Romance Languages and Literatures
Directors of Undergraduate Studies:
Thomas Pavel, Wb 205, 702-8481, jtpavel@cs.com (Autumn Quarter, 2004);
Elissa Weaver, Wb 205, 702-8481, e-weaver@uchicago.edu (Winter Quarter, 2005);
Frederick de Armas, Wb 205, 702-8481, fdearmas@uchicago.com (Beginning Spring 2005)
B.A. Advisers:
Daisy Delogu (French), Wb 226, 702-1931, ddelogu@uchicago.edu;
Justin Steinberg (Italian), Wb 219, 702-2854, hjstein@uchicago.edu;
Lisa Voigt (Spanish), Wb 218, 834-7408, lvoigt@uchicago.edu
Department Administrative Assistant: Juanita Denson, Wb 205,
834-5880, j-denson@uchicago.edu
Department Secretary: Barbara Britten, Wb 205, 702-8481,
bbritten@uchicago.edu
E-mail: romance-languages@uchicago.edu
Web: humanities.uchicago.edu/depts/romance/
Program of Study
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures offers programs of study leading to the B.A. degree in French, Italian, or Spanish literature, or in some combination, which may include Portuguese. Portuguese offerings include a two-year language sequence and selected literature courses.
Students in other fields of study may also complete a minor in Romance Languages and Literatures. Information follows the description of the major.
The B.A. programs are designed to give students knowledge of the literature in their area of concentration and to develop their ability to read, write, and speak one or more of the Romance languages.
Romance Languages majors are encouraged to participate in one of the College's study abroad programs. These programs currently exist in Costa Rica, France, Italy, Mexico, and Spain. Information is available from the department office or from the study abroad advisers.
Students with advanced standing should consider taking special topic courses at the 20000 and 30000 levels. Some of these courses require consent of the instructor.
Program Requirements
Students interested in any of the following degree programs are required to speak with the appropriate B.A. adviser before the end of their third year.
Degree Program in a Single Literature. The programs in French, Italian, and Spanish languages and literatures consist of thirteen courses beyond FREN, ITAL, or SPAN 10300. Students must first successfully complete FREN 20100-20200-20300; ITAL 20100-20200-20300; or SPAN 20100-20200-20300, followed by ten literature courses. The introductory sequence in the history of the literature is required (three courses from FREN 20700, 20800, 20900, or 21000; ITAL 20700, 20800, 20900; or SPAN 20700, 20800, 20900). Students are also required to take the following courses, which stress different approaches to language and literature and focus on a limited number of representative works: FREN 20400 (or FREN 20500) and 21500; ITAL 20400; SPAN 20400 (or 20500) and 21500. In addition to these requirements, students must take five courses in the literature of specialization (six for Italian). These courses are aimed at developing a broad knowledge of the field and, through the close study of major works, a proficiency in the critical techniques appropriate to their interpretation.
B.A. Paper. All students in Romance Languages write a B.A. paper, which must be submitted to the department no later than Friday of sixth week in Spring Quarter of their fourth year. By the beginning of their fourth year, students must submit a writing sample in the language of their concentration (or, in the case of equal emphasis on two literatures, in both). If the department deems language proficiency inadequate, there may be additional requirements to ensure that the B.A. paper can be successfully written in the language of concentration. Students should select a faculty supervisor for the paper early in Autumn Quarter of their fourth year. During Winter Quarter they may register for FREN, ITAL, or SPAN 29900 with the faculty member chosen to direct the writing of the B.A. paper. This course does not count as one of the literature courses required for the major. The B.A. paper typically is a research paper with a minimum of twenty pages and a bibliography written in the language of specialization.
Students typically may not use the optional B.A. paper in this major to meet the B.A. paper or project requirement in another major. Students who wish to discuss an exception to this policy should consult the director of undergraduate studies before the end of their third year. Consent to use a single paper or project requires the approval of both program chairs on a form available from the College adviser.
Summary of Requirements: French
3 FREN 20100-20200-20300 (second-year French)*
1 FREN 20400 or 20500 (advanced language)
3 FREN 20700, 20800, 20900, or 21000
5 courses in literature (FREN 21600 or above)
1 FREN 21500 (literary analysis)
- FREN 29900 (B.A. paper)
13
* Credit may be granted by examination.
Summary of Requirements: Italian
3 ITAL 20100-20200-20300 (second-year Italian)*
1 ITAL 20400 (advanced language)
3 ITAL 20700, 20800, 20900
6 courses in literature
- ITAL 29900 (B.A. paper)
13
* Credit may be granted by examination.
Summary of Requirements: Spanish
3 SPAN 20100-20200-20300 (second-year Spanish)*
1 SPAN 20400 or 20500 (advanced language)
3 SPAN 20700, 20800, 20900
5 courses in literature
1 SPAN 21500 (literary analysis)
- SPAN 29900 (B.A. paper)
13
* Credit may be granted by examination.
Degree Program in More than One Literature. The programs in more than one Romance literature consist of eighteen courses. They are designed to accommodate the needs and interests of students who would like to broaden their literary experience. Linguistic competence in at least one Romance language is assumed. Students must write a B.A. paper under the guidance of a faculty adviser, as is the case in the B.A. program in a single literature. The following programs require completion of FREN, ITAL, or SPAN 20300, or the placement or accreditation equivalent of the languages selected, with the addition of two or three courses for each language studied.
Summary of Requirements:
Program with equal emphasis on two literatures
3 20100-20200-20300 in a Romance language*
3 20100-20200-20300 in a second Romance language*
6 courses comprising two introductory sequences in two Romance literatures
6 courses in literature equally divided between the same two Romance literatures, one of which must be 21500 taken in either literature
- B.A. paper
18
* Credit may be granted by examination.
