Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Prerequisite:  HISP-S 280 or HISP-S 310

This course introduces students to Hispanic literature and film through works by some the most important writers/filmmakers in 20th – 21st century Hispanic culture. It focuses on critical reading and literary analysis as a way of gaining a more complex understanding of literature and other cultural forms (e.g., music, film, television, etc.). Students learn to read critically and creatively, analyzing the strategies that different authors use to express their ideas, create their literary and filmic worlds, and engage and persuade the reader.

We will discuss texts that deal with issues such as gender and sexuality, the transformative power of language and literature, race and identity, traumatic experience and transitional justice, and the complexity of family relationships. Our writers/directors hail from Cuba, the U.S., Mexico, Chile, and Spain.

As an introduction, the class will familiarize you with the basic tools for analyzing film and three literary genres: narrative, poetry, and drama. We will question the limits of textual interpretation (What is the difference between opinion and interpretation? Is any interpretation of a text valid?) and work towards producing readings that are creative, insightful, and grounded. The course especially emphasizes building your interpretations through active class discussion and argumentative writing in Spanish.

This class

• gives you ample opportunity to better debate and discuss your ideas in Spanish
• helps you hone your reading and writing skills in Spanish
• gets you ready for study abroad
• prepares you for advanced classes in literature and cultural studies, and
• empowers you to be a more critical and creative thinker across the board, no matter your major      

Note: This class is open to Hutton Honors College students only.

This course carries CASE A&H and CASE GCC distribution credit.

HISP-S 328   #13557   1:15P-2:30P    TR     BH 314        Prof. Melissa Dinverno

• A&H
• GCC
• What are CASE requirements?