Office Hours:
T & Th 2:30-3:30, W 2:00-3:00, and by appointment.

In this class, we will explore various works of literature from the Americas. We will begin the semester by thinking about what makes a literature "American" besides the origin or nationality of the author. We will consider two theorizations of American-ness; the first is lo real marvilloso, also called Magical Realism. After we discuss Carpentier’s classic construction of this genre or way of writing, we will consider what Walter Mignolo calls the "Colonial Difference." In the remainder of the class, we will read texts grouped into three categories, and in each of the categories we will apply the idea of Colonial Difference to explore the nature of a text from and about the Americas. The first group of readings will be narratives from the Americas. The second group will be two long, epic poems of America. The third group will consist of novels. We will end with a film, which will be the basis of the final exam. Be advised that this class requires a lot of reading, writing, and original thought.

Menchu, Rigoberta. Selections from I, Roberta Menchu
Mignolo, Walter. Introduction to Local Histories/Global Designs
Neruda, Pablo. "The Heights of Machu Pichu."

Note: For each book, I have provided the press and ISBN that I specified in my book order. If you decide to purchase these texts somewhere other than the two bookstores where I placed my order, be sure to order the correct book – order the ISBN number.

Be aware that some of these texts describe sexual situations, and some of the sexual relationships in these texts are homosexual (gay and/or lesbian). We will not debate the morality of human sexuality in my class, although we will discuss how sexuality functions in the various texts. If these issues in texts or class discussions will disturb or distract you to the point that you are not learning, drop this class.

Weekly Syllabus (note: reading assignments are to be completed by the first day of class for which the specific text is assigned):

Week 1:
8/28 Introduction, Carpentier (Carpentier handed out in class)
8/30 Mignolo (On Reserve in Michener Library)

Week 2:
9/4 Cabeza de Vaca Last Day to Add Classes
9/6 Cabeza de Vaca

Week 3:
9/11 Rowlandson Last Day to Drop Classes
9/13 Rowlandson

Week 4:
9/18 Menchu (study the table of contents, read the Translator’s note, Introduction, and Chapter 1)
9/20 Menchu (read the remainder, Chapters 30-34) Response Paper #1 due at the beginning of class.

Week 5:
9/25 Neruda
9/27 Neruda Distribution of Part 1 of Mid-term Exam. Answers are due at the beginning of class on October 9.

Week 6:
10/2 Crane
10/4 Crane

Week 7:
10/9 Mid-term exam. This exam will be in two parts. The first part, a take-home research question, will be distributed on September 27. The answer to the first part is due at the beginning of the class period today, October 7. The second part of the exam is in class and will be administered today.
10/11 No class

Week 8:
10/16 DeLillo
10/18 DeLillo

Week 9:
10/23 De Lillo
10/25 Restrepo

Week 10:
10/30 Restrepo
11/1 Restrepo Response Paper #2 due at the beginning of class.

Week 11:
11/6 Traba
11/8 Traba

Week 12:
11/13 Toscana
11/15 Toscana

Week 13:
11/20 Toscana
11/22 Thanksgiving

Week 14:
11/27 Montero
11/29 Montero Response Paper #3 due at the beginning of class.

Week 15:
12/4 Film
12/6 Film

10:45 - 1:15 Friday, December 14. Note: your final exam will be based on the film we see the last week of class. You must be present at the final exam. Short of your death or admittance to hospital, I will accept no excuses. Failure to attend the exam during the scheduled period will result in a grade of zero. Plan your plane flights, family activities, psychosomatic illnesses, traumas, disasters, lost pets, insanity (zodiacal, lunar, and criminal), and spiritual torpor and/or existential paralysis appropriately.

Response Paper #1 15%
Response Paper #2 20%
Response Paper #3 20%
Mid-term Exam 15%
Final Exam 20%
Attendance & Participation 10%

Response paper topics will be assigned in class. Paper will be five to six pages in length, typed, double-spaced, in MLA format. Cite the texts using MLA format. Be aware that the purpose of these papers is both to help prepare you for the exams and to ascertain the various perspectives students are using to read the texts. Thus, you should give evidence that you have indeed read the texts. Citing relevant passages is a very good idea here.

I will deduct one point for each circled mistake, and these points will be deducted from the score your paper merits for content. UNC has extensive resources to assist students with writing. Use them. Also note that I specify that you submit papers in MLA format. If you do not use MLA format, then I will deduct one letter grade from your overall score.

I will deduct ten percent of the assignment’s overall grade for every day that the assignment is late. If you miss an assignment, by all means turn in something within five days – twenty or thirty percent is certainly better than zero.

Plagiarism occurs when an individual represents someone else’s work as his or her own. If you download a paper off of an internet cite and turn it in as your own, that is plagiarism. If you copy sentences or passages written by someone else and do not attribute the source, that is plagiarism. If I suspect plagiarism, I will investigate by whatever means available, including various internet sites designed to specifically find passages copied from websites. Be advised that these internet search engines are extremely efficient. Plagiarized assignments will receive a grade of zero and will be reported to the proper authorities. Do not plagiarize.

100% – consistent contribution to class discussion
90% – frequent contribution to class discussion
80% – occasional contribution to class discussion
70% – pleasant demeanor, attentive presence
60% – napping, drooling, doodling, mild surliness
50% – reading newspaper, chatting with neighbors, growling
40% – sickness in class, bleeding on floor (bonus points for bringing and using plastic bags)
30% – dragging intestines, bones protruding through skin (bonus points for determination)
20% – death in class (internment is generally not covered in your student fees)
10% – decomposition in chair (90 bonus points for diligence, however)
0% – face, name, existence utter mystery to Professor

As a General Education course, this course intends to help you: understand aesthetic and intellectual achievements in art, music, literature, history, or philosophy; understand the intellectual, cultural, and historical framework of these disciplines; know various contributions these disciplines make to the enhancement of our lives; and demonstrate abilities in analytic thought, the use of language, aesthetic appreciation, or research techniques.

Que le vaya bien.