This course is designed to give a historical and analytical perception of Latin American literature, primarily literature from the indigenous world. The course discusses the relationship between literature and history that marks the beginning of the fictionalization of South America. Novels, short stories and texts are read, compared, contrasted and interpreted throughout the semester.
Prerequisites:
None
Required work and form of assessment:
Reading quizzes and participation (10%), writing assignments (10%), homework, discussions and vocabulary (10%), 4 tests (40%), mid-term exam (15%) and final exam (15%).
content:
Month 1
1. Introduction. Who are you? What does it mean to be Indian? How do we define our mixed races? Why ‘indigenous literature’ and not ‘Indian literature’? Who makes history? Assignment: What is history, according to your own criteria?
Song: “Yo no soy de aquí, ni soy de allá’’ by Focundo Cabral.
2. Continuation. Explanation of the syllabus.
3. Discussion of Leopoldo Zea’s article: “La filosofía en Latinoamérica, como problema del hombre”. Discussion on Voltaire.
4. Discussion and conclusions on history. Relationship between history and literature. Discussion on
Arturo Uslar Pietri’s “Un juego de espejos deformantes”. Exam 1.
5. Discussion on texts from “El Otro” by Guamán Poma. Discussion on Colón and Gabriel García Márquez. Assignment: The Myth
6. Commentary on images and their impact on writing. Example cited by Regina Harrison. Other images from Poma.
Month 2
1. Conclusions on myth. Discussion of terms: mystify/demystify.
2. First part of Tzvetan Todorov discussion. Vocabulary.
3. Second part of Todorov discussion. Conclusions. Vocabulary. Exam 2.
4. Assignment on las Crónicas. “Sirenas en el amazonas” by Maria V. Llosa.
5. Who tells history? Analysis of las Crónicas on America. Discussion: Bernal Díaz del Castillo.
6. Conclusions on Díaz de Castillo. Vocabulary. Discussion on “Don Quijote y America” by Germán Arciniegas.
7. Reading selections on The Black Legend (La Leyenda Negra) and El Padre de las Casas.
Month 3
1. Exam 3
2. Discussion. Article by Gustavo Gutiérrez, “Emancipación e identidad”.
3. Professional development.
4. Aboriginal discussion. Discussion on selections from the novel La versión de los vencidos by Miguel L. Portilla. Discussion on selections from “El mito de Quetzalcoatl” by Enrique Florescano, “De la conquista a la colonización” by Enrique Dussel and “De la invasión al descubrimiento del otro” by Dussel.
5. Discussion on “De anuncios y profecias” by Leopoldo Zea. Selections of Aztec poetry.
6. The flower and song. Discussion.
7. Selected text from Rigoberto Menchú “Así Me Nació La Conciencia.” Article by Octavio Paz, “Conquista y colonia”. Reading quiz.
8. Mayan myths. History and discussion on El Popul Vuh.
Month 4
1. Second portion of discussion on Huasipongo (p. 124-177).
2. Final discussion on Huasipongo. Conclusions, vocabulary. Writing assignment.
3. Discussion on Perú. “El drama del mestizo” and “El sueño del Pongo” by Jorge M. Arguedas. Assignment: Definition of Mestizo.
4. Discussion on the articles “Identidad Cultural” by Leon Portilla and “El Mestizo, una vergüenza o una esperanza” by Clara Ortega.
5. Discussion on Arguedas’ short story “Warma Kuyay” Discussion about ideology and Arcadia. What ideas are takenfrom Arguedas’ conflict with his indigenous environment? Exam 4.
Month 5
1. Discussion on The Great Flood (El Diluvio), the Legend of Issicha Puytu, the myth of Chuhuajinu or Chusalongo and the researchers Piedad and Alfredo Costales.
2. Stories from the huacas: “La Joven Encantada” by Ruth Moya, Huarochiri myths “La Lluvia, El Granizo y Los Dioses”. The Huarochiri idea of the Great Flood. Final Exam.
Required readings:
Izaca, Jorge. Huasipungo. Quito: Libresa, 1997.
The professor will distribute photocopies of articles and texts related to coursework and discussion, including:
Arciniegas, Germán. “Don Quijote y América”.
