Spanish 32: Women Writers of Spain
AMHERST COLLEGE
Spring 2009
T, Th 11:30-12:50 Chapin 103
Profa. Sara J. Brenneis
sbrenneis@amherst.edu
office: Barrett 106
office hours: Tuesday, Thursday 10:30-11:30 and by appointment
I. Course Description
Twentieth-century Spanish women writers have carved out a particular niche in the canon of Spanish literature. Often envisioned as a single entity, they have, however, distinguished themselves as just as unique as individual writers as their male counterparts. This course will consider contemporary novels, short fiction, essays and poetry authored by women with an overarching question of how one defines an escritura femenina in Spain and what – if anything – differentiates it as a gendered space from other modes of writing. While the course will focus on women writers and the representation of the feminine in Spanish writing, we will also examine texts that present an un-gendered space as a point of comparison and contrast. As a Senior Seminar, this course will require an advanced level of Spanish and will include a formal research component.
II. Objectives and Grading
Students will read and interpret narrative (short stories and novels), poetic and essayistic texts written by Spanish women writers during Spain’s last century, considering them in conjunction with cultural currents, critical approaches, and theoretical trends of the same period. During classroom activities and discussions, students will analyze texts in terms of gender subjectivity, subject matter, style, historical and cultural relevance, social movements and trends of the period and authors under investigation, and secondary critical sources. The participation grade is based on the students’ involvement and engagement in classroom discussion, and includes announced and unannounced short written assignments. The oral grade refers to discussion facilitations and informative oral presentations. Students will write a total of 4 essays based on the primary and secondary sources under examination. For the final paper, students will assume the role of editors of an anthology of Spanish Women’s Writing, selecting appropriate texts and writing an introduction to their volume. This final paper will demonstrate the critical reading and evaluation skills that the student has developed during the semester and will necessitate outside research.
Essays (4) – 40%
Final paper and presentation – 20%
Classroom participation – 20%
Other written assignments – 10%
Oral presentations – 10%
III. Student Responsibilities
Students are expected to adhere to Amherst College’s Honor Code at all times. Students with disabilities or specific limitations that will affect their participation in the course should speak with the professor privately as soon as possible to make arrangements. Regular attendance is required and absences will adversely affect the participation grade. If students must miss a class, regardless of the reason, they should communicate with a classmate about what they missed and inform themselves of the homework for the next class. In order to respect the professor and the students, cell phones and other technological distractions are not permitted during class. This course is conducted entirely in Spanish: respectful dialogue en español is expected at all times!
III. Course Readings:
1) Fiction (Available at Amherst Books)
• Nada, Carmen Laforet, 1944 (Publisher: Destino)
• La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, 1980 (Publisher: Castalia)
• Melocotones helados, Espido Freire, 1999 (Publisher: Planeta)
2) Poetry, Essays, Critical Articles (Course Packet available in Barrett 201)
• “Introducción,” Desde la ventana, Carmen Martín Gaite
• “Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness,” Critical Inquiry, Elaine Showalter
• “Gender and the State: Women in the 1940s,” Spanish Cultural Studies, Helen Graham
• “La chica rara,” Desde la ventana, Carmen Martín Gaite
• Ernestina de Champourcín, Antología de la poesía española del siglo XX, 1890-1939
• Carmen Conde, Mujer sin Edén
• “Estudio preliminar,” Ellas tienen la palabra: Dos décadas de poesía española
• “Women and Fiction in Post-Franco Spain,” The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Novel, Akiko Tsuchiya
• “Mi Cristina” y “El mar,” Mi Cristina y otros cuentos, Mercè Rodoreda
• “La chica de abajo,” Cuentos completos, Carmen Martín Gaite
• “Clara Janés” y “Ana María Moix,” Mujeres de carne y verso
• “Dime que me quieres aunque sea mentira,” Dime que me quieres..., Montserrat Roig
• “Montserrat Roig and the Creation of a Gynocentric Reality,” Women Writers of Contemporary Spain, Catherine Bellver
• “The Silent Revolution,” Rosa Montero, y “Work, Women, and the Family,” Anny Brooksbank Jones, Spanish Cultural Studies
• “Te dejo, amor, en prenda el mar,” Carme Riera
• “Ana Rosetti,” Ellas tienen la palabra
• “Blanca Andréu,” Mujeres de carne y verso
Additional Texts on Reserve for Spanish 32 at Frost Library
IV. Course Schedule & Readings
ENERO
Semana 1:
martes 27: Introducción al curso
jueves 28: Course Packet: “Introducción,” Desde la ventana, Carmen Martín Gaite
Online: “Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness,” Critical Inquiry, Elaine Showalter (http://www.jstor.org/stable/1343159)
FEBRERO
Semana 2:
martes 3: Nada, Carmen Laforet: Primera parte (capítulos I – IX)
Course Packet: “Gender and the State: Women in the 1940s,” Spanish Cultural Studies, Helen Graham
jueves 5: Nada, Carmen Laforet: Segunda parte (caps. X – XVIII)
Semana 3:
m 10: Nada, Carmen Laforet: Tercera parte (caps. XIX – XXV)
j 12: Course Packet: “La chica rara,” Desde la ventana, Carmen Martín Gaite
Semana 4:
m 17: ENSAYO #1
Course Packet: Selecciones del “Estudio preliminar,” Ellas tienen la palabra: Dos décadas de poesía española
poesía de Ernestina de Champourcín y Carmen Conde
j 19: Ernestina de Champourcín y Carmen Conde
Semana 5:
m 24: Online: “Women and Fiction in Post-Franco Spain,” Akiko Tsuchiya (http://cco.cambridge.org/)
Course Packet: “Mi Cristina,” Mercè Rodoreda
j 26: Course Packet: “El mar,” Mercè Rodoreda
“La chica de abajo,” Carmen Martín Gaite
MARZO
Semana 6:
m 3: Course Packet: poesía de Clara Janés y Ana María Moix
j 5: Clara Janés y Ana María Moix
Semana 7:
m 10: ENSAYO #2
Antología: Taller en la Biblioteca de Frost
j 12: Course Packet: “Dime que me quieres aunque sea mentira,” Montserrat Roig
“Montserrat Roig and the Creation of a Gynocentric Reality,” Catherine Bellver
“The Silent Revolution,” Rosa Montero
“Work, Women, and the Family,” Anny Brooksbank Jones
VACACIONES DE PRIMAVERA 17 y 19 de marzo
Semana 9:
m 24: La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, pp. 37-83
Antología: Propuesta
j 26: La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, pp. 84-146
Semana 10:
m 31: La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, pp. 147-202
ABRIL
j 2: La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, pp. 203-253
Semana 11:
m 7: La hora violeta, Montserrat Roig, pp. 253-311
j 9: Course Packet: “Te dejo, amor, en prenda el mar,” Carme Riera
Antología: Bibliografía
Semana 12:
m 14: Course Packet: poesía de Ana Rosetti y Blanca Andréu
j 16: ENSAYO #3
Ana Rosetti y Blanca Andréu
Semana 13:
m 21: Melocotones helados, Espido Freire, caps. 1 y 2
j 23: Melocotones helados, Espido Freire, caps. 3, 4 y 5
Semana 14:
m 28: Melocotones helados, Espido Freire, caps. 6, 7, 8
j 30: Melocotones helados, Espido Freire, caps. 9, 10 y el epílogo
MAYO
Semana 15:
m 5: ENSAYO #4
Presentaciones
j 7: Presentaciones/Conclusiones
jueves, el 14 de mayo: Antología
Submitted by Sara J. Brenneis
on Thursday, 1/15/2009, at 2:22 PM