Illinois State University
Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
SPA 233-002 Introduction To Hispanic Literature
Spring 2016, Tu and Th 3:35PM - 4:50PM, STV 202
Instructor: Dr. James J. Pancrazio
Office: Stevenson Hall 243, 438-3764 (it is best to contact me by email)
E-mail: <jjpancr@ilstu.edu>
Office Hours: T-Th 9:15-12:30, and by appointment
Catalog Description: 233 INTRODUCTION TO HISPANIC LITERATURE 3 sem. hrs. Reading and analysis of
representative poems, plays and prose texts as first general introduction to Spanish and SpanishAmerican literature. Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in SPA 213.
Why are we here?
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once said that “an unexamined life was not worth living.”
Perhaps his point was that one could not really be aware of the joy, pain, happiness, sorrow, triumph
and defeat if one were not mindful of the conditions that create our experience of life. Not to examine
life, not to meditate on its circumstances and how these create our experience, is to not fully live. Story
telling is a way to better understand the complexities of life. Story tellers may not reveal cold, hard facts
about the world around us, but they put us into situations and worlds so that we may think, feel and see
as others. Through examining the lives of the characters that live in these stories we gain insight into
what it means to be human and what it means to be alive.
What will you learn?
In this course students will read and discuss representative works from Hispanic literature. The purpose
of this course is twofold: students will be expected to develop an understanding of the breadth and
depth of literary production. To do this, students will read texts as examples of historical literary
movements, and will focus on the development of a method for reading critically. Students will how to
learn to identify and discuss: themes, plots and structure, and poetic tropes such as symbols,
metaphors, and allegory. For all practical purposes, the readings will be presented through a basic
theoretical approach suitable to understanding literature as a product and producer of a legible cultural
matrix.
How you will learn? (Learning Outcomes): Students will become independent readers: able to engage
with, identify components, interact with, comment and take the position regarding the narrative.
Students will be able to identify key ideas by visualizing and describing setting, character, and events
and how these form the narrative context. Students will be able to identify and describe societal values
represented by setting, individual desire represented in character and conflict, and the conflict as the
intersection of setting and character.
What we will read?
Texts:
Virgilio, Carmelo, L. Teresa Valdivieso y Edward Friedman. Aproximaciones al estudio de la literatura
hispánica.
Recommended Text: An excellent Spanish dictionary. Smaller paperback dictionaries usually help with
spelling but don’t provide sufficient background on language usage. Please, purchase a hardbound
dictionary that you will use for years to come. Among the better dictionaries are: Vox and the Larousse
Concise Dictionary.
Data base on Spanish Poetry: http://users.ipfw.edu/jehle/poesia.htm
Criteria:
In-Class Participation 10%
Three Exams 60% (Rubric for Essay Exams)
Final Paper 30%
Grading Scale:
100%- 91% =A
90%- 81% =B
80% - 71% =C
70% - 61% =D
61% - 00% =F
Participation in class discussions: All students will have the opportunity and the responsibility to
participate in class on a regular basis. At random, students will be given the opportunity to respond to
an aspect of the theme that the class is discussing. The professor will take notes regarding the relevancy
of the response. Willingness to participate, preparedness and creativity will be rewarded at the
beginning, but expectations will rise as students become conversant in the material and approach.
Students who do not or cannot attend class are unable to participate. They will automatically receive a 0
for that day’s discussion/activity.
Exams: There are three essay exams in this course. One week prior to the exam, the professor will
distribute ALL of the possible questions; there will be no surprises. Nevertheless, the topics will require
sufficient time to reflect and develop well-thought out and organized answers. Students must use the
theoretical concepts discussed in class to compare, contrast and analyze the specific theme and
illustrate their responses with sufficient examples. The exams are evaluated by criterion reference
standards. This means that there is no curve.
Papers: Each student will write an eight to twelve page paper on a literary or cultural work. Students are
expected to incorporate the critical method outlined in class into the analysis of a series of poems, a
novel, or a collection of essays. Further, these papers must: 1) formulate a clear position and argument;
2) provide supporting evidence with citations from the text(s); 3) present ideas in a well-organized
format; and 4) play close attention to grammatical accuracy, spelling, format, critical thinking, etc.; 5) be
turned in on time.
