This course is taught in English. The focus of the course will be on Cervantes? Don Quijote, a text that has been called ?the classic and purest model of the novel as genre? (Bakhtin). Our analysis shall draw on a rich array of literary/cultural theory and criticism to address the reception of this novel by different generations of readers. Our analysis and discussions will highlight key aspects of the novel, among them, 1) The formal dimensions of Cervantes? text, especially its extraordinary display of storytelling skills and devices (multiple ?authors,? narrators and narratees), and how those and other techniques contribute to the larger project of decentering traditional loci of authority; 2) The question of irony, self-reflexivity, and the constant testing of classical concepts of poetic discourse through a narrative practice that resists adherence to rules; and, 3) The literary, cultural, social, and historical underpinnings of Cervantes? fiction as well as the relevance of Don Quijote today. Other topics introduced in the discussions include the question of censorship; the topic of arms and letters; the debates about history and fiction and truth in fiction; the appearance and disappearance of the ?author?; illusion and reality; character development; the matter of justice and injustice; the exploration of self and other; the scourge of ethnic cleansing; the mass-oriented theater of the time as sociopolitical propaganda; and, above all, reading as a potentially liberating activity, thus tying it with the larger discussions of the importance of critical thinking, humanistic education, and the liberal arts.
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