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University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese
Spanish 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis
Spring 2015 SYLLABUS
Section 002/ Meets: MW 12:30-1:45pm
Instructor: Dr. Nancy Bird-Soto
Office hours: M W 3:30 -4:30 PM
Classroom: Lubar S165
E-mail: birdsoto@uwm.edu
Office: 705 Curtin (229-5234)
This course presents an overview of literature in Spanish through different genres:
narrative, essay, poetry, and theater. It is designed to introduce students to literary
analysis and for them to gain perspective on a variety of authors and their works.
Through this panoramic overview of literary genres students will be in contact with a
variety of cultural and artistic expressions in the Spanish-speaking world. Moreover,
through analytical skills, students will be able to reflect on the sociocultural values that
inform literary texts. These skills will allow them to pose relevant inquiries that will
underscore the relevance of the literary corpus in focus as well as to relate assigned
readings with meaningful contexts in our present-day global perspective.
Objectives:
-To gain a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of each genre
-To become familiar with authors, trends, and significant literary works in the Hispanic
world
-To expand on reading skills in Spanish
-To foster a critical approach to literature
-Related to the previous objective, to hone critical and analytical skills when reading
literature and to apply those skills to relevant social and cultural discussions.
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
* Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura hispánica, 7ma edición,
Friedman, Valdivieso & Virgillo, 2011.
* Te besaré toda la vida - José Luis Figueroa
Recommended: a good Spanish-English/ English-Spanish dictionary
GRADE BREAKDOWN/ Componentes de la nota final:
EXAMS: (50%) There will be two exams: a midterm and a final (25% each). These will
include: identifications of key concepts, text analysis/commentary, essay questions, and
any other exercise deemed appropriate by the instructor (e.g. true or false, matching, etc).
Spanish 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis
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INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION: (10%) Each student will present on one of the poets
and poems assigned for class discussion. The purpose of this activity is to allow the
student to have a “hands-on” experience with analyzing poetry while also considering the
literary period and/or context of the autor. It is required to consult at least one academic
critical source about the poem/autor and cite it properly. The presentation should include:
a) context of poem and/or autor, b) a brief analysis and identification of poetic/rhetorical
figures, c) what the academic source says about the poem and/or author, and d) 2-3
questions for the group. The presentation should engage the group and it should last
between 10-15 minutes.
Compositions: (20%) There will be two compositions in which the student will analyze
a topic pertinent to the class readings. This will enable the student to expand on their
writing abilities and it will foster a critical approach to literary analysis, which is one of
the main objectives of the course. For each composition, the student must consult at least
two critical sources about the topic/text/autor they are writing about. Each composition
should be between 3-4 pages long, excluding the bibliography.
Grading criteria will consider: implementation of analytical skills, research requirements
(bibliography, sources, etc), and language use at the appropriate level. Remember to
revise and proof-read before submitting your work.
#1 Para el 25 de febrero: OPCIONES: a) Allende, Tema 5 p. 101, b) Unamuno,
Tema 1, p. 135
#2 Para el 15 de abril: OPCIONES: a) Analizar “Dos patrias” (p. 201),
b) Analizar “Yuntas” (p. 217)
Participation (15%) Successful participation means coming to class with the assigned
readings done, volunteering answers, working on activities and remaining on task, using
Spanish all the time. Short quizzes may be included in the participation grade. OJO:
NO TEXTING DURING CLASS!
Attendance (5%) There will be two “free absences” during the semester. Subsequent
unexcused absences will impact the attendance percentage, 1% per each pair of absences.
Credit Hour Policy
For this 3-credit course, students are expected to dedicate at least six hours
weekly outside the classroom to course assignments, i.e.: homework, readings,
class-related projects and preparing for exams. Of the minimum six hours per
week, the following time allotments are recommended:
50% homework and readings
30% class-related projects (e.g. presentations, research, etc.)
20% preparing exam
It should be noted that time allotments for course assignments may vary per
individual, so these are intended as recommendations only.
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Special Needs: Students with special needs should discuss their situation with the
instructor the first week of classes. They should also contact the Student Accessibility
Center, Mitchell Hall 116, (414) 229-6287 Voice/TTY if they have not done so already.
Grading Scale:
A 93-100
A_ 90-92
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B_ 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C_ 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D_ 60-62
F 0-59
PLAGIARISM IS UNACCEPTABLE! You must ALWAYS cite your sources.
