NEIU: WL&C – SPAN 321

Latin American Literature I: Syllabus

Instructor: Lucrecia Artalejo, Ph. D. Associate Professor of Spanish &Latin American Literatures & Graduate Advisor of the MA in Latin American Literatures &Cultures E-Mail Address: L-Artalejo@neiu.edu Work Phone: (773) 442-4755 (phone mail 24 hours) Office Location: Northeastern Illinois University LWH 2035 5500 North St. Louis Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60625-4699 Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00 P.M. -5: 40 P.M. Wednesdays 6:00 P.M. - 7:00 P.M. (Central Time) I check my e-mail several times a day. Therefore, the best way to reach me is by e-mail. I am available via e-mail even during the week-ends. On a more personal note I must tell you that I am delighted to teach this class on Latin-American Literature since its beginning to the end of the nineteenth century because I love Contemporary Latin American Literature. I certainly believe that in order to critique the literature of the present we must be very well-versed on the Latin-American literary tradition.

I was born in La Habana, Cuba, but I was raised in Puerto Rico. I can happily say that I have spent many of the years of my life in Chicago, proudly teaching at NEIU, which was my first, and the only job that I have always had since 1986. I earned my B.A. from the University of Puerto Rico (Río Piedras) in 1981, and my M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University at Ithaca, New York in 1987. The topic of my Ph.D. dissertation was the national identity of Cuba through the literary works of three Cuban writers: Cirilo Villaverde, Carlos Loveira, and Antonio Benítez Rojo. My first and only book published so far is La máscara y el marañón: la identidad nacional cubana, based on my Ph.D. dissertation. SAMPLE

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Thank you for joining me in this intellectual journey that it is going to be challenging, academically speaking, but also very pleasant due to the beautiful nature of the literature that we will be exploring together.

Course Prerequisite: Consent of Instructor Course Description: This is a 3-credit course, completely taught in Spanish, in which we will study some of the most representative works of the Latin-American Literature from Pre-Hispanic times until the end of the beginning of the 20th century. This means that we will cover the following topics: Pre-Colombian Literature in the Americas, the Chronicles of the Conquest, the Baroque in Latin-American Letters, Enlightenment and Romanticism as the Preparation for the Political Independence, Realism and Naturalism as an Open Eye on the New Republics and their Constraints, and the Hispanic American Modernism, Postmodernism, and Vanguardism, involving the Creation of an Authentic Literary Style. Our study of various Latin-American authors of the past will focus on the relevance of their writings to our present time.

The course will start by studying the Pre-Colombian Latin American Literature by focusing on some Náhuatl, Mayan and Quechuan texts. The Nahuatl literature will be represented in our class mostly through a selection of the poetry composed by Nezahualcóyotl (1402-1472), the very well known Aztec king and poet of the 15th century; the Mayan literature, through some passages of the Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the “quiches” of Guatemala, where the creation of the world, the origins of good and evil, and several ethical values are explained, and the Quechuan texts, through a poem dedicated to the Great Inca Atahualpa. The investigation on the Discovery, the Conquest and the process of "Mestizaje", leading to the Independence will begin by taking a close look to the following Chronicles: some fragments of the diary of Cristóbal Colón (1451-1506), the second letter of Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) followed by some very revealing passages of Historia verdadera de los sucesos de la conquista de la Nueva España by Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1495-1584), a fragment of Naufragios y comentarios by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (1490-1558), a passage of Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias by Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (1484-1566), a fragment of La Araucana, the first epic poem of Latin America by Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga (1533-1594) and some chapters of Comentarios Reales written by El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1616).

The analysis of the Colonial Latin American Literature would not be complete if some precious time would not be devoted to the close reading of a selection of the poetry and prose of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (1651-1695). Sor Juana epitomizes the Baroque in Latin American Letters. Besides studying the poetry of Sor Juana, a selection of her SAMPLE

