Classical and Romance Languages and Literatures

The material on this page is from the 1995-96 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.

Professor Williamson, Chair; Associate Professors Rice-DeFosse and Fra-Molinero; Assistant Professors Read, O'Higgins, López, Rosman, and Toumi; Mr. Hayward, Mr. Walker, and Ms. Britt

The Department of Classical and Romance Languages and Literatures offers courses in classics, Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish. Courses in classics, Greek, and Latin introduce students to the culture, languages, and literatures of ancient Greece and Rome. Whether they read in the original languages or in translation, students discover a distant world which has profoundly influenced our own. The ancient languages are intellectually satisfying in themselves, and they provide direct access to the literature.

Objectives of courses in French and Spanish are to help students learn basic communication skills, to learn about another culture through its language, and to go beyond the study of language to achieve a deeper understanding of diverse peoples by way of their literature. Most courses are taught in French or Spanish, and texts are read closely from a contemporary critical perspective with attention to their cultural context.

In addition to a major in French or Spanish, a secondary concentration can be pursued in these languages and in Greek and Latin. See page 18 for a description of this option.

Foreign Study. All students, and especially majors, are strongly encouraged to spend an extended period of time in a foreign country prior to graduation. Opportunities to do so include participation in a Bates Fall Semester Abroad, in Junior Year or Junior Semester Abroad programs, and in the various off-campus Short Term units sponsored by the Department. The Department supports programs of study it has approved for a Junior Year or Semester Abroad as significant means of increasing one's comprehension of the culture and as the most effective method of developing advanced proficiency in the language.

Placement in Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish courses. Entering students are assigned to the appropriate level according to these criteria: their performance in an Achievement or Advanced Placement Test of the College Entrance Examination Board taken in secondary school or in an ACTFL-certified Oral Proficiency Interview; relative proficiency based on length of study, travel abroad, or methodology; or consultation with an appropriate member of the Department. Normally, admission to advanced courses in language and literature is granted to those receiving a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Test or a score of 600 on the CEEB Achievement Test.

Classics
The classical heritage is a cornerstone of Western civilization; it can be studied in many ways, both as a culture generally and directly through its languages and literatures. Students in every discipline can benefit from exposure to the great ideas and artifacts of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Without requiring familiarity with the ancient languages, courses in classics afford a broad basis for the knowledge of these two ancient cultures.

Students may elect to complete an interdisciplinary major in Classical and Medieval Studies. See page 74 for a description of this program.

100. Introduction to the Ancient World. This course introduces the Greco-Roman world, and serves as a useful basis for 200- and 300-level classes in classical civilization. Within a general chronological framework students consider the ancient world under a series of headings: religion, philosophy, art, education, literature, social life, politics, and law. The survey begins with Bronze Age Crete and Mycenae and ends in the first century B.C., as Rome makes her presence felt in the Mediterranean and moves toward empire. This course is the same as History 100. Mr. Cole. F

200. Ancient Comedy and Satire. Students read (in translation) the comic poets and satirists of Greece and Rome, and investigate the nature and social context of ancient humor, satire, and invective. Authors to be read include Homer, Hesiod, Archilochus, Semonides, Aristophanes, Menander, Terence, Horace, Seneca, and Petronius. Open to first-year students. Recommended background: Classics 100. Ms. O'Higgins. W

201. Women in Antiquity. This course looks at women in ancient Greece and Rome, their image in men's art and literature and (in rare cases) in their own, their status under various law codes, their perceived powers and weaknesses, and their role in public and private life. The class also examines female cults and divinities, and myths of rebellion, transsexuality, matriarchies, and monsters. Students read ancient texts (in English translation) and modern works of scholarship on the subject. Recommended background: Classics 100 (or other classics courses). Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 35. [Ms. O'Higgins].

202. Greek Tragedy. This course introduces students to fifth-century Athenian tragedies (in English translation). The plays form the primary focus of the class, but there are many related topics of discussion: the origin of tragedy and its religious significance, its political context and content, tragedy's audience and affective power, tragedy's self-conscious relationship with epic and lyric. Students also read and discuss a representative selection of modern criticism on Greek tragedy. Open to first-year students. [Ms. O'Higgins].

302. Seminar: Topics in Classics. "Topics" classes require intensive reading and discussion of a single author or genre. Topics vary from year to year, and may be taken more than once for credit. Prerequisite: Classics 100 or written permission of the instructor. Enrollment is limited to 15. [Ms. O'Higgins].

305. Africa and the Classics. The field of classics, long seen as fundamental to and defining the culture of the Western world, recently has begun to examine its own definitions, canons, and presumptions. One of the most controversial areas of this self-reflective research is that of race, and the role that race has played in our definitions of cultural heritage. This class examines the cultures of ancient Egypt and Nubia, and how the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed the African civilizations with which they came in contact. In the last part of the semester students read and discuss M. Bernal's Black Athena (among other things) and consider how the modern study of classics has been shaped. Recommended background: previous courses in Greek or Roman antiquity, the ancient Mediterranean, historiography. Written permission of the instructor is required. Enrollment is limited to 20. [Ms. O'Higgins].

