About
SPAN364: “Survey of Spanish-American Literature to the 1820s”
Timetable: MWF, 10am-11am, Swing 305.
Description: This course is designed to provide the student with a survey of Spanish American literature from the conquest to the independence period. The classes will focus not only on specific literary texts and their authors, but will also examine the various genres and the historical and political context(s) within which the texts are situated.
Assessment: One mid-term examination (30%) and one written examination at the end of the semester (40%). You will also be required to write a blog response on the reading each week, with the tag “span364,” and comment on the responses of two of your classmates; this, plus attendance and participation, will constitute the final 30% of your grade.
Set texts: The set texts below are available either at the bookstore or via photocopy. You must read them in advance of the relevant classes, write your blog entry, and bring a copy of the text to class each week.
- Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Naufragios
- Bartolomé de las Casas, Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias
- Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Comentarios reales
- Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, selections
- José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, El periquillo sarniento, selections
Further reading: There is an immense amount written on Latin American literature, history, and culture. The following are starting points only, but they indicate further directions for study.
- Brading, D. A. The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots, and the Liberal State, 1492-1867. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
- Franco, Jean. An Introduction to Spanish-American Literature. Third Edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
- Greenblatt, Stephen, ed. New World Encounters. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993.
- Pratt, Mary Louise. Imperial Eyes: Travel Writing and Transculturation. New York: Routledge, 1992.
- Rama, Angel. La ciudad letrada. Hanover, NH: Ediciones del Norte, 1984.
Swanson, Philip, ed. The Companion to Latin American Studies. London: Arnold, 2003.
Course convenor: Jon Beasley-Murray (jon.beasley-murray@ubc.ca). His office hours are Mondays, 3:30pm-5:30pm, BuTo 808. You should feel free to get in touch with him if you have any queries or problems. It is always better to deal with problems when they arise than to keep quiet and hope they go away!