This module is not currently running in 2024 to 2025.
This module offers an introduction to the history and culture of Latin America through a reading of short stories from different regions. Links are made between political events and circumstances, such as the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent Cristero Rebellion, 'La Violencia' of Colombia, the literary ‘Boom’ of the 1960s, and cultural genres, such as political writing and Magical Realism, in order to highlight how different writers explore key issues affecting their countries. The module begins by outlining common themes in Latin American literature, such as the experience of colonialism, independence indigenismo, and mestizaje, and the question of identity in a post-colonial context. It then focuses on individual short stories and explores the ways in which they communicate these themes.
Total Contact Hours: 20
Private Study Hours: 130
Total Study Hours: 150
Main assessment methods
This module will be assessed by 100% coursework.
• Essay 1 (2,000 words) – 50%
• Essay 2 (2,000 words) - 50%
Reassessment methods
This module will be reassessed by 100% coursework.
• Reassessment Essay (2,500 words) – 100%
Indicative Reading List
Cabrera, L. (2005). Afro-Cuban Tales. Nebraska: Bison Books
Cortázar, J. (1985). Blow-Up And Other Stories. New York: Random House
García Márquez, G. (2014). Collected Stories. London: Penguin
Rulfo, J. (1971). The Burning Plain. Austin: University of Texas Press
See the library reading list for this module (Canterbury)
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Latin American history and culture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries;
2 Demonstrate knowledge of selected twentieth-century prose works that both reflect and create Latin American history and culture;
3 Demonstrate close reading and analytical skills, including the application of critical thinking to the study of Latin American literature.
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will be able to:
1 Demonstrate their skills in critical analysis;
2 Demonstrate their written communication skills, including the structuring of an original argument, through the writing of the essays;
3 Demonstrate IT skills by conducting individual research using available resources (library and online) and by using computers to produce coursework;
4 Demonstrate independent learning skills by being able to make use of a wide range of resources, including up-to-date research in peer-reviewed journals, information
technology, relevant subject bibliographies and other primary and secondary sources.
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