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“sonetos”, “redondillas”, “romances”, her letter “Respuesta a la muy ilustre Sor Filotea de la Cruz” (1691) will be taken into consideration. After pondering the literary world of Sor Juana as one of the first signs of Feminism, the focus will be on the impact of the Hispanic Enlightenment (XVIII) at these shores, so well represented by the first Latin American novelist, the Mexican thinker José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi (1776-1827). The first two chapters of his picaresque novel El Periquillo Sarniento will be enough to motivate students to read many more chapters of this excellent book which speaks of the importance of the Mexican thinker José J. Fernández de Lizardi. The thorough examination of "Carta de Jamaica" (1815), the famous letter of Simón Bolívar (1783-1830), and the analysis of the poem "Alocución a la poesía" and the essay "Las repúblicas hispanoamericanas: autonomía cultural", both written by Andrés Bello (1781-1865), will constitute the portico to the consideration of these two patriots whose thoughts and deeds had an enormous impact in the development of the Latin American political independence so linked to Romanticism. Romanticism in Latin America will be studied in this course through the analysis of the following texts: the essay "Nuestra América" and a selection of "Versos sencillos" by José Martí (1853-1895), some passages from the Martín Fierro (1872; 1979) by the Argentinian poet José Hernández (1834-1886), the first chapters of Facundo o Civilización y Barbarie by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (1811-1888), "El alacrán de Fray Gómez" and “Dónde y cómo el diablo perdió el poncho” by Ricardo Palma (1833-1919), creator of the Peruvian folkloric genre of Tradiciones peruanas, a fragment of Sab, the first Anti-Slavery Latin American novel written by Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda (1814-1873), and the most important poems by José María Heredia (1803-1839), including "En una tempestad" and "Himno del desterrado." After studying the first Latin-American short-story "El matadero" (written in 1838 and 1839, and published in 1871) by the Argentinean writer Esteban Echeverría (1805-1851), some details of Cecilia Valdés o la Loma del Ángel (1839,1882) by the Cuban writer Cirilo Villaverde (1812-1894), some passages of María (1867) by the Colombian poet and novelist Jorge Isaacs (1837-1895), as well as some chapters of Aves sin nido (1889), the Pro-Indian novel written by the Peruvian writter Clorinda Matto de Turner, we will be able to acknowledge how Romanticism, "Costumbrismo", Realism, and Naturalism appear cleverly intertwined in many Latin American texts of the 19th century. The study of the Latin American Literature of the 19th Century will be complete by taking into consideration the literary movement that evolved at the very end of the century: the Spanish American "Modernismo". A close reading of some poetry by Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera (1859-1895) from México, José Asunción Silva (1865-1896) from Colombia, Rubén Darío (1867-1916) from Nicaragua, together with the short-story "El rey burgués" by Rubén Darío, and "El hijo" and "El almohadón de plumas", both by the Uruguayan writer Horacio Quiroga (1878-1937), will offer a clear idea of what “Modernismo” is all about. SAMPLE

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Our course will finish with a glimpse of Postmodernism/ Vanguardism through the analysis of the literary world of two Nobel Prize Winners, Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) from Chile, and Miguel Ángel Asturias (1899-1974) from Guatemala. The poetry of Mistral and a brief selection of the best novel of Asturias, El señor presidente, will constitute an introduction to the realm of another original poet, the Uruguayan Delmira Agustini (1886-1914).

It is obvious that the material to be covered in this course conducted in Spanish is extensive. Therefore, a Desire2Learn Site has been developed for it to facilitate and enhance the learning experience. The Department of World Languages and Cultures requires declared majors in designated courses (including this one) to upload one or more assignments to their electronic portfolio. Electronic portfolios will be very valuable for program assessment, and are routinely used by students entering the job market to showcase potential employers the work they have done in college. For this particular course, declared majors will be uploading their Mid Term Exam in their electronic portfolio. Course Objectives/Outcomes Students will:

A. Demonstrate the ability to read a wide range of literary works from several Hispanic-American countries, such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, México, Nicaragua, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela, etc., to discuss them, and to write about them in Spanish;

B. Develop a more in-depth awareness of cultural similarities, and differences among the people of the Spanish speaking countries, through the reading of literary works from different Latin American nations.

C. Practice Spanish Composition analyzing various literary works by writing Weekly assignments, a Take-Home Mid Term Exam, a 7 page Research Paper, and a Take-Home Final Exam.

Required Text: Ortega, Julio, Gustavo Pellón and Martín Gaspar. Letras de Hispanoamérica.

Antología de la literatura de las Américas. Boston: Vista Higher Learning, 2014. Impreso.

This book has been ordered specially for you at Becks at NEIU. SAMPLE

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Requirements:

A. Write a Mid Term Exam in the Microsoft Word format, taking into consideration the rubric that will be used to assess it, and to grade it. This rubric can be easily found in the website of the WL&C’s Dept: This means that the student will show the ability to respond to questions with accurate and nuanced answers, to describe and analyze well selected examples in support of the answers, and to critically evaluate them. The student will show the ability to organize information while answering questions with very well-constructed sentences and/or paragraphs and very smooth transitions through the answers. Answers to questions must have a minimum of 350 words without grammatical or punctuation errors. This Mid-Term Exam will be uploaded in the Dropbox of Desire2Learn that has been specifically created for it.

