Contemporary Spanish and Latin American Women Writers
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Description:
The history of literature has favored for centuries, the study authors and works from a strictly male perspective. For decades, this exclusive view of the literary fact has changed, thanks mainly to cultural and feminist studies, which have claimed the important role of women as a writer in all periods of history. In this course, the biographies and the creations of some of the most representative contemporary Spanish and Latin American writers (both in fiction and in drama or poetry), with the intention of demonstrating the effectiveness of women in the literary world will be analyzed and the peculiarities of their writing in the treatment of women's issues.
Attendance policy:
Attendance is mandatory for all IES Abroad classes, including course-related excursions. Any exams, tests, presentations, or other work missed due to student absences can only be rescheduled in cases of documented medical or family emergencies. If a student misses more than two classes in any course half a letter grade will be deducted from the final grade for every additional absence. Seven absences in any course will result in a failing grade.
Learning outcomes:
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the development of the female role in the Spanish and Latinoamerican literary world, as well as their intervention and literary world through writing
- Analyse the literary trajectory of various female writers, putting special attention to the formal characteristics and the reoccurring themes in their literary works.
- Interpret the historical, social and literary circumstances in which the creative activity of women has evolved.
- Characterize the various models of women presented the analyzed texts and draw conclusions about the presence of female characters or themes.
- Assimilate basic skills for critical commentary and narrative, dramatic or poetic texts that are part of program analysis.
Method of presentation:
- For an explanation of each topic the theoretical and practical methods will alternate:
- Biographical and literary-Introduction: historical context, social and cultural
- Commentary by critical texts and their own creation or other authors
- Analysis of the assigned reading and discussion with students
- The explanations are supplemented by audiovisual material (songs, documentaries or movies) related to the context and literary works.
- An extracurricular activity related to the course contents will be conducted- theatrical performance which will be determined by the instructor.
Required work and form of assessment:
- Participation - 15%
- Assignments - 25%
- Midterm Exam - 30%
- Final Exam - 30%
Participation
It is very important to have an active participation in class, especially during the debates or the assigned reading discussions.
Assignments
Students will be required to write one or two essays for each topic concerning the content covered in the texts. All written assignments must be submitted to the professor in paper form on the date indicated.
Midterm and Final Exam
Both exams will consist of the following structure:
- A question concerning the theoretical content or concrete aspects of the texts discusses in class.
- A critical commentary of two texts used and explain in class.
Please note that the final exam will not evaluate the concrete aspects that were covered during the midterm.
Moodle and other resources
Usage of Moodle and the usage of resources provided in Moodle will be evaluated by the instructor.
content:
|
Session |
Content |
| Session 1 | Introduction to the course and the female literature. The feminist theory and the feminist literature. |
| Session 2 | Female writers throughout history. Literary genres and the female writing. Women as literary character. |
| Session 3 | The Hispano-American writers of the twentieth century. The social and cultural situation of women in Latin America in the twentieth century. Women and Music: Mercedes Sosa and Chavela Vargas. Precedents of the female literature: from Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz to Gabriela Mistral. Contemporary Hispano-American writers. |
| Session 4 | Female models in the narrative of Isabel Allende: reading and analysis of various Cuentos de Eva Luna. |
| Session 5 | Continue reading and analyzing Cuentos de Eva Luna. |
| Session 6 | Continue reading and analyzing Cuentos de Eva Luna. |
| Session 7 | Continue reading and analyzing Cuentos de Eva Luna. |
| Session 8 | Women ahead of their time in the literary work of Angeles Mastretta: reading and analysis of various chapters within Mujeres de ojos grandes |
| Session 9 | Continue reading Mujeres de ojos grandes |
| Session 10 | Continue reading Mujeres de ojos grandes |
| Session 11 | Midterm Exam |
| Session 12 | Screening of the film Como agua para chocolate (Alfonso Arau), based on the novel by Laura Esquivel. Previous analysis of several fragments of the novel. |
| Session 13 | Continue with the screening of Como agua para chocolate. Commentaries concerning the movie. |
| Session 14 | Women and Spanish literature (I): the postwar years. The social and cultural status of women in the pre and post Spanish Civil War: From the Republic of Spain to Franco's Spain. Spanish postwar writers: the "Chicas raras" (Carmen Laforet, Ana María Matute and Carmen Martín Gaite). |
| Session 15 | Carmen Laforet and her "learning novel”: reading and analysis of the novel Nada. |
| Session 16 | Continue reading and analyzing Nada. |
| Session 17 | Continue reading and analyzing Nada. |
| Session 18 | Continue reading and analyzing Nada. |
| Session 19 | Almudena Grandes and the daughter-mother conflict: reading and analysis of “La buena hija”, precedent to Modelos de mujer. |
| Session 20 | Women and Spanish literature (II): the eighties and nineties. The end of the dictatorship in Spain: the 'Transition', the 'Madrileña move' and liberation of women. Women and Music: "Mujer contra mujer" Mecano. The contemporary Spanish writers. |
| Session 21 | Continue reading and analyzing «La buena hija». |
| Session 22 | Continue reading and analyzing «La buena hija». |
| Session 23 | Screening of Solas, by Benito Zambrano. |
| Session 24 | Continue with the screeing of Solas.Commentaries about the movie. General review of the course for final exam. |
Required readings:
- Isabel Allende, Cuentos de Eva Luna (Plaza & Janés) [selección]
- Ángeles Mastretta, Mujeres de ojos grandes (Seix Barral) [selección]
- Carmen Laforet, Nada (Destino)
- Almudena Grandes, «La buena hija», perteneciente a Modelos de mujer (Tusquets)
- Paloma Pedrero, La llamada de Lauren or El color de agosto, plays included in Juego de noches (Cátedra)
Recommended readings:
- Alcalde, C., Mujeres en el franquismo. Exiliadas, nacionalistas y opositoras, Madrid, Cátedra, 1996.
