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? This course 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 texts (annotated and adapted to different levels of Spanish), familiarize themselves with the topics using literary evidence, participate in a basic debates for every module (i.e., love, heroes, poverty, fiction vs. reality…), and write short-papers on the socio-political significance of such issues in relation to the present day. Accessibility—in terms of topics addressed and types of works studied, affordability and easy access to course materials, and student interests and levels – is a major priority for the course’s instructor.
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 (edition adapted to Englisspeakers)
- Calderón de la Barca, Pedro. La vida es sueño. Newark: Juan de la Cuesta, 2006. (edition adapted to English speakers)
- Coursepack provided in digital format and made available to students with adapted excerpts from Ibn Hazm, Las Cantigas, El Libro del Buen Amor, El Conde Lucanor, Don Quijote, etc).
Prerequisites: SPAN 221; and SPAN 301 or equivalent expertise in written and spoken Spanish.
Language of instruction: Spanish