Simon Bolivar: The Politics of Monument Building
SPAN 286
Spring 2008 not offered
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| Crosslisting:
LAST 258 |
No figure has been seized upon more as a symbol of cultural and political unity than the liberator, intellectual, and founder of "americanismo," Simon Bolivar In what is the most recent and perhaps best-known example of this, the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has used the Bolivar legacy to present himself as the new founder, the new liberator, of his nation. In this course, we will examine not only the case of contemporary Venezuela but also the countless appropriations of Bolivar that have occurred across the Americas and in Europe in the 170 years since his death. From Sarmiento to Garcia Marquez, from the Spaniard Miguel de Unamuno to the U.S. socialist Waldo Frank, from the U.S.-led pan-americanismo of the 19th century to the Latin American "americanismo" of the 20th, Bolivar has been the cornerstone of discourse about the Americas. Generally speaking, Bolivar went from serving in the 19th century as a pillar of the liberal tradition to serving in the 20th as the heroic foundation of liberalism's critiques. In this process, modernization, cultural discourse, and the politics of race and gender played definitive roles. To consider all this, we will examine a number of rewritings of Bolivar's life and works, focusing on the dynamic process in which literary, cultural, and political traditions have been formed around him. A wide range of texts will be examined, including letters, essays, poems, novels, screenplays, and films. |
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Essential Capabilities:
None |
| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Seminar | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: [SPAN226 or LAST226] OR [SPAN221 or IBST323] OR SPAN223 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (HISP)(LAST)(RMST) |
Major Readings:
Authors will include:
Simón Bolívar
Arturo Uslar Pietri (Venezuela)
Hugo Chávez (Venezuela)
Gabriel García Márquez (Columbia)
Jorge Alí Triana (Columbia)
José Martí (Cuba)
José Vasconcelos (Mexico)
Ricardo Palma (Peru)
Miguel de Unamuno (Spain)
Guillermo Sherwell (U.S.A.)
Karl Marx
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Examinations and Assignments:
Readings, discussions, and papers in Spanish. Several short papers of 2 to 4 pages in length, in addition to one longer paper. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Pre-requisite 221, 223, 224 or 226 or permission of instructor. |
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