Master Course Outlines | Bucks County Community College

LITR236 Introduction to Latin American Literature

3 credits

2250

None

The Department of Language and Literature has determined that all literature courses must require a minimum of at least 2500 words in writing assignments.
During the first week of class, the instructor provides students with a weekly suggested reading schedule for the semester.

This course meets the General Education requirement for Arts/Humanities.
This course meets the General Education requirement for Critical Thinking.
This course meets the General Education requirement for Diversity.

This course traces the development of Latin American Literature from the mid 20th century to the present through the examination of representative literary and historical/cultural texts from a diverse range of writers and perspectives.

Course Learning Goals

Students will:
1. analyze literature through discussion and writing [Critical Thinking];
2. demonstrate an understanding of such literary terms, themes, strategies, and issues as are relevant to the works being studied;
3. express their understanding of the relationship between literature and the historical/cultural contexts in which it was written [Arts/Humanities];
4. demonstrate basic knowledge of the chronology of authors and literary periods/movements;
5. demonstrate the ability to view the literature from the perspective of diverse cultural groups and in the context of current social struggles, as well as through various schools of modern criticism [Diversity].
Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities

Students read from the work of Latin-American authors from the mid 20th century until the present. Such reading includes material from a variety of genres, including novels, short stories, plays, poetry, essays, and other writing. In addition to the Major Writers, instructors may choose additional selections.
- Major Writers: Borges, Carpentier, Cortázar, García Márquez, Rulfo, Vargas Llosa, Donoso, Fuentes, Puig, Allende
- Poetry: Mistral, Huidobro, Paz, Guillén, Palés Matos, Girondo, de Burgos, Neruda
- Essay: Ortiz, Ocampo, Meléndez, Asturias, Uslar Pietri, Anderson Imbert, Sábato, Zea, Bioy Casares, Roabastos, Monterroso,Castellanos, Lispector, Rama, Cabrera Infante, Benítez Rojo, Sarduy, Ferré, Valenzuela, Galeano, Dorfman, Rodríguez Juliá, Menchú, Stavans
- Plays: Denevi, Dragún, Gambaro, Gorostiza, Vodanovic,Wolff, Triana, Carballido, Usigli, Villaurrutia, Marqués
In addition:
1. Students enter the course both with and without training in verbal analysis of literature; therefore, a subsidiary set of objectives dealing with literary analysis may be imported as individual student needs dictate.
2. Reading remains the basic learning method available to students although various means of instruction are employed: Lectures, group discussion, mock trials, role playing, individual or group presentations to the class, team teaching, library research, etc.
3. Through reading, writing, discussion, and various class activities, students identify, explain, and analyze the following: formal elements of the literature, particularly images, image patterns, narrative strategies, diction, and structural divisions of the work; themes and thematic patterns; literary periods, movements, and terms as appropriate to the literature.
4. The writing requirement complies with Department standards for literature courses, a minimum of 2,500 words. Writing assignments reflect the course goals that students can comprehend, interpret, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the literature.
5. Because there are no prerequisites for literature courses, it is important that students understand the kind and quality of the writing expected.
6. Students use various critical approaches as ways of assigning the meanings in the work, including but not limited to the major critical schools--humanistic, ethical, socio-cultural, historical (both the history of events and the history of ideas), psychological, mythical, and formal.
Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals

To evaluate all learning goals and objectives, instructors may determine the depth and quality of student comprehension and critical thinking through several analytical essays (2500 words total required), exams, quizzes, journals, oral or multi-media presentations, class discussions, conferences with individual students, service learning projects, and other methods as necessary to course content.
Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student:

Instructors may choose an appropriate anthology. Some options include:
- The Norton Anthology of Latino Literature
- The Borzoi Anthology of Latin American Literature
- The Oxford Book of Latin American Short Stories
- The Oxford Book of Latin American Essays
- The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse
This may be supplemented with additional readings.

See individual course syllabi.

Courses + Programs

LITR236 Introduction to Latin American Literature

Department of Language & Literature: Literature

Course Learning Goals

Planned Sequence of Topics and/or Learning Activities

Assessment Methods for Course Learning Goals

Reference, Resource, or Learning Materials to be used by Student: