This course is an exploration of Don Quixote I and II´s major themes by means of an intercultural close reading of a selection of passages from Cervantes´ Don Quixote. Cervantes´ aesthetic principles of authors interacting with their own metafictional characters, and of outcasts forced to become villains, will be examined with reference to key contemporary Hollywood films such as Once upon a time in Hollywood and Joker. 

20 x 1hr sessions across both semesters as scheduled on MyCampus.

This is one of the honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options which are running this session are available on MyCampus.

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The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Presentation (10 minutes) - 30%

■ Essay (3000 words) - 70%

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

■ Recorded presentation (video or audio) OR a one-to-one presentation with staff 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. 

This course aims to:

■ introduce students to a comparative study of the presence and origins of metafictional theory in the Spanish Golden Age period and its reflection in contemporary Hollywood films; 

■ serve as an introduction to the study of the complex literary resources present in the first modern narrative, Cervantes´ Don Quixote; 

■ enable students to compare textual and visual materials across a variety of periods and genres to enhance their critical thinking; 

■ facilitate students´ ability to comparatively understand intellectual, cultural and historical content and contexts across related historical and cultural periods; 

■ encourage public speaking skills and confidence in oral and written self-expression.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ compare Spanish, European and US cultures when exploring the historical, political and cultural contexts of literary texts and films; 

■ reflect critically about social, political, historical and cultural contexts, developing a stronger international awareness; 

■ present their own criteria and analysis of comparative metafiction in essays and in class discussions and presentations.