Fall 2005

SPN 351 • Don Quijote

Course Description

The course is dedicated to an in-depth study of Cervantes's masterpiece, Don Quijote. The entire text of Don Quijote, Parts One and Two, will be read in the original Spanish, and class discussions will situate the novel within the contexts of 17th-century Spain and literary history. We will consider such issues as the definition of the modern novel, Cervantine perspectivism, artistic freedom, and the critique of literature. During the course we will pay special attention to the figure of Don Quijote himself in an attempt to determine how and why the famous madman of La Mancha has achieved universal recognition. The prerequisite for this course is SPN 326K or the equivalent. Students should be prepared for relatively long reading assignments in Spanish. The course, active in-class discussions, and all assignments are conducted entirely in Spanish.

Grading Policy

2 in-class exams (30% each) 60% Term Paper (10 pp.) 30% Class participation 10%

Texts

Cervantes, Don Quijote de la Mancha (I and II), ed. Martin de Riquer, Barcelona: Juventud.

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