SPAN1900 - Ways of Reading

Although it’s possible to read a short story or a novel on your own, approaching a text using theoretical tools produces a more insightful reading and leads the reader to a deeper appreciation of the text. In this course we shall read and discuss varied and stimulating literary works written by both canonical and non-canonical Hispanic authors, while you familiarize yourself with important theoretical and critical terms, notions, and debates. (Post)structuralist theorists offer an indispensable gateway to popular genres such as fantastic literature and science fiction; Ecocriticism will focus our attention on the portrayal of nature, shedding light on our contemporary environmental concerns; Marxist notions of class struggle provide useful tools when examining the conflicts between social groups presented in a text; a feminist or queer approach inform a literary work by foregrounding gender or sexual differences; and a psychoanalytical view may shed light on stories portraying family dynamics or a child’s behavior. By the end of the semester, you will have gained valuable skills and insights to act as a more informed interpreter of literature and culture.