Spanish 61
Walking Around XX Century
Spanish American Literature
MW 1-3 FH 207
Instructor:
Email:
Office:
Office Phone:
Office Hours:
Dr. Friis
RONALD.FRIIS@FURMAN.EDU
Furman Hall 235V
x2227
T,Th,F 10:00 - 11:00; M,W by appointment
Texts:
Galeano, Eduardo. Memorias del fuego III: Century of the Wind
Neruda, Pablo. Confieso que he vivido.
Neruda, Pablo Antología poética. 1, 1915-1956 (Alianza) 2003.
Neruda, Pablo Antología poética. 2, 1957-1973 (Alianza) 2003.
Pilar Aguilera y Ricardo Fredes Eds. Chile: el otro 11 de septiembre
Grading Scale:
B+ (88-89)
C+ (78-79)
D+ (68-69)
Evaluation:
A
B
C
D
F
(95-100)
(83-87)
(73-77)
(67)
(0-64)
In-class Presentations (2)
MidTerm Exam
Participation + Quizzes
Short paper (análisis)
Paper (process + product)
A- (90-94)
B- (80-82)
C- (70-72)
D- (65-66)
10%
15%
15%
20%
40%
This course uses Confieso que he vivido, the memoirs of Chilean Nobel Prize
winner Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), as a literary map the twentieth century. Even though
Neruda is known primarily as a poet, this is not just a course about poetry. The
multidisciplinary approach of this class will intertwine analysis of Neruda’s major poems
with texts produced by those around him. We’ll study the paintings of Pablo Picasso and
Diego Rivera, the poems Federico García Lorca, the films Il postino and Machuca the
protest songs of Violeta Parra and stories, essays and poems by Latin America’s four
other Nobel Prize winners, Gabriela Mistral, Miguel Angel Asturias, Gabriel García
Márquez and Octavio Paz. We will also examine some of the people, places and ideas
most significant to all of XX century Latin American literature: Walt Whitman,
modernismo, the avant-garde, Vicente Huidobro, César Vallejo, Freud, the Spanish Civil
War, Paris in the 1920s, Marx, Communism, Trotsky, Buenos Aires in the 30s, Mexican
muralism, the Cuban Revolution, Che Guevara, American interventionism, Chile’s coup
of 1973 and the Latin American “New Song.” This course will be of special interest to
those who have already completed or are considering our study abroad program in
Santiago, Chile.
Course Objectives:
To help students develop an understanding of and appreciation for some of the
main intellectual currents of XX century Spanish American literature.
To introduce students to some fundamental concepts of literary criticism and to
allow them to refine their skills in the analysis of texts.
To acquaint students with basic research techniques when appropriate and
possible.
To develop further the five basic language skills in Spanish with an emphasis
on reading and speaking.
Graded assignments in this course will include traditional tests and reading quizzes (for
content) as well as a formal analysis of a Neruda poem not discussed in class and a final
paper. Your participation grade will reflect your linguistic and analytical progress.
Other Required Readings:
Although we will not always have a chance to discuss all of these in detail in class,
required readings will be assigned and information from them will appear on the tests.
These essays have been selected because they will help you understand ideas and
movements that run through the texts we will analyze in class.
Presentations:
At times our class conversations will be lead by a student. These presentations will be the
result of the student analyzing a text or idea, writing at least 3 open ended and
provocative discussion questions for the class, presenting the text or idea to the class
along with some extra information culled from research and directing the class's
discussion of that topic. Remember that good presentations contain information that is
insightful and out of the ordinary such as anecdotes about the writer’s life or particularly
creative (yet believable) interpretations of their work. Be sure to make connections
between your texts and others we have read or the movements we are studying. It is
important that the class understand any terminology or unusual vocabulary that you might
use in the presentation - tell us or write it on the board. Good presentations teach us new
things or ways of looking at things. Be selective - make choices about what to present
and what to leave out. Oh, and, we all like visuals.
Bad presentations are mumbled, read from notes, contain little new or interesting or are
not understood by the class (or the presenter). Present with confidence. Do not believe all
that you read on the web or in the wikipedia. Do not give us bad information.
Notes:
1) Daily preparation must be thorough. You must come to class PREPARED
AND WILLING TO SHOW IT through ACTIVE participation. Preparing for class
means spending an appropriate amount of time reading the day’s assignment and doing
any written work. After this preparation, you will be ready to discuss the readings in class
with the professor and your peers. Expect a participation grade of B- to C if you are
prepared but passive. You are learning to formulate, express and debate your opinions
and interpretations of art, literature, music and ideas in this class.
2) Have access to a good English/Spanish dictionary. I like Harper Collins and
Oxford. You can also try wordreference.com. Don't embarrass yourself with other
internet translators.
3) “Late is rude...”
-President George W. Bush
“On time means two minutes early...”
-Coach Joe Paterno
4) It is your responsibility to notify your instructor as soon as possible, preferably
beforehand, if you have an excused absence. Work missed due to excused absences will
be accepted within two days of the absence. Work missed due to unexcused absences
cannot be made up.
5) The Instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus.
6) Students with disabilities who need academic accommodation should contact
Disability Services (x2322). After this meeting, the student should meet with me. This
process needs to happen early in the term. The Office of Academic Assistance, a helpful
resource for many freshmen, is located on the ground floor of the library (x2110).
Attendance:
All students are expected to attend every class session. A student who has more
than two unexcused absences during the term will be dropped from the class roster and
assigned a grade of “F.”
This is a tentative schedule of topics and readings. Required and suggested readings will
be assigned daily in class.
