Studies in Modern and Contemporary Latin American and Latinx Literature is an upper-division seminar taking a literary-studies approach to Latin American cultural production of the 19-21st centuries. Traditions covered may include Spanish American, Brazilian, and U.S. Latinx literature. Course content may vary. Please see the department website for current course offerings: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/hispanic-portuguese-studies/undergraduate/hispanic-studies

One of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the world, Almodóvar is unquestionably the most international of today’s Spanish filmmakers. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with Pedro Almodóvar’s films and to shed some light to the intricacies of its themes, cultural background, and visual style. Together with primary and secondary texts, we will offer an overview of Almodóvar’s career from his early iconoclastic Post Franco films of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to his most recent work that has gained him a reputation as an international auteur. Some of the topics covered will include questions of national identity, gender, sexuality, as well as Almodóvar’s original use of genre, visual style, and the director’s relationship to the postmodern concepts of performance and parody.

This course explores fundamental aspects of Spanish, Latin American, and Latinx cinema. Course content may vary. Please see the department website for current course offerings: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/hispanic-portuguese-studies/undergraduate/hispanic-studies.

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.

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.

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.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used . At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used . At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used . At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.

The primary aim of this course is to develop students' knowledge of the geographical, historical and cultural contexts in those regions where Spanish is used . At the same time that they are introduced to research techniques and materials available in Spanish, students strengthen their language skills through readings, class discussions, and frequent writing assignments. This course is designed to give students a broad understanding of Hispanic culture that will prepare them for upper-level course work and study abroad.