Grand Valley State University

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Winter 2010

SPA 307

Death and Dying in Hispanic Literature

4:00-5:15 p.m. MAK A1184

Course Description:

This course will examine the literary representations of and responses to death and dying in the historical and cultural context of Spain and Latin America through the reading and discussion of representative poetic, dramatic and narrative works. Throughout the semester, we will integrate other forms of artistic expressions (the visual arts and music) that reflect the various attitudes and traditions found in the works we will be reading. We will attempt to answer such questions as: What are the basic differences in the ways in which Hispanic culture views death in comparison with our own culture? How is the response to death and dying different in distinct literary works (owing to genre, social and historical contexts, individuals)? Does the reading of literary works help us come to terms with our own concerns about death and dying?*

*This course is part of the General Education Theme on Death and Dying

Professor: Dr. Diane M. Wright

Office Hours: Mondays 1:00-3:00 p.m. and Wednesdays 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Office: B2-259 MAK

Tel.: 331-3203/3670

Email wrightd@gvsu.edu

Withdrawal Deadline is March 12, 2010 at 5 p.m.

Readings:

The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories, Roberto González Echevarría, Ed., Oxford: Oxford UP, 1997.

García Márquez, Gabriel. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. New York: Vintage, 1983.

Rulfo, Juan. Pedro Páramo. New York: Grove Press, 1994.

Strejilevich, Nora. A Single Numberless Death.Charlottesville/London: U of Virginia P, 2002.

Course Pack (available at the GVSU Bookstore)

Selected literary and common theme reading on course web site. 

 

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