Summary of Requirements:
Program with greater emphasis on one literature
3 20100-20200-20300 sequence in a Romance language*
3 20100-20200-20300 sequence in a second Romance language*
3 one three-course introductory sequence in one Romance literature
5 courses in the same Romance literature
3 courses in a second Romance literature
1 21500 course in either Romance literature
- B.A. paper
18
* Credit may be granted by examination.
Honors. To qualify for honors, students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher and an average GPA of 3.5 or higher in the major. They must also submit a completed B.A. paper to their adviser by sixth week of the quarter and sustain an oral defense by seventh week. At least three members of the department faculty must judge the paper and the defense deserving of honors.
Grading. Students majoring in Romance Languages and Literatures must receive quality grades in all required courses. Nonconcentrators in Romance Languages and Literatures may take departmental courses on a P/F basis with consent of instructor. However, all language courses must be taken for a quality grade.
Joint B.A./M.A. Degree. The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures has a combined B.A./M.A. program for students with an exceptional background in the language and culture of the discipline. The program has been designed to ensure that the traditional breadth of the B.A. degree and the expertise of the M.A. degree are maintained. Because all requirements for both degrees must be met, an extra quarter is sometimes necessary to complete the program. Students apply to the B.A./M.A. program at the beginning of their third year. Graduate registration is required during the three quarters before receipt of the degree to meet the M.A. residence requirement.
Summary of Requirements: Joint B.A./M.A. Degree
Bachelor of Arts See preceding lists
Requirements
Master of Arts 8 30000-level literature courses
Requirements - Comprehensive Examination
Minor Program in Romance Languages and Literatures
The minor in Romance Languages and Literatures requires a total of six courses beyond the second-year language sequence (20100-20300). One course must be an advanced language course (above 20300). The balance must consist of five literature courses, including at least two in the survey sequence 20700, 20800, 20900, and 21000 (the latter only offered in French).
Students who elect the minor program must meet with the appropriate B.A. adviser in Romance Languages and Literatures before the end of Spring Quarter of their third year to declare their intention to complete the minor. Students choose courses in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. The director's approval for the minor program should be submitted to a student's College adviser by the deadline above on a form obtained from the adviser.
Courses in the minor (1) may not be double counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors and (2) may not be counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality grades, and more than half of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers.
The following groups of courses would comprise a minor in the areas indicated. Other programs may be designed in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Minor program requirements are subject to revision.
French Minor
FREN 20400 or FREN 20500 (one course)
FREN 20700, 20800, 20900, 21000 (at least two courses)
Literature and Culture courses taught in French (two or three courses)
Italian Minor
ITAL 20400
ITAL 20700, 20800, 20900 (at least two courses)
Literature and Culture courses taught in Italian (two or three courses)
Spanish Minor
SPAN 20400, SPAN 20500, SPAN 20600, SPAN 21000, or
SPAN 21100 (one course)
SPAN 20700, 20800, 20900 (at least two courses)
Literature and Culture courses taught in Spanish (two or three courses)
Faculty
F. Bruni, P. Cherchi, F. de Armas,
R. de Costa, D. Delogu, P. Dembowski, P. Desan,
N. Di Vito, M. Fumaroli, A. Lima, A. Lugo-Ortiz, A. Maggi, F. Meltzer, R. J. Morrissey,
L. Norman, T.
Pavel,
M. Santana, J. Steinberg,
L. Voigt, E. Weaver, R. West
Courses
Some 30000- and 40000-level courses in French (FREN), Italian (ITAL), Portuguese (PORT), Spanish (SPAN), and Romance Languages and Literatures (RLLT) are open to advanced undergraduates in Romance Languages with consent of instructor. Please contact the department for further information.
French (fren)
Language (must be taken for a quality grade)
10100-102100-10300. Beginning Elementary French I, II, III. Must be taken for a quality grade. This three-quarter sequence is designed for beginning and beginning-intermediate students in French. Its aim is providing students with a solid foundation in the basic patterns of spoken and written French (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) to develop their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills to the level required to demonstrate competency on the French examination. Although the three classes constitute a sequence leading to the French competency examination, there is enough review and recycling at every level for students to enter the sequence at whatever level is appropriate for them. Summer (complete sequence offered); Autumn, Winter, Spring.
10100. FREN 10100 is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of French, and for those who need an in-depth review of the basic patterns of the language.
10200. PQ: FREN 10100 or placement. FREN 10200 offers a rapid review of the basic patterns of the language and expands on the material presented in FREN 10100.
10300. PQ: FREN 10200 or placement. FREN 10300 expands on the material presented in FREN 10200, reviewing and elaborating the basic patterns of the language as needed to prepare students for the French competency examination.
10201-10300. Continuing Elementary French II, III. PQ: Placement. Must be taken for a quality grade. This sequence has the same objectives as FREN 10100-10200-10300, but it is reserved for students with enough knowledge of the language to permit a more rapid assimilation of its foundational linguistic and phonetic patterns. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
15001. Practical French. PQ: Enrollment in Paris study abroad program. In this course, students learn practical expressions, vocabulary, and grammar needed for everyday communication in the target language culture. The class has two levels: one for complete beginners in the language and one for those who already have some knowledge of French. This class meets in Paris. Winter, Spring.
20100-20200-20300. Language, History, and Culture I, II, III. PQ: FREN 10300 or placement. Must be taken for a quality grade. In this intermediate-level sequence, students review and extend their knowledge of all basic patterns (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) of the language. They develop their oral and written skills in describing, narrating, and presenting arguments. They are exposed to texts and audio-visual material that provide them with a deeper understanding of French literature, culture, and contemporary society. Autumn, Winter, Spring. (This complete sequence is also offered to participants in the Paris language program in Autumn Quarter.)