B. Write a 7 page Research Paper on a literary work written by the authors studied

through the semester or on any other Latin American literary work produced before 1950. In the preparation of this paper the student must take into consideration secondary sources, essays on literary and cultural criticism relevant to the literary work analyzed, integrating them into the paper and following the MLA style. Since students must follow the MLA guidelines on how

to present papers in Spanish, consultation of the latest version of the MLA

Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition) (2009) is strongly recommended. They could also access some of the MLA rules in the OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/

C. Write a Final Exam showing once more the ability to meet the specifications of the Mid-Term Exam by uploading it in the Dropbox of Desire2Learn that has been specifically created for it.

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Academic Integrity:

Method of Instruction The course will consist of 10% lecture, 60% large-group discussions, and 30% writing. Students will participate in class discussions, and they will write a composition answering one question regarding the assigned readings in every Session. Evaluation: Mid Term Exam: 30% 7 page Research Paper 30% Final Exam 30% In Class Participation & Written Assignment 10% Class attendance is mandatory. Mis queridos estudiantes: Bienvenidos a este ciclo de nuestras vidas en que compartiremos una misma ruta que nos mantendrá unidos y muy entretenidos leyendo, comentando y escribiendo sobre obras canónicas de la literatura latinoamericana. Deseo que este viaje que emprendemos juntos sea muy alegre y productivo académicamente.

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Es mi objetivo principal facilitar el aprendizaje sobre los movimientos principales de la literatura hispanoamericana desde sus inicios. Para esta empresa contamos con el libro de texto Letras de Hispanoamérica. Antología de la literatura de las Américas de Julio Ortega, Gustavo Pellón y Martín Gaspar, y el portal que he diseñado para este curso en Desire2Learn. En la Sesión Preliminar de ese portal de Desire 2Learn encontrarán el Calendario Tentativo para las lecturas y las asignaciones escritas. También lo he incluido a continuación. Por favor, no se olviden de mi dirección electrónica: L-Artalejo@neiu.edu. Siempre estaré lista para ayudarlos en esta experiencia académica que realmente atesoro... Atentamente, Lucrecia Artalejo P.S. Felicidades y gracias por tomar este curso, mis queridos estudiantes… Vamos a aprender muchimo y espero que nos divirtamos a la misma vez… Muchas gracias otra vez….

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Sesión 1: Presentación del curso y discusión de las reglas de nuestro juego. Fecha: Martes, 26 de agosto del 2014 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 2: La América Precolombina. Voces culturales americanas originales. Textos Náhuatl, Textos Maya, Popol Vuh y Textos Quechua. (Ortega y otros 1-33) Fecha: Jueves, 28 de agosto del 2014. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 3: Descubrimiento y mestizaje: de la Conquista a la Independencia: Cristóbal Colón en Diario de a bordo, Hernán Cortés. en Cartas de relación de la conquista de México y Bernal Díaz del Castillo en Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España (Ortega y otros 35-63) Fecha: Martes, 2 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 4: Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca en Naufragios y comentarios y Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas en su Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias. (Ortega y otros 64-75) Fecha: Jueves, 4 de septiembre del 2014.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 5: Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga en La Araucana y el Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. en sus Comentarios reales de los Incas (Ortega y otros 76-87) Fecha: Martes, 9 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 6: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: “Hombres necios que acusáis”, “En perseguirme, mundo, ¿qué interesas? y “Respuesta de la poetisa a la muy ilustre Sor Filotea de la Cruz. (Ortega y otros 88-95) Análisis de la Selección de romances, redondillas, décimas y sonetos en la Sección A y la Sección B de poemas de Sor Juana en http://www.los-poetas.com/l/sor.htm Sección A: “Detente sombra”, “Redondilla”, “Finjamos que soy feliz”, “Pues estoy condenada”, “Esta tarde mi bien”, “Estos versos lector mío”, “Ya que para despedirme”, “Dime vencedor rapaz”, “Cogióme sin prevención”, “Este amoroso tormento” y “Verde embeleso” Sección B: “La sentencia del justo”, “A una rosa”, “Sentimientos de ausente”, “Excusándose”, “Teme que su afecto parezca”, “Amor importuno”, “Oración traducida del latín”, “Nacimiento de Cristo”, “Ante la ausencia”, “Expresa los efectos del amor divino”, “Día de comunión”, y “Letras para cantar” Fechas: Jueves, 11 de septiembre y Martes, 16 de septiembre del 2014. SAMPLE

