature, Beauty and Literature
“Beauty and Literature”
Prof. Sylvia Graciela Carullo
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 GE: ALS-L
What is beauty? What is the beautiful? Is a beautiful object just to be observed and only for the delight of a happy observer? Or could it be that a beautiful object invites the observer to take part in a fascinating and dangerous dialogue in the literary art? … Spanish 275 revolves around the notion of beauty—unpredictable and in continuous change—, as it appears in Spanish and Spanish-American literary works. The idea of the beautiful allows for the consideration of a range of concepts, including the concept of love and, closely related to it, the portrayal of women, represented as ‘the reason of life’or as ‘the meaning of existence but eternally unattainable’. Some women will be audacious, defiant, fearless, diabolical; others will be oppressed, docile, even silent. In this course, students explore the fundamentals of literary analysis through the study of essays, poetry, short stories, drama, and a novel, as artistic expressions that reproduce some of the images of beauty that have arisen from the multifaceted notions of beauty, throughout history.
Spanish 276: Spanish as a First and Second Language
Prerequisite: Spanish 250
Prof. Maggie Broner, MWF 12:55-1:50
So, you have been learning Spanish as a second language for many years, but…have you ever wondered how a second language is learned and acquired? Or have you ever asked yourself why you acquired English “effortlessly;” while you really need to work hard at learning Spanish? And, when you started to learn Spanish, did you ever ask yourself why some countries use vos, and you only learned tú and usted? Have you ever thought about the relation between power and language? This course will introduce you to the cognitive and social processes involved in learning and using Spanish as a second language. You will also explore Spanish as a first language through the study of the different varieties (dialects) of Spanish spoken in the Spanish-speaking world. We will explore as the influence of English and other languages on Spanish in situations of language contact (e.g. Spanish in the U.S.). We will also look at language and identity in Spain and in the US. In order to do all this, this course will introduce some foundational notions from the fields of Second Language Acquisition and Hispanic Linguistics. In addition, you will have a chance to work on your oral proficiency.
Tentative reading list:
- Packet of journal articles and book chapters/ and or textbook (TBD)
- Allende, Isabel. El plan infinito (a novel)
- Required for the Spanish major
- Includes analysis of your current oral proficiency
- Counts for Linguistic Studies concentration
- Counts for RACE
Spanish 312 – Voices of the Spanish-Speaking World
“Music and Politics in Latin America”
Prerequisite: Spanish 250 and at least one 270-level course.
Prof. Kristina I. Medina Vilariño
MWF 11:50-12:45 at the WLC
Over the last three decades reguetón, bachata, and salsa songs have been in the top-ten music charts of radio stations as representatives of “Latino music” in the United States. These genres have become cultural symbols of a Latin American festive essence, but their popularity renders invisible a more rich cultural tradition told by political expressions of Latin American music. In this course we will explore the connections between music, history, politics, and culture in Latin America. This course will examine genres such as la nueva canción, corridos, rock, tango, raggae, and danza, to determine the role that musicians have played in larger social narratives. We will also discuss El hombre del acordeón, a novel by Marcio Veloz Maggiolo’s, and short stories such as Ana Lydia Vega’s “Letra para salsa y tres soneos por encargo.” Guest speakers will join our conversation, and their expertise on ethnomusicology and music production will complement our analysis.
- Counts towards Latin American Studies.
Spanish 313 – Literature and Society in Spain (GE: ALS-L)
“Literature in Turbulent Times”
Prerequisites: Spanish 250 and 275
Prof. Gwen Barnes-Karol
T 1:20-2:45 / Th 2:15 – 3:35
- How can a liberal young person adjust when he moves from the city to the conservative heartland where people still hold dear traditional values? Is dialogue possible?
- What happens to society and individuals when the desire for political power collides head-on with moral values?
- After a world-wide financial melt-down, how do people put their lives back together again? Do they succumb to fear — of job loss, of loss of family, of immigrants who “threaten” to take “their” jobs — or do they build a new future based on hope and solidarity with neighbors?
If these questions sound eerily familiar, you may be right… But, they also underlie some compelling works of Spanish literature from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. We’ll explore how some of Spain’s greatest writers respond(ed) to the “turbulent times” in which they live(d) by creating artistic worlds that still resonate today. As we analyze selected novels and plays within their historical context, we’ll also examine issues such as: the relationship between message and genre, the impact of censorship, intertextuality and the “dialogue” between texts, and the role of the reader/audience.
Tentative readings for the entire class include the following (plus one pending, TBA):
- Doña Perfecta, Benito Pérez Galdós, an 1876 novel by the writer popularly known as second only to Cervantes and as the “Dickens” of Spain
- La doble historia del doctor Valmy, Antonio Buero Vallejo, a 1964 play prohibited by the Franco regime and finally staged for the first time in 1976
- Los besos en el pan (2015), Almudena Grandes
In addition to these four texts, you’ll read a work of your own choosing that you select in consultation with the instructor. Class members will create an archive of reviews of these additional works so that you’ll take with you ideas for free reading in the summer or after graduation.
- Either 313 or 314 is required for the Spanish major
- Can count as a 300-elective if you’ve already taken 313 with a different topic
- Counts as a “focus on Spain” course