20100. PQ: FREN 10300 or placement. FREN 20100 is designed as a general review and extension of all basic patterns of the language for intermediate students. Students explore selected aspects of contemporary French society through a variety of texts and audio-visual materials.
20200. PQ: FREN 20100 or placement. FREN 20200 is specifically designed to help students develop their descriptive and narrative skills through a variety of texts, audio-visual materials and activities.
20300. PQ: FREN 20200 or placement. FREN 20300 is specifically designed to help students develop their skills in understanding and producing written and spoken arguments in French through readings and debates on various issues of relevance in contemporary French society.
20400/30400. Cours de perfectionnement. PQ: FREN 20300 or placement. This course is designed to help students attain high levels in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through readings and debates on various issues of relevance in contemporary French society with emphasis on summarizing textual and oral documents. Winter. (This class is also offered to participants in the Paris language program in Summer and Autumn Quarters.)
20500/30500. Ecrire en français. PQ: FREN 20300 or placement. Enrollment in Paris study abroad program for Summer and Autumn Quarters. This course is strongly recommended for students in the academic year Paris program. The goal of this course is to help students achieve mastery of composition and style through the acquisition of numerous writing techniques. Using a variety of literary and nonliterary texts as models, students examine the linguistic structures and organization of several types of written French discourse and are guided in the acquisition of the rules underlying each discourse type. Spring. (This class is also offered to participants in the Paris language program in Summer and Autumn Quarters.)
20600/30600. Phonétique et phonologie. PQ: FREN 20300 or placement. This course involves a systematic study of the French phonological system, placing equal emphasis on the recognition and the production of French sounds in context. Students also examine the relationships between the French sound system and French orthographic norms and grammatical distinctions. Classroom exercises and homework include examining authentic spoken discourse representing a variety of discourse styles and activities to promote the acquisition of spoken proficiency. Autumn. (This class is also offered to participants in the Paris language program in Summer Quarter.)
Literature and Culture
All literature courses are conducted in French unless otherwise indicated. French majors do all work in French. With prior consent of the instructor, nonmajors may write in English.
20700. Renaissance, Baroque, Classicisme. PQ: FREN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course is designed to give a historical overview of French literature in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. There are close readings and discussions from representative works of this period, such as those by Rabelais, Ronsard, Montaigne, Descartes, Pascal, Corneille, Racine, Moliére, La Fontaine, and Mme. de La Fayette. D. Delogu. Autumn.
20800. Littérature à l'Age des Lumières. PQ: FREN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course presents major literary and dramatic works of the eighteenth century such as those by Montesquieu, Prévost, Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, and Beaumarchais. The class includes close readings and discussions. Winter.
20900. Littérature à l'Age des Révolutions. This course presents such authors as Chateaubriand, Mme. de Stael, Balzac, Musset, George Sand, Flaubert, Baudelaire, and Zola. Subjects treated might include the rise of and crisis of romanticism, the heroic model, and a critique of bourgeois society. The class includes close readings and discussions. Spring.
21000. Du moderne au contemporain. PQ: FREN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course presents major literary and dramatic works of the twentieth century, including works by Gide, Claudel, Mauriac, Aragon, Genet, and Proust. Subjects might include absurdism, existentialism, gender and sexual identity, social upheaval, the post-modern condition, and the rise of cinema. The class includes close readings and discussions. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.
21200. Langue et Culture. PQ: Enrollment in Paris study abroad program. This language course is designed for students in our Paris programs who have high-intermediate or advanced language ability. Students explore various aspects of French language, culture, and history through readings and discussion. This class meets in Paris. Winter, Spring.
21500/31500. La Stylistique. PQ: FREN 20400 or consent of instructor. This course concentrates on linguistic and literary problems of textual analysis. It examines literary and stylistic techniques in poetry and prose with concentration on the explication de texte method of literary study. D. Delogu. Autumn.
22700/42700. Montaigne. PQ: FREN 20400 or 20500, or consent of instructor. Montaigne's Essais represent one of the most important French Renaissance texts. We read these essays from different perspectives (e.g., sociological, ideological, philological, feminist, psychoanalytical). We study the Moi Montaignien (and more generally, the "literary Moi" of the Renaissance) by contrasting it to a series of "others" (e.g., books, women, cannibals, peasants). P. Desan. Winter.
23100. Rabelais et son temps. PQ: FREN 20300 and enrollment in Paris study abroad program. A travers l'œuvre de Rabelais nous aborderons les grands thèmes de la Renaissance et, de façon plus générale, de la modernité. La première partie du cours aura pour but de présenter le contexte social, politique, économique, et religieux de la première moitié du XVIe siècle en reliant les thèmes choisis à des problèmes plus modernes. Car Rabelais nous permet d'aborder les grands thèmes de la société française contemporaine. Nous aborderons ainsi l'écriture du corps, l'organisation sociale de l'Ancien régime, les premières théories économiques, la découverte du Nouveau Monde et l'exploration de l'altérité. La seconde partie du cours sera offerte in situ, c'est-à-dire à l'abbaye ou Rabelais fut moine. P. Desan. Summer.
27701/37701. Baudelaire. PQ: FREN 20400 or 20500. Reading knowledge of French. Consent of instructor. In this course we read Les fleurs du mal, other poems, some of the letters, the journal, and the prose works (including art criticism). We also read some of the major critics on Baudelaire, such as Proust, Benjamin, Auerbach, Derrida, and Poulet. Course conducted in English; readings in the original. F. Meltzer. Winter.