General Policies:
Computer access: The general rule is, "never turn in a paper without running the spell check!"
Late Work Policy: Late work will not be accepted. Please do not ask for extensions. Also, no exam, quiz,
or activity will be rescheduled in event of absences. Please, do not make travel plans until you have
consulted the syllabus, and your mid-term and final exam schedules. Exceptions to this policy will be
made only in cases of serious illness, injury or other serious emergencies, of which verification must be
provided.
Attendance: Attendance is expected! If students miss class for any reason, they are responsible for
getting caught up on their own. Further, students not attending class are unable to participate and will
automatically receive a 0 for that day. Students who miss 10% to 20% of regularly scheduled classes will
have their final grade percentage reduced by an additional ten to twenty points. Students who miss 21
to 30% of classes will have their grades reduced by twenty-one to thirty points. Students who miss 31 to
40% of the classes will have their grades reduced by thirty-one to forty points, and so on.
Plagiarism: Students are fully expected to be honest in the completion of their own work in this course.
The professor adheres to the policies regarding academic dishonesty stipulated in the Illinois State
Student Handbook. Plagiarism is defined as the "unacknowledged appropriation of another’s work,
words, or ideas in any themes, outlines, papers, reports, or computer programs. Students must ascertain
from the instructor in each course the appropriate means of documentation. Submitting the same paper
for more than one course is considered a breach of academic integrity unless prior approval is given by
the instructors" (http://www.policy.ilstu.edu/archives/student_code_of_conduct.htm).
University Disability Policy: Any student needing to arrange a reasonable accommodation for a
documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620
(TTY).
Mental Health Resources: Life at college can get very complicated. Students sometimes feel
overwhelmed, lost, experience anxiety or depression, struggle with relationship difficulties or
diminished self-esteem. However, many of these issues can be effectively addressed with a little help.
Student Counseling Services (SCS) helps students cope with difficult emotions and life stressors. Student
Counseling Services is staffed by experienced, professional psychologists and counselors, who are
attuned to the needs of college students. The services are FREE and completely confidential. Find out
more at Counseling.IllinoisState.edu or by calling (309) 438-3655.
Tentative Schedule of Activities and Readings
(All readings can be found in ReggieNet)
1-12 Introduction to the Course
1-14 Método Crítico: “El eclipse”
1-19 Ricardo Palma, “La camisa de Margarita”
1-21 Jorge Luis Borges, “El etnógrafo” and “Borges y yo”
1-26 Julio Cortázar, “La noche boca arriba”
1-28 Juan Rulfo, “No oyes ladrar los perros”
2-2 Marco Denevi, “El dios de las moscas” and Cristina Peri Rossi, “El museo de los esfuerzos inútiles”
2-4 Elena Poniatowska, “El recado”
2-9 Primer Examen: sobre el cuento corto
2-11 Introduction to Hispanic Poetry
2-16 Garcilaso de la Vega, “Soneto I”
2-18 Garcilaso de la Vega, “Soneto XXIII”
2-23 Santa Teresa de Jesús, "Vivo sin vivir en mí"
2-25 San Juan de la Cruz, "Llama de amor viva"
3-1 Luis de Góngora, "Soneto CLXVI" and Francisco de Quevedo, "Salmo XVII"
3-3 Lope de Vega, "Rima humana CXCI"
3-8 Spring Break
3-10 Spring Break
3-15 Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, "En que satisfaga..." and “A su retrato”
3-17 José de Espronceda, "Canción del pirata"
3-22 Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, "A él"
3-24 José Martí, "Si ves un monte de espumas"
3-29 José Asunción Silva, "Los maderos de San Juan"
3-31 Rubén Darío, "El cisne" and Vicente Huidobro, "Arte poética"
4-5 Examen sobre la poesía
4-7 Batallas en el desierto I-III
4-12 Batallas en el desierto IV-VI
4-14 Batallas en el desierto VII-IX
4-19 Batallas en el desierto X-XII
4-21 El ensayo: Introducción
4-26 Eugenio María de Hostos (Perú): «El cholo»
4-28 Rosario Castellanos (México): «Y las madres, ¿qué opinan?» Entrega del trabajo escrito
TBA: Examen final