HIST 492- Spring 2013 AND COWBOYS IN THE ARGENTINE FRONTIER: THE TRANSNATIONAL ORIGINS OF A LOCAL LITERARY TRADITION(19TH-20TH CENTURIES)

UNIV 319, T-Th.1:30-2:45 Prof. Ariel de la Fuente UNIV 324 [email protected] Off.consultation by appt.

The history of has been a complex and rich one (that ranged from glamorous first ladies to some of the worst cases of state terrorism) but in the 19th -century the frontier, the , and the gauchos were at the center of the national experience. Not surprisingly, then, they have also been at the center of the most intriguing and creative literary experiments. One of the aims of this course is to read the classics that first treated these questions and see how each author updated, challenged, and ultimately changed preconceived notions on the Pampas and the gauchos. Some Argentine authors inserted the Argentine representation of the gauchos in the broader universe of Western culture and ‘World Literature’. Thus, to understand some aspects of the changes they brought to the local literature we will also read some American and English classics, which will point toward the transnational dimensions of any local historical and cultural process. To fully understand how international cultural processes work we will also relate the development of the 19th century literature with other comparable processes in the 20th century. As we will see, politics have been a permanent force behind most literary experiments in Argentina and, therefore, the course will pay close attention to the historical context in which they took place.

Grades: Students will be graded on class attendance and participation (5%), quizzes (45%), 1st exam (30%), and 2nd exam (20%).

Bibliography: Domingo F. Sarmiento, Facundo:Civilization and Barbarism Lucio V. Mansilla, A Visit to the Ranquel Indians José Hernández, The Martín Fierro William H. Hudson, Far Away and Long Ago Owen Wister, The Virginian Cormac McCarthy,Blood Meridian

For those who prefer to read the Spanish originals of Facundo,Una Excursion a los indios ranqueles,Martín Fierro,and Don Segundo Sombra, they can be downloaded for free from the ‘Proyecyo Biblioteca Digital Argentina’ (Diario Clarín) at www.biblioteca.clarin.com

Suggested Reading:

Leslie Bethell (ed.)Cambridge History of (11 vols.) (New York:Cambridge University Press, 1984), chapters on the History of Argentina.

Schedule (tentative):

Week 1. Introduction Argentine history 2. Eliot, Borges, Prose. 3. Sarmiento,Facundo 4-5. Mansilla, Ranquel Indians 6-7. Gauchesque poetry: Martín Fierro 8.”The Slippery One”; Fausto 9. Hudson, Far Away and Long Ago 10.Review/ mid-term 11. Ricardo Guiraldes, Don Segundo Sombra 12.Owen Wister The Virginian 13. Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian 14-15.Borges, selected stories

University disclaimers:

Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty: plagiarism refers to the duplication of phrasing without attribution. Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty will be penalized in accordance with Purdue University policies. It is the student’s responsibility to be informed about university policies in this respect.

Changes in syllabus: This syllabus is subject to change. In the event of any change I will notify students via their official Purdue email account and/or in class.

Campus emergency: In the event of a major campus emergency course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances.