Span 473
Spanish 473 is a senior seminar focused on the Spanish Golden Age
Spanish 473 “Encounters with the ‘Other’ in the Spanish Golden Age”
Spanish 473 is a seminar-style course focused on several of the literary masterpieces of the Spanish Golden Age and incorporates selections from narrative, poetry and drama. This course aims to provide students with a better understanding of the rich cultural productions of this period through a selection of representative works contextualized within their historical context. The texts selected for this course explore the theme of encounters with difference and interactions with others whose values are perceived as diverse from one’s own.
During much of the Middle Ages, the Iberian Peninsula enjoyed a rich tradition of cultural hybridity and religious diversity that came under intense pressure during the 15th and 16th centuries. As state policies promoted an idealized national identity associated with Castilian, Christian, affluent, and patriarchal values, what happened to those members of society who did not fit that mold? During the following centuries, how did writers and artists respond to these changes in their society? How did they imagine and construct difference within their works? What do differences such as those of gender, religious diversity, economic disparities, or the distinction between madness and sanity reflect about the ways in which societies are organized? Which citizens “fit” into society and which do not and who makes that distinction? In what ways might Spain’s approach to multiculturalism during the Golden Age inform our own approaches to cultural diversity in the increasingly internationally-connected, global community of the 21st century?
This course aims to approach these questions through close textual analysis and discussions about the salient thematic, cultural, theoretical, formal, and rhetorical aspects of the works. Our examinations will situate them within the cultural and historical context of Golden Age Spain as well as broader literary traditions. In addition to the readings included on the syllabus, students can expect frequent supplementary materials, including supplementary readings, paintings, films, and documentaries.
Our readings include selections from Miguel de Cervantes, María de Zayas y Sotomayor, Lope de Vega, Calderón de la Barca, Ana Caro, Fray Luis de León, among others.
For this course, students had the choice to write a final term paper or create an instructional website. Please find the links to the following student-created pages here:
El uso del poder y la manipulación de Jonathan Dearing
El honor de las mujeres de Dakota Flynn
El engaño de Leonard Garrison
El uso del sobrenatural de Arundhati Isadas