29400/39400. Le roman français contemporain. PQ: FREN 20400 or 20500, or consent of instructor. Le cours examinera la production romanesque en France depuis 1980. Parmi les auteurs étudiés figureront Pascal Quignard, Philippe Sollers, Nancy Houston, Pierre Michon, Echenoz, Richard Millet, et Benoîht Duteurtre. T. Pavel. Autumn.
29700. Readings in Special Topics. PQ: FREN 10300 or 20300, depending upon the requirements of the program for which credit is sought. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Directed readings in special topics not covered by courses offered as part of the program in French. Because registration in FREN 29700 is subject to departmental approval, the subjects treated and work completed for the course must be chosen in consultation with the instructor no later than the end of the preceding quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
29900. B.A. Paper Preparation: French. PQ: Consent of B.A. adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This course offers a structure for students writing their B.A. papers. Students work with a faculty member of their choice who directs their paper and supervises their writing. Winter.
35800-35900. M.A. Seminar I, II. PQ: Advanced standing and consent of instructor. Autumn, Winter.
The following three-course Civilization Sequence is offered in Paris in Autumn Quarter. Students who have already met the general education requirement in civilization studies may use these courses to meet French major or minor requirements.
SOSC 27500-27600-27700. Civilisation Européenne I, II, III. PQ : Advanced knowledge of French. Enrollment in Paris study abroad program. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies. Cette série de cours est un hybride: à la fois une introduction à l'histoire de la civilisation européenne depuis le Moyen Age et une vue d'ensemble de l'histoire de France durant cette période. Notre objectif sera double: d'une part, intégrer étude de textes et découverte de Paris et de sa région; de l'autre, pratiquer le métier d'historiens de la culture. Pour ce faire, nous analyserons de nombreux documents historiques et oeuvres littéraires, philosophiques, artistiques, et musicales. Nous en discuterons lors de nos trois réunions hebdomadaires. De plus, nous étudierons la civilisation française à travers les villages, monastères, et chânteaux de la région parisienne et ailleurs. This class meets in Paris. Autumn.
Italian (ital)
Language (must be taken for a quality grade)
10100-10200-10300. Beginning Elementary Italian I, II, III. Must be taken for a quality grade. This three-quarter sequence is designed for beginning and beginning-intermediate students in Italian. Its aim is to provide students with a solid foundation in the basic patterns of spoken and written Italian (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, sociocultural norms) to develop their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills to the level required to demonstrate competency on the Italian examination. Although the three classes constitute a sequence leading to the Italian competency examination, there is enough review and recycling at every level for students to enter the sequence at whatever level is appropriate for them. Cultural awareness is enhanced through close study of the Italian theatrical tradition. Summer (complete sequence offered); Autumn, Winter, Spring. (ITAL 10300 is also offered in Pisa in Spring Quarter.)
10100. ITAL 10100 is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of Italian, and for those who need an in-depth review of the basic patterns of the language.
10200. PQ: ITAL 10100 or placement. ITAL 10200 offers a rapid review of the basic patterns of the language and expands on the material presented in ITAL 10100.
10300. PQ: ITAL 10200 or placement. ITAL 10300 expands on the material presented in ITAL 10200, reviewing and elaborating the basic patterns of the language as needed to prepare students for the Italian competency examination. (ITAL 10300 is also offered in Pisa in Spring Quarter.)
10400-10500-10600. Italian through Dante, I, II III. Not open to students who have taken ITAL 10100-10200-10300. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course is an intensive introduction to Italian. The principal aims of the course are mastery of basic Italian grammar, acquisition of reading skills necessary to read and discuss selected cantos of Dante's Inferno, and a beginning level competency in oral and written Italian. The course begins primarily as a reading course; however, the elements of basic spoken contemporary Italian are progressively introduced. Three class periods each week are devoted to the study of grammar and vocabulary and to reading and analysis of cantos of the Inferno; two classes are devoted to language exercises, including recitation and conversation. This course is offered in alternate years. E. Weaver, R. Walsh. Autumn, Winter, Spring. Offered 2005-06; not offered 2004-05.
10400. This course involves a reading and analysis of Inferno, canto 1; grammar study introduces nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs in present, future, and past tenses and considers differences between contemporary standard Italian and the language of the Divine Comedy.
10500. PQ: ITAL 10400 or placement. This course involves a reading and analysis of Inferno, canto 5 (and an anthology of passages from cantos 2 through 4); grammar review and introduction of the remaining verb tenses, the conditional and subjunctive moods, and participles and gerunds.
10600. PQ: ITAL 10500 or placement. This course involves a reading and analysis of a selection of passages from Inferno (cantos 10, 15, and 26) with concentration on the Ulysses episode in canto 26. Grammar review continues but emphasis is given to comprehension and production of the language, both oral and written.
15001. Practical Italian. Must be taken for a quality grade. This course is designed for students in our Rome Civilization study abroad program. In this class, students learn practical expressions, vocabulary, and grammar needed for everyday communication in the target language culture. The class has two levels, one for complete beginners in the language and one for those who already have some knowledge of Italian. This class meets in Rome. Autumn.
20100-20200-20300. Language, History, and Culture I, II, III. PQ: ITAL 10300 or placement. Must be taken for a quality grade. In this intermediate-level sequence, students review and extend their knowledge of all basic patterns (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, sociocultural norms) of the language. They develop their oral and written skills in describing, narrating, and presenting arguments. They are exposed to texts and audio-visual material that provide them with a deeper understanding of the Italian-speaking world. Summer (complete sequence offered; Autumn, Winter, Spring. (This complete sequence also offered in Pisa in Spring Quarter.)
20100. PQ: ITAL 10300 or placement. ITAL 20100 is designed as a general review and extension of all basic patterns of the language for intermediate students. Students explore the diversity of the Italian-speaking world through contemporary Italian short stories.
