Università Roma Tre

Forms of fiction in Spain between the 17th and 20th centuries

The course aims to analyse in a diachronic perspective some canonical texts of Spanish fiction and to explore the evolution of the narrative voice and the point of view. The student will be led to have 1) a good knowledge of Spanish fiction between the 17th century and the first part of the 20th century through the critical reading of a selection of short stories and novels and the narratological analysis of the texts in the programme; 2) deepen the historical and cultural context to which the texts in the programme belong.

Texts

1. Miguel de Cervantes, Novelas ejemplares, Madrid, Cátedra (Prólogo, El casamiento engañosos; El coloquio de los perros). The texts are also available at cervantesvirtual.com);
2. José Cadalso, Cartas marruecas: Introducción, Carta XX, Carta XXI, Madrid, Cátedra (texts are also available at cervantesvirtual.com)
3. Mariano José de Larra, Artículos de costumbres: Un reo de muerte (available at cervantesvirtual.com)
4. Benito Pérez Galdós, Tristana, Madrid, Cátedra (compulsory ed.);
5. Miguel de Unamuno, Niebla, ed. M. J. Valdés, Madrid, Cátedra. (compulsory ed.);
6. Carmen Laforet, Nada, ed. J. Teruel, Madrid, Cátedra; (compulsory ed.).

Criticism and notions of literary history

1. R. Rossi, 'Nineteenth-Nineteenth Century' in: Mario Di Pinto, Rosa Rossi, La letteratura spagnola dal Settecento ad oggi, Milan, Rizzoli (BUR) or Milan, Sansoni-Accademia. Chapters 9-13.
2. F. Antonucci, Il Novecento letterario spagnolo: percorsi, Pisa, ETS (unit 6);
3. M. Socrates, ‘Novelas ejemplares’ in Cervantes' Il riso maggiore, La Nuova Italia (provided by the lecturer);
4. L. Chines, C. Varotti, Che cos'è un testo letterario, Rome, Carocci (ch. 3);
6. The introductions and notes of the editions indicated as compulsory (see ‘TEXTS’ sections);
7. Other critical materials provided by the lecturer; handouts on the history of literature and historical context provided by the lecturer.

See: TEXTS and Criticism and notions of literary history in "Programme"

“Forms of the self in Spanish fiction: authorial identity and narrative identity.”
The course will explore the evolution of Spanish prose from a diachronic perspective; in particular, the different declinations of the relationship between author, narrator and character will be examined. The student will be brought to have a good knowledge of Spanish fiction between the 17th century and the early 20th century through a critical reading of a selection of short stories and novels. The course will be structured around the following points:
- theory of narrative text analysis;
- reading and analysis of the texts in question also in relation to their context.

TESTI (follow the specific edition indicated for the preparation of the examination):

- Miguel de Cervantes, Novelas ejemplares: Prologue, El casamiento engañoso; El coloquio de los perros (available on cervantesvirtual.com);
- José Cadalso, Cartas marruecas: Introduction, Letter XX, Letter XXI (available on cervantesvirtual.com);
- Mariano José de Larra, Artículos de costumbres: Un reo de muerte (available on cervantesvirtual.com);
- Benito Pérez Galdós, Doña Perfecta, ed. I. J. López, Madrid, Cátedra;
- Miguel de Unamuno, Niebla, ed. M. J. Valdés, Madrid, Cátedra;
- Camilo José Cela, La colmena, ed. J. Urrutia, Madrid, Cátedra.