Department of Spanish and Portuguese

VT: MACHADO DE ASSIS: From Brazil to the World

Machado de Assis (1839-1908) is a literary titan whose unlikely rise to prominence is legendary in Brazil. Born into poverty and orphaned at a young age, he was the grandson of slaves. Once an obscure name in the U.S., Machado de Assis has since acquired a distinguished following. Susan Sontag called him “the greatest writer ever produced in Latin America” and literary critic Harold Bloom describes the Brazilian writer as “the supreme black literary artist to date.” In this course, we will study selected works by Machado de Assis. Our discussions will include, but not be limited to, Machado’s social and political criticism of the Brazil of his time, as well as his literary dialogue with Brazilian and European predecessors and contemporaries. Readings and discussion in Portuguese.

HISP-P 676     #30976       12:45P-2:00P   MW      ED 2280       Prof. Luciana Namorato

Note: Above class open to graduates only