20200. PQ: ITAL 20100 or placement. ITAL 20200 seeks to develop the student's use of persuasive and argumentative language. Our focus is on analyzing and debating current issues pertaining to the Italian-speaking world, and articulating sound personal perspectives on these issues. A variety of written, oral, listening, and reading activities allow the student to explore different genres while reviewing grammatical and lexical items. Cultural awareness is enhanced through close study of contemporary Italian film and literature, as well as through in-class discussion.
20300. PQ: ITAL 20200 or placement. ITAL 20300 completes the study of the common grammatical functions and syntactical structures of the oral and written language and introduces the student to description and analysis of a variety of texts through written, oral, listening, and reading activities. Readings concentrate on classics of the Italian lyric tradition from Petrarca to Leopardi, with some examples of contemporary Italian poetry. Brief selections of literary critical and historical texts serve to contextualize the poetry.
20400/30400. Corso di perfezionamento. PQ: ITAL 20300, placement, or consent of instructor. Must be taken for a quality grade. The goal of this course is to help students achieve mastery of composition and style through the acquisition of numerous writing techniques. Using a variety of literary and nonliterary texts as models, students examine the linguistic structure and organization of several types of written Italian discourse and are guided in the acquisition of the rules underlying each discourse type. Autumn, Winter.
Literature and Culture
All literature and culture courses are conducted in Italian unless otherwise indicated. Italian majors do all work in Italian. With prior consent of instructor, nonmajors may write in English.
20700. Letteratura italiana dal Duecento al Quattrocento: Survey I. PQ: ITAL 20300 or consent of the instructor. This course is an introduction to Italian literature of the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. We read works by Dante, Petrarca, Boccaccio, and those of a number of minor authors. The literary genres examined are primarily lyric and narrative poetry and the short story (the Italian novella). The course provides a general overview of the cultural history of the period. Close readings and discussions required. J. Steinberg. Autumn.
20800. Letteratura italiana dal Cinquecento al Seicento: Survey II. PQ: ITAL 20300 or consent of instructor. This course is an introduction to the literature of the Renaissance and Baroque periods and close reading of works by major authors, including Alberti, Michelangelo, Stampa, Castiglione, Ariosto, and Tasso. We study various literary genres (i.e., drama, dialogues, treatises, lyric and narrative poetry) and important cultural debates of the period, including the querelle des femmes and the nascent women's literary tradition. E. Weaver. Winter.
20900. Letteratura italiana dal Settecento ad oggi: Survey III. PQ: ITAL 20300 or consent of the instructor. This course is an introduction to the major works of Italian literature from the eighteenth century to the present. The genres studied are primarily lyric poetry, narrative prose, and drama. We also consider the birth and development of Italian cinema and creative and critical trends in today's increasingly multicultural Italy. A. Maggi. Spring.
22600/32600. The Making and Unmaking of Petrarch's Canzoniere. This course is an intensive reading of Petrarch's influential and groundbreaking self-antology, the Canzoniere. Petrarch's collecting and ordering of his own work is in many ways without precedent. We examine in particular the historical redactions of the Canzoniere, its status as a work-in-progress, what Petrarch excluded from its various forms (especially the Rime disperse), early drafts, and authorial variants. The emergence of a new role for the vernacular author and the shifting space of handwriting and the book are central concerns in our discussions, and we make frequents use of facsimiles and diplomatic editions. J. Steinberg. Winter.
22700/32700. Dante's Inferno. (=FNDL 25330) Dante's Inferno is examined in its cultural (historical, artistic, philosophical, sociopolitical) context. In particular we study it alongside other crucial Latin and vernacular texts of his age, including selections from the Bible, Virgil's Aeneid, Augustine's Confessions, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Siculo-Tuscan poets. Political turmoil, economic transformation, changing philosophical and theological paradigms, and social and religious conflict all converge in the making of Dante's masterpiece and thus form a crucial part of our discussions. Classes conducted in English. J. Steinberg. Spring.
24600/34600. Letteratura femminile dal Trecento al Seicento. (=GNDR 24600/34600) This course is devoted to the writing of Italian women, beginning with religious authors of the late fourteenth century and humanist and merchant-class writers of the fifteenth century. However, we concentrate on writers in the sixteenth- and seventeenth-centuries and on authors belonging to the querelle des femmes. Authors include St. Catherine of Siena, Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi, Antonia Pulci, Vittoria Colonna, Gaspara Stampa, Veronica Franco, Moderata Fonte, Lucrezia Marinella, Isabella Andreini, and Arcangela Tarabotti. We discuss contemporary historical and literary critical approaches to the early modern period (e.g., Joan Kelly, Cristiane Klapisch-Zuber, Marina Zancan, Ann Rosalind Jones). Winter.
25700/35700. Teatro del Rinascimento. (=GNDR 25701/35700) We examine the major theatrical genres of the Italian Renaissance: comedy, tragedy, pastoral drama, and commedia dell'arte, texts and contexts (occasions, sets, performance theory). Our readings include work by Ariosto, Bibbiena, Machiavelli, Aretino, Giraldi-Cinzio, Tasso, Leone de' Sommi, and Isabella Andreini. Classes conducted in Italian. E. Weaver. Winter.
26200/36200. Renaissance and Baroque Fairy Tales and Their Modern Rewritings. (=CMLT 26700/36700) We investigate the distinctions between mythic narration and fairy tale and then focus on collections of modern Western European fairy tale, including those by Straparola, Basile, and Perrault. In light of their earlier formulations, we then read the complete Brother Grimms text. The final section of the course concerns contemporary rewritings of classics (Angela Carter, Calvino, Anne Sexton). We analyze this genre from diverse critical standpoints (e.g., historical, structuralist, psychoanalytic, feminist) through the influential works of Croce, Propp, Bettelheim, and Marie-Louise von Franz. Class conducted in English. A. Maggi. Winter.
