Appalachian State University
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Spring 2013
SHN 5001 Children’s and Adolescent Literature
T & R 12:30 – 1:45
Professor: Dr. María Patricia Napiorski
Office hours: T & TR: 1:45 pm – 4 pm
Or by appointment
Office: Sanford Hall 429
Telephone: 262-7356
E-mail: napiorskimp@appstate.edu
This course is a critical study of the contemporary
narratives of a selected and diverse group of Hispanic
authors. In their work, these authors portray literary
creations that are girls, boys, and/or young women and men
going through a process of physical and emotional
development (from childhood or adolescence into maturity).
These characters must go through a sequence of rites used
to alter their social relationships, and to propel their
transitions in social status. In addition, some of these
characters are transnational migrants, that is, displaced
subjects moving from one country to another, thus having to
deal with two different cultural environments.
Emphasis will be placed in the development of a critical
thinking of such literary work, and a better understanding
of the politics of social rituals in the development of
identity in children and adolescents.
TEXTS:
In The Time of The Butterflies (Julia Álvarez)
Nada (Carmen Laforet)
Soñar en cubano (Cristina García)
Cuando era puertorriqueña (Esmeralda García)
Additional Readings:
Ana María Matutte: Cuentos completos de Biblioteca Digital
Federico García Lorca: Poemario para niños
Gabriela Mistral: Poesía Infantil
Manuel Rivas: “La lengua de las mariposas” (This text is
available on www1.appstate.edu/~napiorskimp, go to Enlaces,
browse page down, the text on the bottom right)
Sabine Ulibarrí: “Mi caballo mago”
Tomas Rivera: “Primera Comunión”
Rosaura Sánchez: “Tres generaciones”
Roberta Fernandez: “Amanda”
Biblioteca Digital Miguel de Cervantes: Literatura para
niños:
http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/bib/seccion/bibinfantil/ind
ex.html
Secondary Sources:
Max, Gluckman. “Les Rites de Passage. Essay of the Ritual
of Social Relations.”
Ibarra, María de la Cruz. “Buscando la vida: Mexican
Immigrant Women’s Memories of Home, Yearning and Border
Crossing.”
Kevane, Bridget. “Latinoamericana: Cultural Identity and
the Latina Caribbean Novel as Seen by Julia Alvarez,
Cristina García, and Rosario Ferré.”
Rivera, Judy. “Mininarratives; Subversive Discourse in
Julia Alvarez’s Works.”
Jameson, Fredric. “The Seeds of Time.”
Rivero, Eliana. “Cuba as Text and Context in Cristina
García’s Dreaming in Cuban.”
Napiorski, Patricia. “Transgresión y subversion de la
madre/esposa en Arrancame la vida de Angeles Mastretta.”
Novoa, Bruce. “The U.S. Mexican Border in Chicano
Testimonial Wrtiting: A Topological Approach to Four
Hundred and Fifty Years of Writing the Border.”
Sadowski-Smith, Claudia. “The U.S. Mexican Borderlands
Write Back: Cross Cultural Transnationalism in Contemporary
U.S. Women of Color Fiction.”
Fernandes, Sujatha. “Fear of a Black Nation: Local Rapers,
Transnational Crossing, and State Power in Contemporary
Cuba.”
CLASS REQUIREMENTS: The student is expected to have read
the required assignments before each class period.
Participation and discussion is essential during the class
period. Also, students will be expected to work on
assignments and programs developed by the instructor and
found in her home page.
ATTENDANCE: More than three unjustified absences will
lower your final grade by one level (one letter). IF YOU
HAVE A VALID EXCUSE, YOU MUST PROVIDE PROOF OF IT (EG.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATE) ON THE FIRST DAY YOU RETURN TO CLASS.
Three late arrivals will count as 1 absence.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Presentation:
Mid Term:
Final Exam:
Final Project
10%
25%
25%
40%
Explanation of the above grading criteria:
Presentation: 20 minute presentation on one of the authors
and his/her work. (
Previously approved by the instructor)
Mid Term: Consist of a number of essay questions on the
texts read. Tuesday March 19.
Final Exam: Comprehensive, based on the texts, lectures,
and discussions. Format: Essay questions. May 10 a @ 9 am.
Essay Paper: A critical fifteen page paper on one of the
novels (More details will be provided by the instructor
during interviews). Due the last day of class.
