[top.htm]

   

[left.htm]

 

CPLT 355

Contemporary Latina Fiction

Dr. Gass

Office: UH440

Telephone: 278-2713

e-mail: jgass@fullerton.edu

Jmg242@aol.com

fax: 895-5751

Office Hours: MW 11:00-12:00 or by appointment

 

Syllabus

 

Required Texts:

Isabel Allende The House of the Spirits

Julia Alvarez How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Rosario Castellanos The Nine Guardians

Ana Castillo So Far from God

Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street

Rosario Ferré The House on the Lagoon

Cristina Garcia The Aguero Sisters

Cristina Peri Rossi Ship of Fools

Helena Parente Cunha Woman Between Mirrors

Elena Poniatowska Massacre in Mexico

Luisa Valenzuela Lizard=s Tail

All books are available at The Little Professor Book Center.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Contemporary Latina Fiction focuses upon the contemporary writings of North and Latin American women of Hispanic origin. In the course, we will not only read the works; we will examine the historical, political, and cultural milieu from which they come.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: In this course, you will be required to read each of the assigned works (almost all are novels with the exception of Elena Poniatowska=s Massacre in Mexico, which is an historical account), to discuss them in class, to keep a journal of your responses to the readings part of which will be to come to class with a question in your journal which you will ask in class, to participate in a 50- minute group presentation on the historical, cultural, and political background of the country from which one of the authors comes, and to write three 5-7 page take-home essay examinations, the questions for which will be distributed to the class one week in advance of their due date.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance is important, especially in this course. You may not miss more than 6 hours of class; if you do, you cannot receive a grade higher than a >C= in the course. Class participation is worth 100 points of your grade; your warm body in the classroom is worth 50 points; you must actively participate in order to earn the other 50 points.

LATE PAPER POLICY: All assignments are due on the date assigned. If, for some very good reason which you have communicated to me in advance, you cannot meet the assigned date, you may take one week to get the paper in without penalty. But you may only use this option once, and I will not accept work that is more than one week late.

GROUP PARTICIPATION: You are responsible for being there when your group makes its presentation. If you do not participate in the presentation, you will receive no points.

GRADING: Essay Examinations: 300 points (100 points each)

Journal:                                                 200 points

Group Presentation:                            100 points

Participation:                                       100 points

Total Points:                                         700 points

COURSE SCHEDULE:

Week #1: Introduction to course

Essays by Victoria Ocampo, Jean Franco, Rosario Castellanos, and Susan Bassnett (handouts)

Week #2: Group presentation on Chile

                                        Allende, The House of the Spirits

Week #3: House of the Spirits

Week #4: Group presentation on the Domincan Republic

                                        Alvarez, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

Week #5: Group presentation on Mexico (including the Chiapas rebellion and 1968)

                                         Castellanos, The Nine Guardians: A Novel

Essay assignment #1 handed out.

Week #6:

Poniatowska, Massacre in Mexico

Essay #1 due

Week #7: Group presentation on the history of the southwestern United States and the Chicano movement.

                                        Castillo, So Far from God

Week #8: Cisneros, The House on Mango Street

Week #9: Group presentation on Cuba

                                        Garcia, The Aguero Sisters

Week #10: Group presentation on Brazil

                                        Parente Cunha, Woman Between Mirrors

Week #11: Group presentation on Uruguay

                                        Peri Rossi, Ship of Fools

Essay examination #2 assigned.

Week #12: Group presentation on Argentina

                                        Valenzuela, The Lizard=s Tail

Essay examination #2 due.

Week #13: The Lizard=s Tail

Week #14: Group presentation on Puerto Rico

                                         Ferre, The House on the Lagoon

Week #15: The House on the Lagoon

Essay examination #3 assigned.

Catch up, if necessary.

Week #16:

Essay examination #3 due.

 

Return to Dr. Gass' Home Page