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Sesión 7: José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, El Pensador Mexicano. El Periquillo Sarniento (Ortega y otros 96-105) Fecha: Jueves, 18 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 8: Las nuevas naciones: del Romanticismo al Realismo: Simón Bolívar con su "Carta de Jamaica” y Andrés Bello con su "Alocución a la poesía" y “Las repúblicas hispanoamericanas: autonomía cultural.” (Ortega y otros 107-37) Fecha: Martes, 23 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 9: José Martí con “Nuestra América”, “Yo soy un hombre sincero”, “Dos patrias” y “Amor de ciudad grande.” (Ortega y otros 138-155) Fecha: Jueves, 25 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 10: José Hernández con “El gaucho Martín Fierro” y Domingo Faustino Sarmiento con los primeros capítulos de Facundo. (Ortega y otros 156-77) Fecha: Martes, 30 de septiembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 11: Ricardo Palma con "El alacrán de Fray Gómez" de sus Tradiciones peruanas y Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda en "Carta de Sab a Teresa" de Sab (Ortega y otros 178-191) Fecha: Jueves, 2 de octubre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 12: José María Heredia en “En una tempestad” e “Himno del desterrado” (Ortega y otros 192-99) Fecha: Martes, 7 de octubre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 13: Esteban Echeverría y “El matadero”…. (Ortega y otros, 211-15) Fecha: Jueves, 9 de octubre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 14: Sesión extraordinaria de Jorge Isaacs y su famosa novela María, epítome del Romanticismo Fechas: Martes, 14 de octubre de octubre y Jueves, 16 de octubre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 15: Recapitulación del Romanticismo, Realismo y Naturalismo. Clorinda Matto de Turner y Aves sin nido (Ortega y otros 216-23) Fecha: Martes, 21 de octubre del 2014. -------------------------------------------.--------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 16: Entrega del “Mid-Term Exam” al Buzón de Entrega (“Dropbox”) creado en Desire2Learn con este propósito. Este examen será corregido virtualmente usando la tabla de evaluación antes mencionada y formará parte de su portafolio requerido para la graduación de todo estudiante que esté haciendo su concentración en Español. Sesión 17: Entre el Modernismo y las Vanguardias: Definición del Modernismo (Ortega y otros 225-28) Fecha: Jueves, 23 de octubre del 2014.

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Sesión 18: El Modernismo a través de Manuel Gutiérrez Nájera: “Para entonces”, “De blanco”, “La Duquesa Job” y “Non Omnis Moriar” (Ortega y otros 225-28) Martes, 28 de octubre y Jueves, 30 de octubre del 2014. Sesión 19: El Modernismo a través de José Asunción Silva: “Nocturno III”, “Paisaje tropical” y “Sinfonía color de fresa con leche” (Ortega y otros 240-47) Fechas: Martes, 4 de noviembre y Jueves, 6 de noviembre del 2014. ___________________________________________________________________ Sesión 20: El Modernismo a través de Rubén Darío: “Canción de otoño en primavera”, “Sonatina”, “ A Roosevelt”, “Yo soy aquél”, “Lo fatal” y “El rey burgués” (Ortega y otros 248-65) Fechas: Martes, 11 de noviembre y Jueves, 13 de noviembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 21: Entrega del Trabajo de Investigación de 7 páginas sobre la obra literaria de alguno de los escritores estudiados en clase siguiendo las normas de la MLA. a principios de la clase en forma impresa. No se aceptará electrónicamente. Fecha: Martes, 18 de noviembre del 2014. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 22: Horacio Quiroga a través de “El hijo” y “El almohadón de plumas” (Ortega y otros 266-75) Jueves, 20 de noviembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 23: Gabriela Mistral a través de “Los sonetos de la muerte”. “Balada de mi muerte”, “La maestra rural”, “Pan”, “La pajita,” “Recado sobre Pablo Neruda” y “La cacería de Sandino.” (Ortega y otros 276-89) Fecha: Martes, 25 de noviembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 24: Miguel Ángel Asturias a través de “La tumba viva”, fragmento de El señor presidente. (Ortega y otros 290-97) Fecha: Martes, 2 de diciembre del 2014. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sesión 25: José Enrique Rodó en “Ariel” y Delmira Agustini a través de “El intruso”, “El vampiro”, “Nocturno” y “Otra estirpe” (Ortega 298--309) Fecha: Jueves, 4 de diciembre del 2014. Fecha para la entrega del Examen Final en el Buzón de Desire2Learn: Entrega del Examen Final en el Buzón de Desire2Learn creado con este propósito. Fecha límite para entregar el Examen Final: 9 de diciembre del 2014 a las 8:00 P.M. SAMPLE