SPAN 020. The Latin American Short Story

(Cross-listed as LITR 020S)
Uruguayan-born writer Horacio Quiroga stated that "as long as the human language is our preferred vehicle of expression, man will always make stories, because the short story is the one natural, normal and irreplaceable form of storytelling". Latin American writers moved the short story genre into new and exciting directions. Fantastic tales, magical realism, metafiction, neogothic, and postmodernism are some of the distinctive features of the Latin American short story. We will read a wide variety of short stories from the 20th and 21st century. We will learn about story structure and key elements of storytelling. First, we will study works by Horacio Quiroga and Jorge Luis Borges, whose innovations redefined the genre and moved Latin American fiction into the forefront of world literature. Afterwards, we will read short stories by Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Clarice Lispector, and Mariana Enríquez, among others. This course affords students the possibility of reading for pleasure while refining critical reading skills. No prior preparation in literature or Spanish is necessary.
Taught in English.
Note: Spanish courses taught in English (LITR.S courses) do not count towards the Spanish minor. One Spanish course taken in English may count towards the Spanish major.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Eligible for LALS.
Spring 2025. Martínez.
Catalog chapter: Spanish
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/spanish

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