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Academic Year 2002/2003

Postmodern Metafictional Narratives in Contemporary Spain
FIST 279 SP
Crosslistings:
SPAN 248

This course will study the most significant social and political events of Contemporary Spain through some of its representations in novels and short stories. With the end of the longest fascist dictatorship in Europe, in the 80's Spain became a paradise for postmodern culture in an unprecedented explosion of political freedom and cultural creativity. Film director Pedro Almodovar soon became the most internationally acclaimed artist of this new movement and we will devote some classes to his films. The course will focus on the relationship between this questioned postmodern Spain and a distinctive feature that many of the major literary works of the last decades share: Historiographic Metafiction. Historiographic Metafiction will be the answer to the question: Why is 20th century's literature an essentially different cultural phenomenon?

MAJOR READINGS

Miguel de Unamuno, MIST: A TRAGICOMIC NOVEL
Camilo Jose Cela, THE FAMILY OF PASQUAL DUARTE
Juan Goytisolo, COUNT JULIAN
Carmen Martin Gaite, THE BACK ROOM
Juan Marse, GOLDEN GIRL
Javier Marias, TOMORROW IN THE BATTLE THINK OF ME
And also a selection of short stories and theoretical readings.

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

The students will write a short essay after every novel and short story analyzed in class. In these essays, students are expected to provide a thorough understanding of the ideas developed through the close reading of the texts in class. As a final project, the students are expected to write a long essay relating most of the material under a new creative light. Attendance, preparation for class, and participation will be a very important part of the grade, in order to reflect the protagonism of students in a class centered on discussion. Participation includes leading several class discussions (the exact number will depend on the number of students) with a classmate, after together preparing (as a team) a summary of the day's reading and some discussion questions that should be submitted to me in advance.

Unless preregistered students attend the first class meeting or communicate directly with the instructor prior to the first class, they will be dropped from the class list. NOTE: Students must still submit a completed Drop/Add form to the Registrar's Office.

COURSE FORMAT: Lecture/Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA FIST    Grading Mode: Student Option   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-18-2003

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