SPAN 108. Borges y sus laberintos

Jorge Luis Borges imagined the world as a labyrinth that could take many forms (a library, a map, a novel, an encyclopedia), and he used this symbol to allude to human destiny, and the quest for meaning in life. Given his profound impact on modern literature, philosophy and science, Borges is, perhaps, the most influential writer of the 20th century. His fiction has shaped all modern and contemporary fiction, but also influenced fields as diverse as critical theory, philosophy, film, and computer science. We will study how Borges’s short stories blend Latin American localism and universalism, often through philosophical parables, metafictional commentaries, and detective fiction, without ever allowing the development of the tale to lose its aesthetic brilliance. To help enrich our class discussions, each class will be organized around one of Borges’s major themes: mazes/labyrinths, identity and duplicity, memory, circular time, and historical truth, among others. Note: this seminar can also be taken as a 1 credit course.
Prerequisite: Students wishing to take seminars must have completed SPAN 022 or SPAN 023, plus at least one course in Spanish numbered 30 and above. Students are admitted to seminars on a case-by-case basis by the instructor according to their overall preparation.
Humanities.
2 credits.
Eligible for INTP, LALS, CPLT
Fall 2024. Martínez.
Catalog chapter: Spanish
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/spanish

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