Arguedas, Jorge M. “El sueño del Pongo.”
---. “El drama del mestizo.”
---. “Warma Kuyay.”
Dussel, Enrique. “De la conquista a la colonización”.
---“De la invasión al descubrimiento del otro.”
Florescano, Enrique. “El mito de Quetzalcoatl.”
Gutiérrez, Gustavo. “Emancipación e identidad.”
Llosa, Maria V. “Sirenas en el amazonas.”
Menchú, Rigoberto. “Así Me Nació La Conciencia.”
Moya, Ruth. “La Joven Encantada.”
Ortega, Clara. “El Mestizo, una vergüenza o una esperanza.”
Paz, Octavio. ““Conquista y colonia.”
Pietro, Arturo Uslar. “Un juego de espejos deformantes.”
Poma, Guamán. “El Otro.”
Portilla, Leon. “Identidad Cultural.”
Portilla, Miguel L. La versión de los vencidos. Madrid: Historia 16, 1985.
Zea, Leopoldo. “La filosofía en Latinoamérica, como problema del hombre.”
---“De anuncios y profecías.”
El Popul Vuh.
Selections of Aztec and Mayan poetry.
Brief Biography of Instructor:
Ivan Ulchur holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in Spanish from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Humanities from the Universidad del Cauca in Colombia. Since 1988, Ulchur has been a professor of Spanish and Literature at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). His courses taught include Latin American Literature, World Literature, Composition, Semiotics, Writing for Journalism Majors and survey courses on Spanish-American literature. Ulchur is also the professor of literature for Georgetown University’s summer program in Quito. Ulchur makes regular contributions to La Liebre (literary journal), Palabra Suelta (literary journal), Nariz del Diablo (sociology journal), Chasqui (communications journal), cultural supplement of El Comercio (newspaper) and the editorial page of HOY (newspaper). Ulchur has been a professor for IES courses since Fall 2005 and has also published numerous short stories, fiction works and translation pieces.
Indigenous Literature
This course is designed to give a historical and analytical perception of Latin American literature, primarily literature from the indigenous world. The course discusses the relationship between literature and history that marks the beginning of the fictionalization of South America. Novels, short stories and texts are read, compared, contrasted and interpreted throughout the semester.
None
Reading quizzes and participation (10%), writing assignments (10%), homework, discussions and vocabulary (10%), 4 tests (40%), mid-term exam (15%) and final exam (15%).
Month 1
1. Introduction. Who are you? What does it mean to be Indian? How do we define our mixed races? Why ‘indigenous literature’ and not ‘Indian literature’? Who makes history? Assignment: What is history, according to your own criteria?
Song: “Yo no soy de aquí, ni soy de allá’’ by Focundo Cabral.
2. Continuation. Explanation of the syllabus.
3. Discussion of Leopoldo Zea’s article: “La filosofía en Latinoamérica, como problema del hombre”. Discussion on Voltaire.
4. Discussion and conclusions on history. Relationship between history and literature. Discussion on
Arturo Uslar Pietri’s “Un juego de espejos deformantes”. Exam 1.
5. Discussion on texts from “El Otro” by Guamán Poma. Discussion on Colón and Gabriel García Márquez. Assignment: The Myth
6. Commentary on images and their impact on writing. Example cited by Regina Harrison. Other images from Poma.
Month 2
1. Conclusions on myth. Discussion of terms: mystify/demystify.
2. First part of Tzvetan Todorov discussion. Vocabulary.
3. Second part of Todorov discussion. Conclusions. Vocabulary. Exam 2.
4. Assignment on las Crónicas. “Sirenas en el amazonas” by Maria V. Llosa.
5. Who tells history? Analysis of las Crónicas on America. Discussion: Bernal Díaz del Castillo.
6. Conclusions on Díaz de Castillo. Vocabulary. Discussion on “Don Quijote y America” by Germán Arciniegas.
7. Reading selections on The Black Legend (La Leyenda Negra) and El Padre de las Casas.
Month 3
1. Exam 3
2. Discussion. Article by Gustavo Gutiérrez, “Emancipación e identidad”.
3. Professional development.
4. Aboriginal discussion. Discussion on selections from the novel La versión de los vencidos by Miguel L. Portilla. Discussion on selections from “El mito de Quetzalcoatl” by Enrique Florescano, “De la conquista a la colonización” by Enrique Dussel and “De la invasión al descubrimiento del otro” by Dussel.
