Course Catalogue

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The transatlantic encounter between Europe and the Americas in 1492 was a transformative moment in Hispanic, and indeed global, history. It was a time of intense novelty and innovation, as peoples, languages and cultures which had had no previous contact were thrown together under unprecedented conditions - but it was also a time of curious continuity, as writers on both sides turned to the familiar to process the unknown. In this course, we will consider how the emergent Hispano-American world was figured in literature across the transatlantic context during the colonial period (16th-18th centuries): did the so-called 'New World' ultimately engender a whole new literature to match? 

1 hour seminar per week x 20 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in Spanish and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into one of the SMLC Honours programmes, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Presentation (10mins) - 25%

■ Extended Essay (3000 words) - 75%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ Pre-recorded video or text-based contribution as alternative to the presentation.

■ There is no alternative to the essay, but an extension to the deadline can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor. 

The course aims to  

■ Introduce students to the colonial Hispanic transatlantic historical context 

■ Expand conceptions of the Hispanic world by diversifying definitions of its literary culture(s) 

■ Enable students to identify ideological trends and interpret materials in context 

■ Develop new literacies, such as cartographic and visual literacies  

■ Equip students to engage critically with colonial cultural production by means of guided readings in key theoretical areas 

■ Support further study and research in the field of colonial Latin American studies 

By the end of the course students will be able to  

■ Identify salient moments and phenomena in the post-1492 transatlantic encounter

■ Critically evaluate texts and other materials produced in the colonial Hispanic transatlantic context 

■ Apply relevant theoretical tools to the interpretation of colonial-era materials 

■ Discuss the intellectual history of the field of colonial Latin American studies 

■ Undertake research in the field of colonial Latin American literary-cultural studies and present results in an appropriate written or oral format