Academic Honesty: I follow carefully the University and
departmental regulations in regards of academic dishonesty
in exams, tests, homework etc. Please remember that turning
in another person’s work is considered plagiarism, and it
results in any appropriate action that I or other
university authority deem necessary. If I suspect that a
student has committed plagiarism, before taking a
disciplinary action I would ask him or her to defend
his/her paper, exam or test to the class. I have the
liberty to invite to this defense other Spanish faculty
members if I deem it necessary.
Important Explanatory Information:
I do encourage you to visit me during office hours, or to
make an appointment whenever you have doubts, questions, or
need clarification with issues related to the class. I
would like to help you in any way so that you can make this
course a productive and an interesting experience.
If you are unable to attend class on a day that you have to
turn in an assignment, and/or a presentation, homework,
etc., you must inform me beforehand or your grade will be
zero.
Cell phones must be off during class. MANDATORY.
No make up quizzes or examination. You are expected to be
present in class at the time of the quiz or examination. If
a homework is due the day you are absent, you cannot ask a
classmate to turn in for you, or to place it in my mail
box. All work due should be turned in directly to me,
unless otherwise stated. Nevertheless, if you are excused
to be absent for class you can turn in your work the
following class, but no later.
Calendario Tentativo para la lectura de los textos:
Primera Semana: Introducción del curso. Presentaciones. MLA
Review.
Leer Lecturas asignadas. Los estudiantes deben ordenar las
novelas que se van a leer en clase.
Segunda Semana: Los ritos de pasaje en las sociedades
modernas y tribus. Discusión de las lecturas. Leer lecturas
asignadas.
Tercera Semana: Buldingsroman. La novela de desarrollo.
Cuarta Semana: Discusión y presentaciones por los
estudiantes graduados y subgraduados.
Quinta Semana: Julia Alvarez
Sexta Semana: Cristina García. Soñar en cubano. Discusión.
Septima Semana: Continuación. Presentaciones y Discusión
Octava Semana: Carmen Laforet: Nada. Discusión.
Novena Semana: Continuación.
Décima Semana: Esmeralda Santiago (Cuando era
puertorriqueña)
Undécima Semana: Continuación. Presentaciones.
Duodécima Semana: Julia Alvarez
Décimotercera Semana: Continuación. Décimocatorce Semana:
Repaso.
Examen Final Viernes Mayo 10 a las 9 am.
Religious Holidays: If a student needs to be absent from class for a religious
holiday, please talk to the professor in advanced, or present a written request for
absence no later than the completion of the fourth week of class.
Note: As a community of learners at Appalachian State University, we must
create an atmosphere of honesty, fairness, and responsibility, without
which we cannot earn the trust and respect of each other. Furthermore,
we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of an
Appalachian degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or
stealing in any form and will oppose any instance of academic
dishonesty. This course will follow the provisions of the Academic
Integrity Code, which can be found on the Office of Student Conduct Web
Site: www.studentconduct.appstate.edu. /
Academic integrity continues to be an important issue, especially given
students’ various interpretations of intellectual property rights and
the ease of downloading material from the Web. Here are some things you
might do in your classes to promote academic integrity, in addition to a
statement on your syllabi and course web sites:
* Lead discussions about academic integrity during class.
* Create multiple versions of quizzes and exams.
* Provide a space for students to reaffirm the Academic Integrity
Honor Pledge on assignments, quizzes and exams (“I pledge on my
honor that I have not violated the Appalachian State University
Academic Integrity Code”).
* Use current events to illustrate, discuss and reaffirm the value
of integrity.
* Contact the Office of Student Conduct in all appropriate cases of
academic dishonesty.
*2. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities*
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that we make reasonable
accommodations for students with documented disabilities. It is
important for faculty members to understand what we are and are not
obliged to do when providing accommodations for students, so please
familiarize yourself with the ODS web site and contact the office if you
have questions about a request for accommodation. Please respect
students’ rights to confidentiality and privacy when discussing
disability accommodations with them. If you have questions, please
contact Maranda Maxey, Director of the Office of Disability Services, at
extension 3056 or maxeymr@appstate.edu.
The Office of Disability Services recommends including the following
text on syllabi and course web sites:
/Appalachian State University is committed to making reasonable
accommodations for individuals with documented qualifying disabilities
in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Those seeking
accommodations based on a substantially limiting disability must contact
and register with The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at
http://www.ods.appstate.edu/ or 828-262-3056. Once registration is
complete, individuals will meet with ODS staff to discuss eligibility
and appropriate accommodations./