First Half Overview
I’ve enjoyed this course a lot – because of the works themselves, how they are presented, and our ways of responding to them. I like how they were selected. Not only do they represent a variety of countries and literary styles, but each makes a vivid and distinct contribution to our understanding of the family, while at the same time providing fuel for other discussions. As we follow the lives of our demure and deranged families, we’ve also touched upon topics like nationalism, subalternity, gender roles, nature, class values, and anxieties of the modern age. The only odd one out is Neruda, who was enjoyable to read and discuss, but seems more engaged in feminine contours and his own experience of artistic awakening than anything to do with the family. Any ideas about his place in the course?
There are a few improvements that could be made, but these are all limited by time, so I think the course does a good balancing act between the various factors. For example, a number of people have said that they would like know more historical context, which would be great if the course was longer, but I think that doing a bit of background research outside of class would be better than cutting down on time that new connections and observations can be made about the novel itself. Also, I did find it a challenge to read so much in a short period of time and a bit frustrating to move on from each one so quickly, but then again, it was great to be exposed to such a variety of works. This course so far has been informative and enjoyable, and if the whirlwind tour and unusual selections of the first half didn’t do it for some people, we have the entire second half to explore a masterpiece at leisure.
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There are a few improvements that could be made, but these are all limited by time, so I think the course does a good balancing act between the various factors. For example, a number of people have said that they would like know more historical context, which would be great if the course was longer, but I think that doing a bit of background research outside of class would be better than cutting down on time that new connections and observations can be made about the novel itself. Also, I did find it a challenge to read so much in a short period of time and a bit frustrating to move on from each one so quickly, but then again, it was great to be exposed to such a variety of works. This course so far has been informative and enjoyable, and if the whirlwind tour and unusual selections of the first half didn’t do it for some people, we have the entire second half to explore a masterpiece at leisure.
span365
posted by Serena at 10:57 PM
2 Comments:
Heh, I'll admit that the Neruda is something of an odd one out. But I wanted to include some poetry, and part of the course's aim is also to cover some Latin American "classics." Still, I think that reading Veinte poemas alongside the other texts can also bring up some interesting perspectives--about affect, gender, and nature, for instance.
I agree with you Serena, Neruda did not have much to do with the theme of family (I realize that Jon just acknowledged that above). I also agree that it was somewhat frustrating jumping from one novel to the next so quickly. I found the reading load quite heavy, although, there was sort of a progression between novels, with each one being better than the last. In retrospect, I would not have wanted to study Cumanda in depth anymore than we did in class. Also, like you said, time is a factor, as always. This must mean that 100 anos de soledad is going to be excellent, because we devote the entire second half to this novel.
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