28301/38301. Alessandro Manzoni. This course addresses both Manzoni's oeuvre and its historical and cultural background. We first examine the Romantic Age in Europe and the controversy of classical myths in neoclassical poetry. The second part of the class focuses on the rise of the modern novel in Italy and Manzoni's sources. We compare Melville and Manzoni and study the concept of polyphonic narration and the relationship between narrating history and telling a novel. F. Bruni. Autumn.
28900/38900. Pinocchio's Afterlife in Literature, Film, and Popular Culture. (=CMST 23100/33100) For course description, see Cinema and Media Studies. R. West. Winter, 2005.
29000/39000. La Poesia del Novecento: Testi e Contesti. This course is a survey of the major schools and trends in Italian poetry from D'Annunzio to contemporary poets. Emphasis is placed on understanding and, to some extent, challenging the various taxonomies that have structured traditional characterizations of twentieth-century poetry in the modern Italian literary context. The many "isms" (Decadentism, Futurism, Hermeticism) are considered. We also study particular "master" poets, as well as some dialect poets and several women poets, always with careful attention to their regional and linguistic specificities. All work in Italian. R. West. Autumn.
29700. Readings in Special Topics. PQ: ITAL 10300 or 20300, depending upon the requirements of the program for which credit is sought. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This course provides directed readings in special topics not covered by courses offered as part of the program in Italian. Subjects treated and work to be completed for the course must be chosen in consultation with the instructor no later than the end of the preceding quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
29900. B.A. Paper Preparation: Italian. PQ: Consent of B.A. adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This course examines problems and methods of research, concentrating on a literary topic of the student's choice, as preparation for the B.A. paper. Individual tutorial sessions arranged. Winter.
Portuguese (port)
Language (must be taken for a quality grade)
10100-10200-10300. Beginning Elementary Portuguese I, II, III. Must be taken for a quality grade. This three-quarter sequence is designed for beginning and beginning-intermediate students in Portuguese. Its aim is providing students with a solid foundation in the basic patterns of spoken and written Portuguese (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) to develop their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills to the level required to demonstrate competency on the Portuguese examination. Although the three classes constitute a sequence leading to the Portuguese competency examination, there is enough review and recycling at every level for students to enter the sequence at whatever level is appropriate for them. A.-M. Lima. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
10100. PORT 10100 is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of Portuguese, and for those who need an in-depth review of the basic patterns of the language.
10200. PQ: PORT 10100 or placement. PORT 10200 offers a rapid review of the basic patterns of the language and expands on the material presented in PORT 10100.
10300. PQ: PORT 10200 or placement. PORT 10300 expands on the material presented in PORT 10200, reviewing and elaborating the basic patterns of the language as needed to prepare students for the Portuguese competency examination.
12200. Portuguese for Spanish Speakers. PQ: SPAN 20100 or consent of instructor. Must be taken for a quality grade. This class is designed for speakers of Spanish to develop competence quickly in spoken and written Portuguese. In this intermediate-level course, students learn ways to apply their Spanish language skills to mastering Portuguese by concentrating on the similarities and differences between the two languages. A.-M. Lima. Spring.
20100/30100-20200/30200. Intermediate/Advanced Portuguese. Must be taken for a quality grade. In this intermediate/advanced-level sequence, students review and extend their knowledge of all basic patterns (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, phonetics, sociocultural norms) of the language. They develop their oral and written skills in describing, narrating, and presenting arguments. They are exposed to texts and audio-visual material that provide them with a deeper understanding of Portuguese literature, culture, and contemporary society. Autumn, Winter.
20100/30100. PQ: PORT 10300 or placement. PORT 20100 is designed as a general review and extension of all basic patterns of the language for intermediate students. Students explore selected aspects of contemporary Luso-Brazilian tradition Brazilian through a variety of texts and audio-visual materials.
20200/30200. PQ: PORT 20100 or placement. PORT 20200 is specifically designed to help students develop their descriptive and narrative skills through exposure to written and oral documents (e.g., literary texts, interviews). Students are taught the grammatical and lexical tools necessary to understand these documents, and to produce their own analysis and commentaries.
Literature and Culture
21500/31500. Estilística da língua portuguesa. PQ: PORT 20200/30200 or consent of instructor. This course is specifically designed to help students develop their skills in understanding, summarizing, and producing written and spoken arguments in Portuguese through readings and debates on various issues of relevance in contemporary Luso-Brazilian societies. Special consideration is given to the major differences between continental and Brazilian Portuguese. In addition to reading, analyzing, and commenting on advanced texts (both literary and nonliterary), students practice and extend their writing skills in a series of compositions. A.-M. Lima. Spring.
23501/33501. Metaphysics as a Disease. Major philosophers and writers in the first half of the twentieth century shared the belief in the existence of the intellectual disease they called "metaphysics." Some of them believed metaphysics could be cured by the right philosophy or the right poetry. Others were less sanguine. This seminar discusses texts by philosophers and poets for whom the overcoming of metaphysics appeared to be a genuine problem, namely Rudolf Carnap, Martin Heidegger, Robert Musil, Fernando Pessoa, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. M. Tamen. Spring.
29700. Readings in Special Topics. PQ: PORT 10300 or 20200/30200, depending upon the requirements of the program for which credit is sought. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Directed readings in special topics not covered by courses offered as part of the program in Portuguese. Subjects treated and work to be completed for the course must be chosen in consultation with the instructor no later than the end of the preceding quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
Spanish (span)
Language (must be taken for a quality grade)
10100-10200-10300. Beginning Elementary Spanish I, II, III. Must be taken for a quality grade. This three-quarter sequence is designed for beginning and beginning-intermediate students in Spanish. Its aim is providing students with a solid foundation in the basic patterns of spoken and written Spanish (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, sociocultural norms) to develop their speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills to the level required to demonstrate competency on the Spanish examination. Although the three classes constitute a sequence leading to the Spanish competency examination, there is enough review and recycling at every level for students to enter the sequence at whatever level is appropriate for them. Summer (SPAN 10100, 10200 only), Autumn, Winter, Spring.
