Chicano
Studies 312: Mediterranean and
Pre-Columbian Myths in Latin American Literature
Dr. Roberto Cantú
Spring 2016
Class Meetings: King Hall B-2006, TR 11:40 a.m.-1:20 p.m.
Office: KH B3023.
Hours: TR
10:15-11:35 a.m.
Telephone: (323) 343-2195
(with voice mail)
Announcements
2016 Conference on Américo
Paredes
Music Hall, May 6-7
I. Required Readings*
1.
Carpentier,
Alejo. The Lost Steps (Univ. of
Minnesota Press, 1953).
2.
Castellanos, Rosario. The
Book of Lamentations (Penguin, 1962).
3.
Fuentes,
Carlos. Where the Air is Clear (Dalkey Archive Press, 1958).
4.
Vargas
Llosa, Mario. The Storyteller (Picador, 2001).
*Also available at the Student Book Mart, 1725 Eastern Avenue (call [323] 262-5511).
II. Recommended Readings
1. Jas Elsner, Imperial Rome and Christian Triumph (Oxford University Press, 1998);
2. David Freidel and Linda Schele, Maya Cosmos: Three Thousand Years on the Shaman's Path (William Morrow, 1993);
3. Edith Hamilton, Greek Mythology (Any edition);
4. Gerald Martin, Journeys through the Labyrinth: Latin American Fiction in the Twentieth a Century (Verso, 1989).
5. Miguel León-Portilla, Aztec Thought and Culture (Oklahoma Press, 1968);
5. Taube, Karl. Aztec and Maya Myths (University of Texas at Austin, 1993.
6. Tedlock, Dennis (trans.), Popol Vuh: The Definitive Edition of The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life and The Glories of Gods and Kings (1996).
7. Woodford, Susan. Images of Myths in Classical Antiquity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
The Aegis of Athena
III. Course Description and Objectives
The
Ancients and Moderns theme provides an integrated introduction to the
interaction of the principal civilizations of the Mediterranean
basin—Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome—to form, next to pre-Columbian
civilizations, the “Classical Tradition” and the significance of that tradition
for the understanding of Western, and Islamic Civilizations in general and the
Civilizations of the Americas in particular. Comparisons will be made with East
Asian Civilization. Two
of the world’s six pristine civilizations developed in the Americas: the
Mesoamerican Civilization (Mexico and Central America), and the Chavin
Civilization (Perú); the other world pristine civilizations are the Egyptian,
Sumerian, Indus, and Shang (China).
This course
examines the ways in which Latin American writers incorporate in their novels
the ancient myths derived from pre-Columbian civilizations (with emphasis, in
this course, on Mesoamerica and present-day Perú), and the Mediterranean
heritage (mainly Greek and Roman). The course’s readings in Latin American
literature in translation constitute the instructional setting for the analysis
of how Mediterranean and pre-Columbian myths are appropriated and redefined in
novels as literary responses to the contradiction between an assumed national
tradition and the modern forces leading to secularization, industrial
development, and globalization. The required readings include four novels by
prominent Latin American writers: Alejo
Carpentier (Cuba), Rosario Castellanos (México), Mario Vargas Llosa (Perú), and
Carlos Fuentes (México). The analysis of course readings will be focused on
levels of formal or rhetorical features found in the texts under discussion. In
addition, the course provides students with a critical approach to textual
analysis, generic conventions and a comprehensive examination of the mythical
and ideological configurations of identity formation among emerging ethnic
groups in Latin America. Moreover, students will understand how to identify
the art, architecture, and science of Pre-Columbian America. Lastly, students
will be able to trace the development of the Renaissance and scientific
revolutions in Europe, and how they had an impact on European colonial rule and
its relationship with American Indian societies.
The final grade will include plus/minus and will be based
on the following assignments:
·
An essay
midterm examination (30 %).
·
A final essay
examination (30% of course grade).
·
A critical
essay (minimum 8 typed pages, double-spaced,
12 point, Times New Roman, due on June 2, 30% of grade) based on one required reading in this course
(your choice), and two scholarly references (articles or book chapters) related
to the author and novel of your choice. The grading emphasis in this paper will
be on the quality of composition, particularly in areas concerning analysis and
effective use of references.
·
Active and
meaningful participation in class discussions (10%).
Note: Cal. State L.A. will be
converting from Quarters to Semesters in Fall 2016. All students who are going
to graduate after semesters begin will be assisted in creating an Individualized Advisement Plan(IAP) that will make seamless their academic
transition from the quarter to the semester curriculum. Please contact your
advisor for further information and assistance. Turn off your cell
phones upon entering the classroom. No texting allowed during class lectures
and discussions. If you are using a laptop, sit in the front
of the classroom (no surfing the web while in class). Class attendance is
mandatory. After two unexcused absences, your final grade will be affected
by one letter grade. If you leave early, it will be considered an absence
(unless previously authorized). No late work and no electronic attachments will
be accepted. Consult your copy of the Schedule of Classes to review the
possible consequences of plagiarism. This course is in full compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Coatlicue (Earth goddess), Aztec, 15th century.
III. Course
Readings:
March 29 The Lost Steps, pp. 3-35.
March 31 César Chávez Day.
University Closed. Read The Lost Steps, pp. 36-150.
April 5 The Lost Steps,
pp. 151-200.
April 7 The Lost Steps, pp. 200-278.
April 12 The
Lost Steps: class discussion.
April 14 Where the Air is Clear, Part
I.
April 19 Where the Air is Clear, Part
II;
April 21 Where the Air is Clear, Part
III;
April 26 Where the Air is Clear, discussion &
preparation for the midterm.
April 28 MIDTERM
May 3
The Book of Lamentations; Introduction by
Alma Guillermoprieto, Afterword by Esther
Allen, and The Book of Lamentations, pp. 1-50;
May 5 The Book of Lamentations, pp. 50-70;
May 10 The
Book of Lamentations, pp.
71-116;
May 12 The Book of Lamentations, pp. 117-292;
May 17 The Book of Lamentations, pp. 293-381.
May 19 The Storyteller, pp. 3-36.
May 24 The Storyteller, pp. 37-108.
May 26 The
Storyteller, pp. 109-145.
May 31 The Storyteller, pp.
146-234.
June 2 The Storyteller, pp. 235-246. Deadline
for critical essay.
Final Examination: Tuesday, June 7, 10:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Blue book and pen only (blue or black ink) No pencils.
The Parthenon
Athens, Greece
Coyolxauhqui (Moon goddess), Aztec, 15th century.
Cuauhxicalli Eagle, Aztec, 15th century.
Biography of Carlos Fuentes
Clorinda Matto de Turner
Documentary
Interview with Mario Vargas Llosa
after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature 2010
"Primera Elegía"
by
Rosario Castellanos
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