Overview of Course

LSPA 250 will explore selected works in literature (translated into English), film and performing arts, as well as cultural artifacts from different periods and genres which represent the interrelationship of Spanish language and the literatures and cultures connected with this language. The major purpose of the course will be the examination of Spanish culture to determine if there is a uniquely Spanish manner of seeing and understanding the world—one which emerges as clearly distinct from our own and that of other European nations. As we examine the origins of Spain, we will emphasize certain themes: the importance of the co-existence of three cultures—Arabic, Christian, and Jewish—and the striving for the definition of a national culture. The artistic role of the convert Jews, mystics and heretics, marginal figures in Inquisitional Spain, will be linked to the twentieth century artists who, because they disagreed with the Fascist regime, were marginalized through exile, imprisonment, or censorship. In this course, students will engage in both reflective and analytical writing as they investigate and report on their readings and on their voyage experiences. Students will be required to write a journal, informal and formal papers, and class presentations.