5. Discussion on “De anuncios y profecias” by Leopoldo Zea. Selections of Aztec poetry.
6. The flower and song. Discussion.
7. Selected text from Rigoberto Menchú “Así Me Nació La Conciencia.” Article by Octavio Paz, “Conquista y colonia”. Reading quiz.
8. Mayan myths. History and discussion on El Popul Vuh.
9. Discussion, vocabulary. Mid-term exam.
10. Discussion on Jorge Icaza’s novel, Huasipongo (p. 67-124). Reading quiz.
Month 4
1. Second portion of discussion on Huasipongo (p. 124-177).
2. Final discussion on Huasipongo. Conclusions, vocabulary. Writing assignment.
3. Discussion on Perú. “El drama del mestizo” and “El sueño del Pongo” by Jorge M. Arguedas. Assignment: Definition of Mestizo.
4. Discussion on the articles “Identidad Cultural” by Leon Portilla and “El Mestizo, una vergüenza o una esperanza” by Clara Ortega.
5. Discussion on Arguedas’ short story “Warma Kuyay” Discussion about ideology and Arcadia. What ideas are takenfrom Arguedas’ conflict with his indigenous environment? Exam 4.
Month 5
1. Discussion on The Great Flood (El Diluvio), the Legend of Issicha Puytu, the myth of Chuhuajinu or Chusalongo and the researchers Piedad and Alfredo Costales.
2. Stories from the huacas: “La Joven Encantada” by Ruth Moya, Huarochiri myths “La Lluvia, El Granizo y Los Dioses”. The Huarochiri idea of the Great Flood. Final Exam.
Izaca, Jorge. Huasipungo. Quito: Libresa, 1997.
The professor will distribute photocopies of articles and texts related to coursework and discussion, including:
Arciniegas, Germán. “Don Quijote y América”.
Arguedas, Jorge M. “El sueño del Pongo.”
---. “El drama del mestizo.”
---. “Warma Kuyay.”
Dussel, Enrique. “De la conquista a la colonización”.
---“De la invasión al descubrimiento del otro.”
Florescano, Enrique. “El mito de Quetzalcoatl.”
Gutiérrez, Gustavo. “Emancipación e identidad.”
Llosa, Maria V. “Sirenas en el amazonas.”
Menchú, Rigoberto. “Así Me Nació La Conciencia.”
Moya, Ruth. “La Joven Encantada.”
Ortega, Clara. “El Mestizo, una vergüenza o una esperanza.”
Paz, Octavio. ““Conquista y colonia.”
Pietro, Arturo Uslar. “Un juego de espejos deformantes.”
Poma, Guamán. “El Otro.”
Portilla, Leon. “Identidad Cultural.”
Portilla, Miguel L. La versión de los vencidos. Madrid: Historia 16, 1985.
Zea, Leopoldo. “La filosofía en Latinoamérica, como problema del hombre.”
---“De anuncios y profecías.”
El Popul Vuh.
Selections of Aztec and Mayan poetry.
Ivan Ulchur holds a Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.A. in Spanish from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Humanities from the Universidad del Cauca in Colombia. Since 1988, Ulchur has been a professor of Spanish and Literature at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). His courses taught include Latin American Literature, World Literature, Composition, Semiotics, Writing for Journalism Majors and survey courses on Spanish-American literature. Ulchur is also the professor of literature for Georgetown University’s summer program in Quito. Ulchur makes regular contributions to La Liebre (literary journal), Palabra Suelta (literary journal), Nariz del Diablo (sociology journal), Chasqui (communications journal), cultural supplement of El Comercio (newspaper) and the editorial page of HOY (newspaper). Ulchur has been a professor for IES courses since Fall 2005 and has also published numerous short stories, fiction works and translation pieces.