Postmodern Metafictional Narratives in Contemporary Spain
FIST 279
Spring 2008 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
SPAN 258, IBST 312 |
This course focuses on narratives that are essentially metafictional, that flaunt the mechanics of narration, that problematize the means and objectives of representation in and of itself, and that thereby posit serious questions regarding truth, meaning, and the limits of knowledge. Our goal will be to see how metafiction, more than a mere literary posture, may be taken as a guise for concerns that are of a historical or cultural nature. The course also works as an introduction to the controversial but key concept of postmodernism, given its intrinsic relationship with historiographic metafiction, this being one of the essential traits of postmodern narratives. The course will try to build a bridge between different theoretical constructions and the sociopolitical reality of a country, Spain, that was considered by many "the most postmodern country in Europe" in the '80s. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
Major Readings:
Juan Goytisolo, COUNT JULIAN
Carmen Martin Gaite, THE BACK ROOM
Juan Marse, GOLDEN GIRL
Javier Marias, DARK BACK OF TIME
And also a selection of theoretical readings.
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Examinations and Assignments:
The students will write an essay (4-5 pages long) after every novel analyzed in class. In these essays, students are expected to provide a thorough understanding of the ideas developed through the close reading of the texts in class. Attendance, preparation for class, and participation will be a very important part of the grade, in order to reflect the protagonism of students in a class centered on discussion. Participation includes leading several class discussions with a classmate, after together preparing a summary of the day's reading and some discussion questions that should be submitted to the professor in advance. |
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