10100. SPAN 10100 is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of Spanish, and for those who need an in-depth review of the basic patterns of the language.
10200. PQ: SPAN 10100 or placement. SPAN 10200 offers a rapid review of the basic patterns of the language and expands on the material presented in SPAN 10100.
10300. PQ: SPAN 10200 or placement. SPAN 10300 expands on the material presented in SPAN 10200, reviewing and elaborating the basic patterns of the language as needed to prepare students for the Spanish competency examination.
10201-10300. Continuing Elementary Spanish II, III. PQ: Placement. Must be taken for a quality grade. This sequence has the same objectives as SPAN 10100-10200-10300, but it is reserved for students with enough knowledge of the language to permit a more rapid assimilation of its foundational linguistic and cultural patterns. Summer (complete sequence offered); Autumn, Winter, Spring.
15001. Practical Spanish. PQ: Enrollment in Barcelona study abroad program. This course is designed for students in our Barcelona study abroad program. In this class, students learn practical expressions, vocabulary, and grammar needed for everyday communication in the target language culture. The class has two levels, one for complete beginners in the language and one for those who already have some knowledge of Spanish. This class meets in Barcelona. Winter.
15002. Practical Spanish. PQ: Enrollment in Oaxaca study abroad program. This course is designed for students in our Oaxaca study abroad program. In this class, students learn practical expressions, vocabulary, and grammar needed for everyday communication in the target language culture. The class has two levels, one for complete beginners in the language and one for those who already have some knowledge of Spanish. This class meets in Oaxaca. Winter.
20100-20200-20300. Language, History, and Culture I, II, III. PQ: SPAN 10300 or placement. Must be taken for a quality grade. In this intermediate-level sequence, students review and extend their knowledge of all basic patterns (e.g., grammar, vocabulary, sociocultural norms) of the language. They develop their oral and written skills in describing, narrating, and presenting arguments. They are exposed to texts and audio-visual material that provide them with a deeper understanding of the Spanish speaking world. Autumn, Winter, Spring. (This complete sequence is also offered to participants in the Toledo language program in Autumn Quarter.)
20100. PQ: SPAN 10300 or placement. SPAN 20100 is designed as a general review and extension of all basic patterns of the language for intermediate students. Students explore the diversity of the Spanish speaking world through a variety of texts and audio-visual materials.
20200. PQ: SPAN 20100 or placement. SPAN 20200 focuses on both objective and subjective description of people, places and life processes. A variety of written, oral, listening, and reading activities allow the student to explore different genres while reviewing grammatical and lexical items pertaining to each individual theme in context. Cultural awareness is enhanced through exposure to an array of target-language media as well as through in-class discussion.
20300. PQ: SPAN 20200 or placement. SPAN 20300 seeks to develop the student's use of persuasive and argumentative language. Our focus is on analyzing and debating current issues pertaining to the Spanish-speaking world, and articulating sound personal perspectives on these issues. A variety of written, oral, listening, and reading activities allow the student to explore an ample selection of topics while reviewing grammatical and lexical items pertaining to each individual theme in context. Cultural awareness is enhanced through exposure to an array of target-language media as well as through in-class oral presentations and discussions.
20301. Language, History, and Culture for Native and Heritage Speakers. PQ: Open only to native and heritage speakers with consent of instructor. The goal of this intermediate-level course is to help students who are native or heritage speakers of Spanish to improve their writing and reading skills and to expand their linguistic ability. Problematic grammatical structures and orthographic conventions are reviewed and practiced in a variety of short papers and class discussions. Both literary and nonliterary texts are read and discussed in order to enhance awareness of contemporary Hispanic societies and their historical roots. This class is strongly recommended for students who do not yet feel comfortable enrolling in more advanced courses for native and heritage speakers. Spring.
20400/30400. Curso de perfeccionamiento. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course is designed to help students attain very high levels in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. It also serves as an introduction to literary analysis. Through selected exercises, the close analysis of literary and nonliterary texts, weekly essays, and class debates and discussions, students are guided in the exploration of the relationships between linguistic expression and literary style while perfecting their spoken and written Spanish. Autumn.
20500/30500. Curso de redacción académica para hablantes nativos. PQ: Open only to native and heritage speakers with consent of instructor. The goal of this advanced language course is to help students achieve mastery of composition and style through the acquisition of numerous writing techniques. In this class students read a wide variety of literary, historiographic, and sociological texts. Through writing a number of essays and participating in class debates, students are guided in the examination of linguistic structures and organization of several types of written Spanish discourse. In addition, this course is designed to enhance awareness of the cultural diversity within the contemporary Spanish-speaking world and its historical roots. Autumn.
20600/30600. Discurso. académico. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This seminar/practicum focuses on developing vocabulary and discourse styles for academic verbal communication. This goal is achieved through exposure to taped formal and informal interviews and public debate in the media. Most important, however, is active class participation. Through a number of class presentations, students are expected to put into practice a variety of discourse styles (e.g., debates, lectures, seminars, interviews). This course is completed by the reading of newspaper articles from a wide variety of Spanish speaking countries. Spring.
21000/31000. Español académico para hablantes bilingües. PQ: Open only to native Spanish speakers. This seminar/practicum focuses on developing vocabulary and discourse styles for academic verbal communication through exposure to taped formal interviews and public debate in the media. This course also includes diverse written materials and, most importantly, active class participation. Spring.
