The Spanish Civil War in Text Designed by Sarah Glenski
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THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR IN TEXT DESIGNED BY SARAH GLENSKI COURSE DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES Political strife is something that has pervaded modern Spain. During the nineteenth century, the nation was plagued by a series of internal conflicts, the Carlist wars, in which vying factions fought for the right to the throne. A polarization of ideologies continued into the twentieth century. In 1931, the Second Republic, a liberal, democratically-elected government, came to power, yet the Nationalists, a group of right-wing rebels led by Francisco Franco, challenged and ultimately defeated the Republic during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). In many ways, Spain’s war prefigured World War II (1939-1945), yet fascism was not defeated in Spain. After the war, Franco implemented a fascist dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975. The war left its mark on the nation in the decades that followed and continues to plague national consciousness to this day. In this course, students will come to understand the political and historical context of the Spanish Civil War and Postwar through a close analysis of a wide array of texts, such as photography, art, narrative, film, and graphic novel. Just as the texts are of various genres, they are of differing political ideologies, points of view, and publication dates, which allow us to approach the war from many angles. Besides analyzing the texts for content, we will contemplate how the texts, which are organized thematically, dialogue with each other both within and beyond their thematic groupings. At the heart of our analyses, we will question what a civil war means for a nation, by considering the diversity of portrayed experiences of Spain’s war and the role of memory. As appropriate, we will bring in other cultures and wars through readings and discussion. Throughout the semester, students will engage in critical thinking and deepen their transcultural competency, while also continuing to develop their linguistic skills, as the course is conducted in Spanish. [Discussions for this course could easily be conducted in English, with readings in Spanish, or, with some modifications, the course could be conducted entirely in English.] COURSE REQUIREMENTS* Participation and Class Discussion (15%) Students are to arrive on time and prepared for discussion. During class, students are expected to engage with the topic at hand and to interact with peers. Facilitating Discussion (7.5%) Once during the semester, students will lead discussion on a specific text or selected excerpt (depending on length). Content and plan for discussion to be consulted with professor. Dates TBD. Timeline (12.5%) Over the course of the semester, students will work together as a class to create an annotated timeline for the Spanish Civil War. Entries on timeline will reflect key events studied in class, as well as those relating to final projects. Sarah Glenski, The Spanish Civil War in Text 2 Over the course of the semester, we will have short talleres (workshops) to go over progress on the timeline and to highlight necessary revisions with respect to content and expression. Journal (25%) Throughout the semester, students will make journal entries, both spoken and written, from open-ended journal prompts and more closed prompts given by professor. Each student will publish 4 entries, chosen in consultation with the professor, on the class website. Digital Project and Presentation (40%) In pairs, students will create a digital project, curating and annotating (orally and in writing) a selection of texts that center on a topic/theme relating to the Spanish Civil War, whether this be expanding on a topic studied in class or of the students’ choosing. Finished projects will go on the course website. To culminate project, students will give presentations to share work with the university community. Topic to be discussed with professor. Over the course of the semester, students will work on project, submitting the work in stages to professor to receive feedback. We will also have talleres to workshop the projects. *For all requirements, consult relevant rubrics for more details and a breakdown of assessment. For statement on academic integrity and accessibility, see institution’s policy and guidelines. Syllabus is subject to change at professor’s discretion. SYLLABUS* WEEK 1: Brief Introduction to the War Week 2: Two Spains, Historical Antecedents to the War Excerpt from José M. García Escudero’s Historia breve de las dos Españas (1980) [Essay] Antonio Machado’s “Españolito” (1917) [Poetry] Excerpt from Mariano José de Larra’s “El día de Difuntos de 1836” (1836) [Essay] Francisco de Goya’s Duelo a garrotazos (1819-1823) [Painting] WEEKS 3-4: Masculinity and the War Robert Capa’s The Falling Soldier (1936) [Photography] Propaganda from various political factions (1936-1939) [Posters] Excerpts from Felipe Ximénez de Sandoval’s Camisa azul (Retrato de un falangista) (1939) [Novel] Carlos Saura’s La caza (1966) [Film] Excerpts from Manuel Riva’s El lápiz del carpintero [O lapis do carpinteiro] (1998) [Novel] WEEKS 5-6: Women and the War Juan José Barreira Polo’s and others’ depictions of La Niña Bonita (1920s-30s) [Paintings] Carlos Saura’s ¡Ay, Caramela! (1990) [Film] Sarah Glenski, The Spanish Civil War in Text 3 Excerpts from Carmen Martín Gaite’s El cuarto de atrás (1988) [Novel] Excerpts from Carmen Laforet’s Nada (1945) [Novel] Excerpts from Mercè Rodoreda’s La plaza del Diamante [La plaça del Diamant] (1962) [Novel] Martha Gellhorn’s “Only the Shells Whine” (1937) [Essay] WEEKS 7-9: Children and the War Josefina Aldecoa’s “Una generación,” prologue to Los niños de la guerra (1983) [Essay] Excerpts from Agustín Serrano de Haro’s Yo soy español: El libro de primer grado de Historia (1962) [School manual] José Ángel Valente’s “Tiempo de Guerra” in La memoria y los signos (1966) [Poetry] Excerpt from Carmen Martín Gaite’s El cuarto de atrás (1988) [Novel] Gerda Taro digital archive at International Center of Photography (1937) [Photography] Guillermo del Toro’s El laberinto del fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (2006) [Film] Excerpts from Pilar Duaygü es’s Querido Diario: hoy ha empezado la guerra (2017) [Memoir] Excerpts from Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl (1947) [Memoir] WEEKS 10-11: The Americas and the War Forever Activistis: Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (1990) [Documentary] Langston Hughes’s “Letter from Spain” (1937) and “Song of Spain” (1938) [Poetry] Pablo Neruda’s “Explico algunas cosas” in España en el corazón (1937) [Poetry] César Vallejo’s “España, aparta de mí este cáliz” in España, aparta de mí este cáliz (1939) [Poetry] Luis Cernuda’s “Un español habla de su tierra” in Las nubes (1943) [Poetry] Concha Méndez’s “Para que yo me sienta desterrada” in Poemas. Sombras y sueños (1944) [Poetry] Excerpts from Max Aub’s La gallina ciega (1971) [Autobiography] Excerpts from Max Aub’s Tránsito (1944) [Drama] WEEKS 12-13: Trauma and Memory of the War Pablo Picasso’s Guernica (1937) [Painting] Valle de los caídos (1940-1958) [Monument] Excerpt from Marianne Hirsch’s The Generation of Postmemory: Writing and Visual Culture after the Holocaust (2012) [Essay] Excerpts from Carlos Hernández de Miguel’s Deportado 4443: sus tuits ilustrados (2017) [Graphic novel] Excerpts from Art Spiegelman’s Maus (1991) [Graphic novel] “Cualquier tiempo pasado,” El Ministerio del Tiempo (2015) [TV series episode] WEEK 14: Conclusions and Talleres for Final Project Reading Week: Presentations and Final Project Due *Whether the course meets two or three days a week will determine how readings are divided for class dates. Supplementary material on history and politics will complement main texts, as needed. .