Directed Study SPAN 399 (Equivalent of SPAN 306): Survey of Spanish-American Literature II Primavera 2009 Meetings: Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00 p.m., Welles 212-B Fotografía: El censo, de Emilio Carballido, representada por los estudiantes (de izquierda a derecha) Eileen Stenson, Jessica Miller, Michael Fox, John Cooley y Bridget Garrity.

Descripción del curso y sus learning outcomes. Este curso constituye la segunda parte del curso panorámico (survey) de la literatura hispanoamericana. Tras cumplir plenamente los requisitos de este curso, el/la estudiante estará capacitado para:

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Understand the historical and socio-economical context and significance of works representative of the discourse of Latin American literary expression from the late 19th century (Modernism) up to the present.
• Critically think and analyze the authors' search for cultural identity as manifested in the works studied..
• Recognize and describe the literary movements, trends and prevalent themes that characterize the works of the time period studied.
• Improve Spanish oral and written skills through class participation, oral and written presentations, and in-class discussions.

Required Text: Garganino, John F., et al.  Huellas de las literaturas  hispanoamericanas. Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice Hall, 2002.

Course Requirements and Grade Component:
30% - Close reading of and completion of weekly assignments (see RESPONSES TO "REFLEXIÓN Y ANÁLISIS", below), as well as preparation for active class participation. Please note: Your responses to "Reflexión y Análisis" questions will not be graded but will be checked for completion and discussed during the meetings.
20% - Four short (two-page) reaction papers (see REACTION PAPER parameters, below).
20% - One 20-minute presentation
30% - One research paper (five pages long, due on the last meeting date, see paarmeters below)

Please note:
1) The course will be conducted only in Spanish; therefore, students' response and participation are expected to be in Spanish as well.
2) A policy of no make-ups on assignments and exams will be followed, except in documented cases of medical or family emergency.
3) All written assignments are due at the beginning of class on the dates indicated.
 
 

Important note: For each author in the list below, read the introductory information supplied by the textbook.
When no selection of works is indicated next to an author´s last name,
read all works in the textbook by said author.

Each student must turn in a total of four typewritten reaction papers.  These papers should be short (two pages, double-spaced and in Spanish, following MLA guidelines.  Ideally, these papers will help you prepare for class discussions. One of the papers CAN be on the topic that you will be presenting.

Choose four of the seven periods/movements of literature we will be studying throughout this course (periods indicated in the program with boldfacing).  Your reaction papers can either:
 a)  Focus on the work(s) of one author (in this case, you must turn in your paper at the beginning of class on the day that author will be discussed), or
 b)  Compare the works of all authors representative of one period/movement (in which case you must turn in your paper at the beginning of class on the day in which discussion of the last of that period's authors will be started).

Your paper can answer one or more of the following questions (but you are free to react to any other aspect that interests you, so long as it is relevant to the coursework of this class):
 a)  What historic information have you found in the text?  Explain and react.
 b)  What cultural aspects have you been able to discern from the text?  Explain and react.
 c)  What literary trend or movement is projected in the text?  Explain and react.

Remember:  Your paper should be original, presenting your own impressions and reactions to the text(s).  As much as possible, do not repeat opinions brought up during class.

Some hints for writing effective reaction papers:

• Try to minimize introductory information if it merely summarizes the author's life or what the textbook says about the work/author. Your introduction should state the topic/aspect that you will be discussing in the rest of your reaction paper.
• Stick to the text. If you write about Mariátegui, for example, focus on what his essay says. Historical or biographical information can be used in the body of your paper to support your ideas, but this information should be supplementary. In other words, your aim should be to examine (and react to) the author's words as a response to (or product of) his/her historical-cultural circumstances--not to summarize historical/biographical data and forget about the literary text you read and need to react to.
• Use (sparingly, of course) quotes taken from the author's writings to illustrate/support your opinions. Give examples that make evident that you are basing your opinions on what the author said -- and not on what the editors of our textbook have written in their introductions. Argue for your points of view.
• Do remember: You don't have to agree with anything the editors, the instructor, or classmates say. If you can prove that your opinions are corroborated by the author's text, anything goes!
• Yes, grammar is taken into account when calculating your grade.

RESPONSES TO THE TEXTBOOK´S "REFLEXIÓN Y ANÁLISIS" QUESTIONS THAT APPEAR AFTER THE READINS

• Respond only those questions that pertain to the works assigned.
• Your responses should demonstrate not only that you understand the text´s content, but also that you are able to analyze its significance in light of the historical-cultural context within which it was written. To say that something is interesting is okay, but try to expand and deepen your analysis. Why is the text interesting? Provide examples to illustrate your opinion. Always try to answer the question: Why? For example, why did an author omit/include a particular piece of information? What could the consequences of such an omission/inclusion be? What was the author's objective? Who was the destinatario to whom the author was directing (directly or indirectly) his words/message? How would his/her vocabulary/language/style/rhetoric/discursive strategies be tailored accordingly? (Later on, we will observe how literary movements and trends also influence these aspects.)
• We must remember that an author's motives guide everything he/she writes, consequently, judgments such as "he was a bad person" or "he was a good man" (although quite possibly true in many cases) oversimplify the complex personalities and agendas of the authors we are studying--and perhaps even overlook the historical context that engendered them. Strive to problematize the issues. Ask questions--even if they can't be answered. Don't be afraid to venture a wild guess.
• Yes, although your responses will not be graded, they are an excellent opportunity for you to improve your grammar. Because they will guide your discussion during our meetings, please strive to compose your answers as best as possible.

RESEARCH PAPER:

cada estudiante escogerá un texto adicional de una lista que será suministrada por la profesora. Preferiblemente, cada estudiante escogerá un texto diferente. Durante la última semana de clase, cada estudiante dará una presentación de NO MÁS DE 10 MINUTOS al resto de la clase. Tal presentación deberá ser acompañada por un bosquejo (outline) con suficientes copias para distribuir a los compañeros de clase, y un trabajo escrito de cinco a siete páginas, siguiendo las pautas de la MLA, a ser entregado el mismo día de la presentación. (Los estudiantes de posgrado deberán dar una presentación de 15 minutos y escribir entre 8 y 10 páginas, siguiendo las mismas reglas.)