Friendly note: At times during a semester, personal circumstances interfere with a
student’s ability to keep on track with the course work. Should any such situation arise in
your life, you are encouraged to, and responsible for, discussing the circumstances with
the instructor as soon as possible, so that a plan may be developed for you to be able to
complete all the required tasks.
E-mail: When contacting the professor, please follow these guidelines:
-Address your instructor as “Professor” or “Doctor”
-In closing the message, you may choose to write:
“Hasta la clase/ Hasta el lunes/ Atentamente/ Saludos”
Please note that if you e-mail the professor the night or morning before class, or during
the weekend, she might not be able to respond right away. If you are absent, keep in mind
that you are responsible for the material covered in that session.
Appointments: If you need to meet with the instructor and the office hours listed for the
semester are not convenient for you, please e-mail your instructor to arrange for a
meeting.
Other Resources:
Spanish Writing Center: Stellia Jordán, the director of the
Spanish Writing Center, can help undergraduates in Spanish with the mechanics of
writing. Her e-mail address is writesp@uwm.edu. For more information please go to:
http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/spanish/undergrad/writingcenter.cfm
Club Ñ (for conversation)
NOTES:
Spanish 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis
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CALENDAR/PROGRAM (subject to change)
IN CLASS:
1/26 Introducción
1/28 Narrativa/ Don Juan Manuel
DUE THAT DAY:
Read pp. 10-14, 43-45
2/2
2/4
Palma/Borges
Rulfo
Read pp. 47-49, 59-60
Read pp. 69-72
2/9
2/11
Cortázar
Allende
Read pp. 62-67
Read pp. 95-101
2/16
2/18
Unamuno
Unamuno
Read pp. 110-121
Read pp. 122-134
2/23
2/25
Matute
filme/ Entregar comp. #1
Read pp. 80-81
3/2
3/4
filme
Repaso
3/9
3/11
Examen parcial
Poesía
Read pp. 138-143
SPRING BREAK
3/23
3/25
Poesía
Santa Teresa/San Juan de la Cruz/Lope
Read pp. 152-157
Read p. 180, 183, 187
3/30
4/1
Góngora/ Quevedo/Sor Juana
Espronceda/Bécquer/ Martí/Darío
Read p. 185, 189, 191
Read p. 193-194, 199, 201, 207-209
4/6
4/8
Machado/Jiménez/Mistral
Vallejo/Huidobro
Read p. 212, 214, 215-216
Read p. 218, 22
4/13
4/15
Guillén/Neruda/ Morejón
TEATRO/ Entregar comp. #2
Read p. 230, 232, 248-249
4/20
4/22
Te besaré toda la vida
Te besaré toda la vida
Read Te besaré toda la vida
Read Te besaré toda la vida
4/27
4/29
Bernarda Alba
Bernarda Alba
Read pp. 335-350
Read pp. 351-370
5/4
5/6
Bernarda Alba
Bernarda Alba/ Repaso
FINAL EXAM: Thursday, May 14th, 2015, 12:30-2:30 pm.
Spanish 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis
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1. Students with disabilities
http://www4.uwm.edu/sac/SACltr.pdf
2. Religious observances
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S1.5.htm
3. Students called to active military duty
Students: http://www4.uwm.edu/current_students/military_call_up.cfm
4. Incompletes
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S31.pdf
5. Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment)
Discriminatory conduct will not be tolerated by the University.
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S47.pdf
6. Academic misconduct
Cheating on exams or plagiarism are violations of the academic honor code and carry
severe sanctions, including failing a course or even suspension or dismissal from the
University.
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm
7. Complaint procedures
Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or department in which
the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a specific university policy, it
may be directed to the head of the department or academic unit in which the complaint
occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible for enforcing the policy.
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S49.7.htm
8. Grade appeal procedures
A student may appeal a grade on the grounds that it is based on a capricious or arbitrary
decision of the course instructor. Such an appeal shall follow the established procedures
adopted by the department, college, or school in which the course resides or in the case of
graduate students, the Graduate School.
These procedures are available in writing from the respective department chairperson or
the Academic Dean of the College/School.
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S28.htm
9. Other
The final exam requirement, the final exam date requirement, etc.
http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/other/S22.htm
10. Selected Academic and Administrative Policy 24.5, Firearms and Dangerous
Weapons Policy.
Spanish 350: Introduction to Literary Analysis