SPAIN: Lit Culture II

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This class will cover texts that are considered Spanish “classics” written from the 18th century to the 20th century, along with some 21st-century texts. The main aim of the course is to read and discuss these texts, bearing in mind the question posed by Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset: “Can we live today based on the legacy of our classics?” In this regard, the course seeks to make the modern literature of Spain relevant to students’ lives. Because literature is generated in “cultural periods,” and produced in different genres, we will cover poetry, drama, novels, and essays associated with the Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism, the Avant-Garde, and the Post-Modern period. By the end of the class, students will be more skilled readers of literature and capable of producing insightful interpretations, not only of the selected texts, but of literature in general. Students will be expected to make class presentations, write a mid-term paper and a final paper.