- Arias Careaga, Raquel, Escritoras españolas (1939-1975): poesía, novela y teatro, Madrid, Laberinto, 2005.
- Carabí, Angels y Marta Segarra, eds., Mujeres y literatura, Barcelona, PPU, 1994.
- Carames, J. L. y S. González, Género y sexo en el discurso artístico, Oviedo, 1995.
- Chalupa, Federico A., Espacio excéntrico: Textos hispanoamericanos, deconstrucción y feminismo, Madrid, Pliegos, 1996.
- Ciplijauskaité, Biruté, La construcción del yo femenino en la literatura, Cádiz, Universidad de Cádiz, 2004.
- Encinar, Ángeles, “Escritoras españolas actuales: una perspectiva a través del cuento”, Hispanic Journal, nº 1, primavera 1992, pp. 181-192.
- Fagoaga, Concha, coord., 1898-1998: Un siglo avanzando hacia la igualdad de las mujeres, Madrid, Dirección General de la Mujer, 1999.
- Fagundo, Ana María, Literatura femenina de España y las Américas, Madrid, Fundamentos, 1995.
- Fernández Levin, Rosa, El autor y el personaje femenino en dos novelas del siglo XX, Madrid, Pliegos, 1998.
- Freixas, Laura, Literatura y mujeres, Editorial Destino, 2000.
- Galdona Pérez, Rosa Isabel, Discurso femenino en la novela española de posguerra: Carmen Laforet, Ana María Matute y Elena Quiroga, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Universidad de La Laguna, 2002.
- García Mouton, Pilar, Cómo hablan las mujeres, Madrid, Arco Libros, 1999.
- Gascón Vera, Elena, Un mito nuevo: la mujer como sujeto-objeto literario, Madrid, Pliegos, 1992.
- Gil Calvo, Enrique, Medias miradas. Un análisis cultural de la imagen femenina, Barcelona, Anagrama, 2000.
- Greene, Gayle y Coppélia Kahn, eds., Changing Subjects: The Making of Feminist Literary Criticism, Londres, Routledge, 1993.
- López, Francisca, Mito y discurso en la novela femenina de posguerra en España, Madrid, Pliegos, 1997.
- Mangini, Shirley, Las modernas de Madrid: las grandes intelectuales españolas de vanguardia, Barcelona, Península, 2001.
- Martín Gaite, Carmen, Desde la ventana, Madrid, Espasa, 1987.
- Millon, Jean y Rebeca O’Rourke, The Woman Reader: Learning and Teaching Women’s Writing, Londres, Routledge, 1991.
- Muñoz, Willy O., El personaje femenino en la narrativa de escritoras hispanoamericanas, Madrid, Pliegos, 1997.
- Nichols, Geraldine C., Des/cifrar la diferencia. Narrativa femenina en la España contemporánea, Madrid, Siglo XXI, 1991.
- Rivera Garretas, Mª Milagros, Textos y espacios de mujeres, Barcelona, Icaria, 1990.
- Usandizaga, Aránzazu, Amor y literatura: la búsqueda literaria de la identidad femenina, Barcelona, PPU, 1993.
- Zavala, Iris M., La otra mirada del siglo XX. La mujer en la España contemporánea, Madrid, La Esfera de los Libros, 2004.
- Zemon Davis, Natalie, Mujeres en los márgenes, Madrid, Cátedra, 1999.