21100/31100. Las regiones del español. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This advanced-language course expands awareness with regard to the great sociocultural diversity to be found within the Spanish-speaking world and its impact on the Spanish language. To accomplish this goal, it emphasizes the interrelationship between language and culture as well as ethno-historical transformations within the following regions of the Hispanic world: (1) Iberian Peninsula, (2) Caribbean, Central and North America, (3) Argentina and Cono Sur, and (4) the Andean region. Students are exposed to a wide variety of literary and nonliterary texts, as well as to audio-visual materials that enhance their awareness of regional expressions. Winter.
Literature and Culture
All literature and culture courses are conducted in Spanish unless otherwise indicated. Spanish majors do all work in Spanish. With prior consent of instructor, nonmajors may write in English.
20700. Literatura hispánica: textos clásicos. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course involves careful reading and discussion of a limited number of significant texts from writers of the Spanish Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the Golden Age, including Don Juan Manuel, Jorge Manrique, Garcilaso, Fray Luis de León, Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Calderón, and María de Zayas. Autumn.
20800. Literatura hispánica: textos españoles contemporáneos. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course involves a close reading and discussion of selected texts from the nineteenth century to the present. Authors may include Larra, Espronceda, Zorrilla, Bécquer, Pardo Bazán, Galdós, Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, Machado, Lorca, Cela, Laforet, and Matute. Spring.
20900. Literatura hispánica: textos hispanoamericanos. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course examines Latin American literature through representative texts from 1492 to the 1990s. Authors studied may include Columbus, Hernán Cortés, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Bolífvar, Echeverrífa, Manzano, Martí, Gallegos, Palés, Guillén, Neruda, Castellanos, Borges, and Arenas. Winter.
21400. Latin(o) American Short Story: The Monster Is Alive. (=HUMA 25501) PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This survey course introduces the Latin American short story. We explore and highlight different cultural movements and their regional specificities in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking America, from criollismo at the beginning of the twentieth century through the post-Boom generation and contemporary U.S. Latino fiction. For each narrative, in particular, we look at how different manifestations of the uncanny and the monstrous deform and transform daily life into a series of extraordinary circumstances. Readings include texts by Horacio Quiroga, Alejo Carpentier, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, and Clarice Lispector. H. García. Winter, 2005.
21500/31500. Introducción al análisis literario. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. Through a variety of representative works of Hispanic literature, this course focuses on the discussion and practical application of different approaches to the critical reading of literary texts. We also study basic concepts and problems of literary theory, as well as strategies for research and academic writing in Spanish. M. Santana. Autumn.
22201/32201. La novela de la dictadura. This course examines the aesthetic and ethical dilemmas of representation in the tradition of the Spanish-American dictatorship novel. We investigate literary and historical predicaments of writing about and writing under dictatorial regimes, interrogating in particular the power and authority of truth, lies, and fictions. Readings include texts by authors such as Mercedes Cabello de Carbonera, Gabriel García Márque, Augusto Roa Bastos, José Donoso, Diamela Eltit, and Luisa Valenzuela. Autumn.
24002/34002. Heterogeneous Identities in Modern Latin American. From the end of the nineteenth century to the first decades of the twentieth, the Latin American cultural field produced a set of canonical and countercanonical images concerning national identity that are still operative today. During that period, images of "the people," "the nation," and "cultural identity" inherited from the early nineteenth century underwent profound reconfigurations and broke apart into a multiplicity of new conceptions, conveying new ways of thinking about identity. In this course we study this heterogeneous production up to the 1960s, focusing on authors such as Gonzales Prada, Azuela, de la Parra, Borges, Arlt, and Garcia Marquez. J. Lasarte. Autumn.
24700/34700. Historiografia mestiza. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. Toward the end of the sixteenth century, bicultural and bilingual historians in Mexico and Peru began rewriting the history of the Spanish conquest in texts that draw on both indigenous and European sources and discursive traditions. In this course, we study accounts by Andean authors (El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala) and by those working in New Spain (Diego Muñoz Camargo, Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxóchitl), to explore whether and how historiographic form and historical content were revised from a "mestizo" perspective. L. Voigt. Spring.
26201/36201. Poesía del Siglo de Oro. This course is an introduction to the major themes and styles of Renaissance and Baroque poetry. Poets include Garcilaso de la Vega, Mendoza, San Juan de la Cruz, Fray Luis de León, Cervantes, Góngora, Quevedo, Lope de Vega, Zayas, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Attention is paid to the permutations of Petrarchism; the period's religious, political, and gender debates; and the relation between poetry and other artistic disciplines (e.g., paintings, theater, novels). Winter.
27600/37600. Introducción al cine español. PQ: SPAN 20300 or consent of instructor. This course is a critical examination of the history of Spanish film during the twentieth century. We focus on fundamental concepts of narrative in visual media and study a selection of films by, among others, Luis Buñuel, Carlos Saura, Pilar Miró, Luis García Berlanga, Pedro Almodívar, and Alejandro Amenábar. M. Santana. Spring.
29700. Readings in Special Topics. PQ: SPAN 10300 or 20300, depending on the requirements of the program for which credit is sought. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. Directed readings on special topics not covered by courses offered as part of the program in Spanish. Subjects treated and work to be completed for the course must be chosen in consultation with the instructor no later than the end of the preceding quarter. Autumn, Winter, Spring.
29900. B.A. Paper Preparation: Spanish. PQ: Consent of B.A. adviser. Students are required to submit the College Reading and Research Course Form. This is a study of problems and methods of research, concentrating on a literary topic of the student's choice, as preparation for the B.A. paper. Individual tutorial sessions arranged. Winter.