SPANISH 235 - The Moral of the Story

Institution:

Bard College

Subject:

Description:

Stories in medieval Spanish literature often claim to teach rather than entertain the reader. Even in these early examples, however, it is not always clear whether the "moral" of the story islost to the sheer pleasure of the text. Often, the most compelling stories do not possess clear-cut lessons, but seduce the reader through their fictions. Part of this seduction may consist of the rather ambiguous "morality" these stories convey.As early as the 14th century, don Juan Manuel suggested that by adding more "sugar or honey" (a ?ú car o miel ) to a story, its lessonbecomes more palatable. The tension between didactic and aesthetic imperatives thus provides a framework with which to examine a wide range of short stories and to think about the function of art in general. Some of the subjects explored in this course include the relationship between the storyteller and the audience; the difference between reading aloud and silent reading; and variations of the short story (including fables, enxiemplos, novellas, and microrelatos). The list of writers studied includes don Juan Manuel, Miguel de Cervantes, Mariano José de Larra, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, EmiliaPardo Bazán, Vicente Blasco Ibá?ez, Pío BarojaIgnacio Aldecoa, and Ana María Matute.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.bard.edu

Phone Number:

(845) 758-6822

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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