LAT AMER: Lit Culture I

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course will focus on the origins of Latin American culture by exploring primary sources from the periods of European contact, conquest and colonization. We will concentrate on the writings of Spanish and indigenous authors who helped to shape colonial and post-colonial societies, examining everything from histories, autobiographies, and chronicles to epic poems, plays, drawings, and even opera. Classroom time will focus on the analysis and discussion of these materials. In our discussions, we will consider the similarities and differences between Spanish and indigenous accounts of pre-Hispanic empires and their conquests by Spain. We will also explore how and why both Spanish and indigenous writers invoke, adapt, and critique the traditions of Greece, Rome, and early Christianity. What do they gain—and what do they risk—in making these comparisons? Finally, we will draw parallels between the history of Latin America and the present, focusing on how these important writings and indigenous traditions continue to shape Latin American culture and society.