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Academic Year 2003/2004

Biculturalism, Border-Crossing, and Nonconformist Identities in the Age of Conquest
FIST 235 SP
Crosslistings:
LAST 238
SPAN 238

This course explores the diversity within Spanish (European, Christian) as well as Amerindian cultures at the time of the Conquest. Many Old and New World texts can be read as complex examinations of national, religious, ethnic, and personal identity understood as both destiny and choice and as an ongoing quest or adventure. Identity assumes many forms here: multiple and sometimes divided allegiances, border-crossing, passing and disguise, conformist and nonconformist assimilation. We will focus on four prominent themes: biological and cultural mestizaje as ideal, as curse, and as amoral reality (the cases of Dona Marina/La Malinche/Malintzin; Gonzalo Guerrero, Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, the Inca Garcilaso); the discourse of barbarism and civilization, or what it means to be fully human (the debate between Las Casas and Sepulveda, Vitoria's launching of international law, the ethnographic achievements of Sahagun and Acosta); the struggle over the soul of the Church: Is Christianity inherited or acquired? In particular, is it compatible with racist blood-purity statutes aimed at converted Jews and Muslims (the cases of Ignacio de Loyola, Fray Luis de Leon, Santa Teresa, and the moriscos)? And, finally, the unstable boundary between the masculine and the feminine: Is anatomy destiny (the cases of Santa Teresa, the novelist Maria de Zayas, and Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz)?

MAJOR READINGS

B. Diaz del Castillo, TRUE HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF NEW SPAIN
A. Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, CASTAWAYS
Selections from Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, ROYAL COMMENTARIES ON THE HISTORY OF PERU
S.J. Ines de la Cruz, RESPONSE TO SISTER FILOTEA
Maria de Zayas, THE RAVAGES OF VICE
Selections from M. de Cervantes, THE LABORS OF PERSILES AND SIGISMUNDA

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Four short papers (2-3 pp), one longer final paper (5-7 pp), one short oral presentation as preparation for the final paper.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Readings, class discussion and written work in English only.

COL students must take this course CR/U.

Courses taught in English, which are designated as FIST (French, Italian, Spanish literature in Translation), may NOT be credited toward the Spanish major.

COURSE FORMAT: Discussion

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RLAN    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-19-2004

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