3/3
Greenville, SC
Introducción a la clase
Contexto histórico, literario
3/5
Chile 1900
Últimos libros de los modernistas, Gabriela Mistral
------------3/10
Temuco, Santiago de Chile
Juventud, Crepusculario (1923), XX poemas de amor (1924)
“Mi primer poema”, “Mis primeros libros”, “Por qué
Neruda” < Confieso que he vivido
3/12
París, los años 20
Picasso, Vallejo, Huidobro, Diego Rivera
“Viviendo con el idioma” “La casa de las tres viudas” < Confieso que he vivido
Definicones de la vanguardia; el papel de Vicente Huidobro;
la muerte triste de César Vallejo
Conversación: “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” (1907) de Picasso
Presentación: Pablo Picasso y el cubismo
------------3/17
De Rangoon a Madrid
El grupo poético de 1927
Las vanguardias en España
"Cómo era Federico" "Miguel Hernández" "El crimen fue en Granada" "Mi libro
sobre España"
Ramón Gómez de la Serna
1937 - El II Congreso de Intelectuales Antifascistas
Residencia en la tierra (1931-35)
Presentación: Federico García Lorca
3/19
De España a Chile
Guest Lecture: Dr. Lourdes Manyé - La guerra civil española
"Cuaderno 5" + “Traígame españoles” < Confieso que he vivido
Residencia en la tierra (1931-35) y España en el corazón (1936-1937)
------------3/24
no hay clase
3/26
Guernika
Residencia en la tierra 2, Tercera residencia (1947)
Picasso, el existencialismo, Freud, Dalí, "Walking Around"
Presentación: Discusión de “Guernica” de Picasso
Presentación: El surrealismo y Salvador Dalí
“Las meninas” (1957) de Picasso
------------3/31
Stalingrado
Día de presentaciones: “Socialismo, Comunismo, Fascismo 1900-1950”
“Elegí un camino”, “Nazistas en Chile” “La pampa salitrera” “Poesía y policía”
“El poder de la poesía”< Confieso que he vivido
“Lección de sencillez”
Tercera residencia (1947)
4/2
DF
Guest Lecture - Professor Brodeur
“The Mexican Muralism movement, Weston, Modotti”
“Los pintores mexicanos” < Confieso que he vivido
“El poder de la poesía”
Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo
*Entregar análisis de un poema*
------------4/7
Guatemala
Miguel Angel Asturias
“Napoleón Ubico” “En París y con pasaporte” < Confieso que he vivido
obras de Asturias
Presentación: Vida y obra de Miguel Angel Asturias
4/9
Macchu Picchu (1943) - poesía y profecía
Las epopeyas americanas
“Isla Negra” “El cuerpo repartido” < Confieso que he vivido
Canto general
Presentación : Walt Whitman
------------4/14
Canto general II
Presentación: más poemas de Canto general
Presentación: más poemas de Canto general
repaso
*Entregar tema del trabajo final*
4/16
Examen midterm
------------4/21
Las uvas y el viento (1954)
Presentación: Las uvas y el viento
Los versos del capitán (1954)
Presentación: Los versos del capitán
4/23
Buenos Aires, Santiago
los años 50
Borges “Kafka y sus precursores,” “La flor de Coleridge,”
Nicanor Parra "Poemas y antipoemas"
Presentación: “Borges y yo”
Presentación: Nicanor Parra
------------4/28
El espíritu de las cosas
Odas elementales (1954), Nuevas odas elementales (1956)
“De agosto 1952...” "Crítica y autocrítica" < Confieso que he vivido
Presentación: Estravagario (1958)
*Entregar esquema y pre-bibliografía del trabajo escrito*
4/30
película - El cartero de Neruda
------------5/5
Isla Negra
Neruda, el mar y el amor
entregar - una oda
“Yo, el malacólogo” "Matilde Urritia, mi mujer" < Confieso que he vivido
Cien sonetos de amor (1960)
La Barcarola (1967)
Presentación: Una casa en la arena (1966)
5/7
Hacia la ciudad espléndida... Estocolmo
1971
La soledad americana
"El Premio Nobel"
Gabriel García Márquez, Neruda, Octavio Paz
Presentación: artículo de Earl Fitz
------------5/12
La Moneda, Santiago de Chile 1973
Chile - el otro 11 de septiembre
Ariel Dorfman - "Neruda and the Terror in Madrid"
1973 “Embajada en París” “Salvador Allende”
5/14
La Nueva Canción
Julio Cortázar - "El perseguidor"
"Estadio Chile" "El día del golpe" "Un canto inconcluso" < Chile - el otro 11 de
septiembre
Presentación: nuestras odas
Presentación: Violeta Parra
Presentación: Victor Jara
----------5/19
película Machuca
*entrega de los trabajos escritos*
5/21
discusión: Machuca
Comida chilena
Ariel Dorfman "Saying Goodbye to Pablo"
Conclusiones
These are some of the most important books on Neruda - most are from the library,
some are mine... Since many of you will be writing papers with overlapping topics I
will keep all of these materials, and more, in my office and can lend them to you.
Please ask me for anything you may need and share books you have with your
classmates.
Agosin, Marjorie. Pablo Neruda.
Alazraki, Jaime. Poética y poesía de Pablo Neruda.
Alonso, Amado. Poesía y estilo de Pablo Neruda.
Costa, René de. The Poetry of Pablo Neruda.
Durán, Manuel. Earth Tones : The Poetry of Pablo Neruda.
Firmat, Gustavo Pérez. Ed. Do the Americas have a Common Literature?
González Echevarría, Roberto and Enrique Pupo-Walker, Eds. The Cambridge History of
Latin American Literature.
Méndez-Ramírez, Hugo. Neruda's Ekphrastic Experience : Mural Art and Canto general.
Neruda, Pablo. Obras completas I y II.
Santí, Enrico Mario. The Poetics of Prophecy.