31059 - Spanish-American Literature 1

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the general lines of the history of literature, is able to read, understand and translate texts in the language and is started with the use of basic analytical methods and tools, to interpret the works of the main authors, contextualising them in the culture and in the historical period of reference.

Course contents

The course, divided into two modules, offers an introduction to Spanish-American literary and cultural history, beginning with the trauma of the Conquest and extending to the major fiction of the twentieth century. Alongside the cultural transformations that have shaped the history of the subcontinent, the course will also address a number of key issues for understanding the American world, including the Conquest, mestizaje, national identities versus continental identity, and related questions.

FIRST MODULE: History and Culture of Latin America: From the Conquest to Independence

1. General introduction: Pre-Hispanic America and the wound of the Conquest; the origins of the Spanish-American world.
   Colonial literature: chronicles of the Conquest and the legacy of pre-Hispanic cultures.
   The Baroque: the Baroque in Europe; the American Baroque as a hybrid phenomenon.
   The Enlightenment: Europe’s representations of America.
   The Independence of the American nations and the Foundational Novel: the situation of Spain at the end of the eighteenth century; the Constitution of Cádiz; Independence and the emergence of the Spanish-American nations; the construction of national identities through the foundational novel.
   The Spanish-American essay in the nineteenth century: reflections on Spanish-American identity.
   [Reference text: José Miguel Oviedo, Historia de la literatura hispanoamericana; see BIBLIOGRAPHY.]
2. Reading Dossier (further details will be provided during the course).

SECOND MODULE: The Spanish-American Short Story: Borges, Ocampo, Cortázar

The second module will focus on the major tradition of the Spanish-American short story through selected works by Jorge Luis Borges, Silvina Ocampo, and Julio Cortázar. The reading and interpretation of the texts will initially adopt a formalist perspective and will subsequently explore themes and motifs related to Spanish-American society and culture.

PLEASE NOTE: The syllabus is INTENTIONALLY detailed in order to clarify every aspect on which the course will be based and, consequently, the preparation expected of students. Students are therefore strongly encouraged to read it carefully and more than once. The instructor is nevertheless available for further clarification during OFFICE HOURS.

Readings/Bibliography

PRIMO MODULO:

a. Storia Letteraria e culturale:

Oviedo, José Miguel, Historia de la literatura hispanoamericana, Madrid, Alianza, 1995-2001, Voll. 1 e 2 i seguenti capitoli:

VOL 1: "Introducción"; "El concepto de literatura indígena: problemas y límites"; "La literatura maya y sus códices"; "El problema moral de la conquista y la imposición de la
letra escrita"; "Los cronistas de la primera parte del siglo XVI"; "Bartolomé de Las Casas y la cuestión indígena";"El surgimiento de la épica"; "El esplendor barroco: Sor Juana y otros culteranos"; "Dos concepciones del mundo"; "El periodismo, las sociedades ilustradas y el pensamiento liberador".

VOL 2: "El romanticismo y la gauchesca"; "Albores del Modernismo"; "La América de Rodó".

SECONDO MODULO:

Fonti Primarie

Borges Jorge Luis, Obras completas : 1923-1972, Buenos Aires, Emece, [1974, selezione di testi]

Cortázar Julio, Cuentos completos, Alfaguara, Madrid, 2007 [selezione di racconti disponibile sulla piattaforma virtuale]

Ocampo Silvina, Autobiografia de Irene [qualunque edizione in lingua originale]

Fonti Secondarie:

Ghezzani Alessandra, Leggere Borges, Aracne, 2023.

Campra Rosalba, Letture Complici, Salerno, Arcoiris Edizioni, 2014.

Studenti non frequentanti:

- per quanto riguarda il primo modulo, si consiglia in più rispetto al programma per frequentanti, il seguente testo:

Campra, Rosalba. America Latina: L’Identità E La Maschera. Meltemi, 2006.

Teaching methods

The course includes, in addition to lectures, the seminar investigation of certain issues relating to the sources studied, as well as the instruments, theoretical and methodological, relevant to their study (more information in this regard will be provided during class).

Assessment methods

The final exam consists of an oral examination designed to assess the critical and methodological skills acquired by the student, who will be asked to engage with the texts included in the syllabus. Students are expected to demonstrate: 1) the ability to navigate the cultural and literary history of Spanish America; 2) an appropriate knowledge of the course content and of the bibliography listed in the syllabus; 3) the ability to establish connections among the topics covered in the course; and 4) the ability to illustrate the main features of the works examined and discussed during the classes.

The assigned readings, in both the first and the second module, are intended as examples of the themes, authors, and literary movements addressed during the classes. Students are expected to demonstrate that they have read these texts carefully, together with the critical materials provided to support their understanding. “Careful reading” means not only the ability to summarize the content of the texts, but also, and above all, the ability to describe their main themes, identify relevant stylistic features, and situate them within the appropriate historical and cultural context.

Students who demonstrate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of the topics covered in class, together with the ability to approach them critically, as well as a strong command of expression and appropriate subject-specific terminology, will receive excellent marks.

A predominantly mnemonic knowledge of the subject matter, combined with limited analytical and synthesis skills and generally correct but not always appropriate language, will result in satisfactory marks.

Approximate knowledge, superficial understanding, limited analytical skills, and expression that is not always appropriate will result in marks ranging from a pass to slightly above a pass.

Significant gaps in knowledge, inappropriate use of language, and an inability to navigate the course content and the bibliographical materials included in the syllabus will result in a failing assessment.

Teaching tools

Images, texts and slides. For a better organization of materials and contents the online platform of the course will be used: materials made available are INTEGRANT and NECESSARY (but not sufficient) of the exam program.

 

Students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) or Temporary/Permanent Disabilities:
Students are encouraged to promptly contact the University Office in charge (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) as well as the course instructor, in order to identify together the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the exam.
Any requests for accommodations must be submitted no later than 15 days before the exam date by sending an email to the instructor and copying one of the following addresses:

• disabilita@unibo.it (for students with disabilities)

• odsa@unibo.it (for students with SLD).

Office hours

See the website of Edoardo Balletta