Literature 1: Literary Interpretation
Classroom Unit 1
Tuesday-Thursday 8:30-9:40
Instructor:
Juan Poblete
Office Hours:
Monday: 11:45-12:45 AM (at Humanities Building 1, 530, no
appointment needed)
Wednesday: 9 AM—10 PM (at Kresge College Office, (by
appointment only. For an appointment on Wednesday, please
call by Tuesday: 459-4792
Office:
For Monday: Humanities Building 1, 530
For Wednesday: Kresge Provost, at the Kresge College Office
Email: jpoblete@ucsc.edu
Your Section's Instructor:
Office hours:
This course is an introduction to the study of literature with emphasis on close
textual analysis, discussion in small groups, and the development of critical writing.
There will be two lectures and two discussion section meetings each week.
REQUIREMENTS:
Regular attendance in lecture and section: Attendance will be taken. Attendance
is also mandatory for the three film screenings (see syllabus for dates and times.)
Participation in discussions in both lecture and section: Productive participation
in discussion, like successful reading and writing, is a skill and not a talent; also like
reading and writing, discussion is a key strategy in the study of literature.
Demonstrated knowledge of required reading: Successful analysis of literature
depends on careful and thorough knowledge of the text.
Satisfactory and timely completion of all written assignments: Literature 1 is
writing-intensive: improved writing competency is a primary goal of the course. Your
success in the course will depend substantially on the effort you put into your written
work, and on your scrupulous adherence to deadlines. All essays must be typed and must
adhere rigorously to MLA guidelines on paper format, quotation, citation of sources,
documentation, and style (see Reader).
 There will be five written assignments. Due dates are listed on the syllabus.
1. Two Close Reading Papers (3-5 pages)
15% each
2. Two Short Essays (4-6 pages) The second will be a substantial revision and
expansion of the previous essay
15% each
3. Final essay (8-10 pages).
20%
4. Attendance to lecture and section
20%
Many lectures will begin with a brief, informational quiz on the previous lecture or on
the assigned readings for that day.
We will screen three movies: Death and the Maiden, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Cat
People. Dates are on the syllabus. Location to be announced. Attendance is mandatory
for all three.
REQUIRED TEXTS: (available at the Literary Guillotine, 204 Locust St.
Downtown. Phone: 457-1195)
1. Puig Manuel. Kiss of the Spider Woman. New York: Vintage, 1991.
2. Rodriguez, Richard. Hunger of Memory. New York: Bantam Books, 1983.
3. Dorfman, Ariel. Death and the Maiden. New York: Penguin Books, 1991.
4. de Jesus, Carolina Maria. Child of the Dark. New York: A Mentor Book, 1963.
5. A required Reader is available at the Literary Guillotine.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Obviously, cheating will not be tolerated in this class. Cheating in any part of the course
may lead to failing the course and suspension or dismissal from the university. If in
doubt, please consult me or your section instructor. You can also visit the UC Santa Cruz
Academic Integrity web pages at
http://www.ucsc.edu/academics/academic_integrity/undergraduate_students/resources.ht
ml
Please see also the last page of this syllabus for Examples of Violations of Academic
Integrity.
A final note about courtesy. This is a large lecture course. Please fill all front seats
first, leaving the back of the room for latecomers. Please refrain from eating
distracting food, talking to your neighbors, using a cellular phone, reading newspapers, or
sleeping in class. If you must arrive late or leave early, unpack/pack your books outside,
and make as little noise as possible. In short, please be considerate of others.
SEPTEMBER
Thursday 23
Introduction. Jonathan Culler, “What is Literature and Does it Matter? (an
essay to be revisited throughout the class. We will come back to it in the
last day of classes)
Tuesday 28
The short story: E. Echeverría:"The Slaughter House," Inca Garcilaso de
la Vega: "The Story of Pedro Serrano." Augusto Monterroso: "The
Dinosaur", Cortázar on the short story, "Some aspects of the short story."
Section: discussion on the uses and abuses of literature. What, what for, when,
where do you read? Review basic concepts in Cortázar's essays.
Thursday 30.
Augusto Monterroso: "The eclipse." Cortázar on the short story, "On the
Short Story and Its Environs," "Continuity of Parks." T. Wolff: "Bullet in
the Brain"
OCTOBER
Tuesday 5.
Cortázar: Cronopios and Famas, "Axolotl." "The Night Face Up".
Section: workshop on "The Night Face Up."
Thursday 7
NO LECTURE TODAY. BUT SECTIONS KEEP REGULAR
SCHEDULE.
Section: First close reading due (3-5 pages, on one of Cortázar's short
stories). Poetry: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: p.148-174 and Response to Sor
Filotea.
Tuesday 12.
The avant-garde literature. Vicente Huidobro: "Ars Poetica," "Canto III"
and "Hours"
Section: Between What I See and What I Say, Octavio Paz.
Thursday 14.
Neruda: Differing poetics. Selected Poems and Odes
Tuesday 19.
Drama: basic concepts. Antigone (in your reader)
Section: Antigone
Thursday 21.
