The Golden Age of Peninsular Literature and Culture
Are heroes necessary for our existence and contemplation of ourselves as part of society? Is unconditional love possible without any exchanges implied? Is poverty deterministic or related to ones choices? Is fiction truth and vice versa? What a ruler should choose between family and the law? In this course, students will explore how the literature of the Spanish Middle and Golden Ages (the 11th to the 17th centuries) bring to the surface these and other central debates and controversies related to human existence both as individuals and as part of larger social frameworks. Students will prepare the readings, familiarize themselves with both sides of the arguments using literary evidence, stage a debate for every module, and write on the socio-political significance of such issues in relation to the present day.
Language of instruction: Spanish
Instructor: Dr. Raúl Álvarez Moreno
Recommended prerequisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish
2 Short Essays 25%
1 Partial Exam 20%
Attendance and Participation 15%
Debate Leader Session 10%
Movie Report 5%
1 Final Paper 25%
Required readings:
- Anónimo. Vida de Lazarillo de Tormes y de sus fortunas y adversidades. Ed. Annette Grant Cash and James C. Murray. Newark: Juan de la Cuesta: 2002.
- Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. La vida es sueño. Newark: Juan de la Cuesta, 2006.
- Coursepack (Excerpts from Las Cantigas, El Libro del Buen Amor, El Conde Lucanor, Don Quijote, etc).