Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Note: Graduate Students Only

This course will explore Don Quixote and other early modern Spanish and Spanish American texts in their cultural contexts, with special emphasis on brains, minds, bodies and interpretation. Alongside these texts, we will delve into early modern scientific and philosophical thought as well as current theories and research from cognitive studies.

The mechanical reproduction of books on a large scale via printing presses was a relatively new technology in the time of Cervantes, one that was transforming communication in an enormous way. Now, on the cusp of an era in which software may be generating more of what we humans read than we might like to believe, this course examines an important chapter in the history of human reading and human writing, both as aspects of literary texts and as important parts of human societies.

Primary readings will be mostly in Spanish, while secondary readings will be mostly in English. The class meetings will be conducted in Spanish and/or English depending on the make-up of the class and the needs of graduate students.

HISP-S 708      #13633      4:45P-7:15P        M          BH 240     Prof. Steven Wagschal