Drama: Death and the Maiden. Second close reading due (3-5 pages, on
your favorite poem or lyrics from a song)
Section: compare Antigone and Death and the Maiden
Tuesday 26.
Death and the Maiden
Tuesday 26: 8:10 pm. Screening of Death and the Maiden.
Thursday 28.
Prose: the novel: Kiss of the Spider Woman
Section: Compare play and film (Death and the Maiden)
NOVEMBER
Tuesday 2.
Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Section: On popular culture
Thursday 4.
Kiss of the Spider Woman. First essay due (4-6 pages on Kiss of the
Spider Woman: Choose one of the movies that Molina retells and see
how it relates to the novel as a whole.
Thursday 4: 8:10 pm. Screening of Cat People
Section: Choose one of the movies that Molina retells and see how it relates to the
novel as a whole.
Tuesday 9.
Kiss of the Spider Woman. Selections from David Richter's Falling into
Theory (Selections: Vendler, Graff, Rabinowitz)
Thursday 11. No classes. Veterans Day.
Monday 15: 8:10 pm. Screening of Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Tuesday 16.
Non fictional prose: Hunger of Memory
Section: compare the movie (Kiss of the Spider Woman) with the novel
Thursday 18.
Non fictional prose: Hunger of Memory. Gusdorf: "Conditions and Limits
of Autobiography" Second essay due: a rewrite (4-6 pages on Kiss of
the Spider Woman (the novel): Choose one of the movies that Molina
retells and see how it relates to the novel as a whole.
Tuesday 23.
Non fictional prose: Hunger of Memory. On Testimonio: Opening of I
Rigoberta Menchú.
Section: compare autobiography and testimonio
Tuesday 30
Non fictional prose: Child of the Dark
DECEMBER
Thursday 2
Non fictional prose: Child of the Dark. Jonathan Culler, “What is
Literature and Does it Matter?
Final essay due on Monday, December 8th. (8-10 pages) Options for the final essay:
A) compare autobiography and testimonio in relation to a particular aspect of two
concrete texts.
B) compare the movie (Kiss of the Spider Woman) with the novel in relation to popular
culture.
C) compare Antigone and Death and the Maiden in relation to one specific aspect.
D) Death and the Maiden: compare play and film in relation to one specific aspect.
E) Develop an essay on one or more of Julio Cortázar's short stories.
F) Develop your own topic previously approved by your Instructor.
Examples of Violations of Academic Integrity
Cheating: Acting to gain unfair advantage over fellow students using such methods as
copying another's work on a test or paper; plagiarism; using unauthorized materials in an
exam; collaborating on work to be turned in for credit where such collaboration is
disallowed by the instructor; altering graded coursework to increase a score or grade.
Fabrication: In any academic exercise, submitting falsified data including bibliographic
resources and experimental data, or altering graded coursework/exams and resubmitting
to the instructor for a higher score.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Assisting another in violating the policy of
Academic Integrity, such as taking an exam for another student or providing coursework
for another student to turn in as his or her own effort
Multiple Submission: Submitting the same work in multiple classes for credit
Plagiarism: Submitting ideas or sentences as your own without proper citation or
acknowledgement.
Copyright Violation: Reproducing published (web-obtained or hand-copy) material
without obtaining formal copyright release from owner.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Jonathan Culler, “What is Literature and Does it Matter?
(an essay to be revisited
throughout the class. We will come back to it in the last day of classes)
Garcilaso de la Vega, El Inca. "The Story of Pedro Serrano"
1-3
Esteban Echeverría: "The Slaughter House".
4-11
Julio Cortázar : "Some aspects of the short story "
12-19
"On the Short Story and Its Environs"
20-24
"Continuity of Parks".
25-26
T. Wolff: "Bullet in the Brain"
27-28
Augusto Monterroso: "The Dinosaur" and "The eclipse"
29-32
Julio Cortázar: Cronopios and Famas (selections)
33-62
"Axolotl."
47-49
"The Night face up".
50-56
"Poisons"
57-62
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz.Selected Poems.
- Response to Sor Filotea
63-116
79-116
Vicente Huidobro: "Ars Poetica", "Canto III" and "Hours"
117-125
Octavio Paz: "Between What I See and What I Say"
126-127
Pablo Neruda: Selected Poems and Odes.
128-146
Sophocles: Antigone
147-165
Helen Vendler: "What we have loved, others will love"
166-171
Gerald Graff: "Disliking Books at an Early Age"
172-175
Peter Rabinowitz: "Canons and Close Readings"
177-178
George Gusdorf: "Conditions and Limits of Autobiography"
180-190
Rigoberta Menchú: I Rigoberta Menchu (selections)
191-202
APPENDIX
Erskine Peters: Fundamentals of Essay Writing: An Orientation Manual
203-211
John Peters: The Elements of Critical Reading
212-233
Donald Hall and Sven Birkerts: Writing Well
234-249
Bonnie Klomp Stevens and Larry L. Stewart: A Guide to Literary
Criticism and Research
250-264
Susan Hubbuch: Writing Research Papers across the Curriculum
265-288
The MLA Style: from Hubbuch above.
289-299