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers are required. May be taken more than once for credit. Permission of the Department is required. Staff.

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. May be taken more than once for credit. Permission of the instructor is required. Staff.

Short-Term Units
s21. Readings in Latin Epic. This unit introduces students to two major Latin epics: Vergil, Aeneid, and Lucan, Pharsalia. These poems span a critical century during which Rome moved from Republic to Empire. Taken together, they provide insights into sharply changing views of the Roman state and of the poet's function within it. Students read both poems, together with relevant modern scholarship. The class is taught in English, but a section of reading (and performance) in Latin is available to students with one or more years of Latin. This unit is the same as Latin s21. Enrollment is limited to 15. Ms. O'Higgins.

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the Department only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the Department to direct the study and evaluate results. Staff.

Courses in Greek
Ancient Greek attracts students both for its intrinsic beauty as an elegant and subtle language, and because it opens the door to Homer, Sappho, Sophocles, and Plato. Two semesters of elementary Greek will sufficiently train students to begin reading in the ancient authors.

101o-102o. Elementary Ancient Greek. The objective of the class is to begin a study of Classical Greek, as a foundation for upper-level reading courses. It covers the basics of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary building. Students learn to read Greek sentences and passages, and to translate from English into Greek. During the early stage much learning by rote of forms and rules is necessary, but students find that Greek is a structured and beautiful language, and the pleasure of reading "in the original" is inestimable. Ms. O'Higgins. F W

201e, 202e. Intermediate Greek. A continuation of Greek 102, which introduces students to important Greek texts and their cultural milieu. In addition to improving their Greek, students learn about the historical, literary, religious, and philosophical implications of the works they read. Texts may include: Plato, Apology, Phaedo; Euripides, Bacchae, Alcestis, Medea; Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days; Herodotus, History of Greece; Homer, Iliad, Odyssey. Prerequisites: Greek 101, 102, or the equivalent. Open to first-year students. [Ms. O'Higgins]. F W

Short-Term Units
s20. Readings in the Odyssey of Homer. The Odyssey has proved an inspiring and inexhaustible text over the centuries. This unit explores the poem in detail, examining its cultural and literary context and considering modern approaches to this most enigmatic text. The unit is taught in English, but students who have completed one or more years of ancient Greek are encouraged to read sections in Greek, and learn how to "perform" the poetry. Recommended background: Classics 100. Written permission of the instructor is required, with priority given to students of Greek. Enrollment is limited to 15. [Ms. O'Higgins].

Courses in Latin
Students who desire to begin or continue the study of Latin may have various reasons, practical or aesthetic. Latin is invaluable for understanding the English language and its literature and aids directly in the study of French, Spanish, other modern languages, comparative literature, and linguistics. It has basic application to science, medicine, and law as well as to archeology, art, and other humanistic studies. However, beyond all the utilitarian and theoretical justifications, the student of Latin can simply enjoy the challenges of learning and the rewards of reading a great literature.

101-102. Elementary Latin. A humanistic introduction to classical Latin vocabulary, forms, and syntax, with special emphasis on reading the actual words of ancient authors. Relations to English grammar and etymology are stressed. Concentration on Latin-English translation, with some English-Latin composition. Latin 101 is not open to students with two or more years of Latin in secondary school. Mr. Walker. F W

201-202. Intermediate Latin. Introductory studies of Latin poetry (including metrics), prose, and culture, with further development of grammar and vocabulary through the readings. Representative selections from Ovid, Cicero, Livy, Pliny, or other authors. Open to students who have completed Latin 101-102 or its equivalent or who have had at least two years of Latin in secondary school. Prerequisite: Latin 102 or the equivalent. Open to first-year students. Mr. Hayward. F W

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the instructor is required. May be taken more than once for credit. [Staff].

Short-Term Units
s21. Readings in Latin Epic. This unit introduces students to two major Latin epics: Vergil, Aeneid, and Lucan, Pharsalia. These poems span a critical century during which Rome moved from Republic to Empire. Taken together, they provide insights into sharply changing views of the Roman state and of the poet's function within it. Students read both poems, together with relevant modern scholarship. The class is taught in English, but a section of reading (and performance) in Latin is available for students with one or more years of Latin. This unit is the same as Classics s21. Enrollment is limited to 15. Ms. O'Higgins.

French
The major in French aims at flexibility within a structure that affords a diversity of experience in Francophonic culture and literature and continuous training in the use of the language. It provides effective preparation for graduate work, but is not conceived as strictly pre-professional. The usefulness of French is highlighted by the College's proximity to Quebec and by the significant number of Franco-Americans who live and work in northern New England. In addition to the ten centuries of a rich and varied literature in France, the writers of such Francophonic areas as North Africa, black West Africa, the Caribbean, and Quebec have impressed the literary world with their dynamism and insights.

A major in French consists of a minimum of ten courses which must include: a) French 250 or 251; b) three courses from French 205, 235, 305, 270, 271; c) one course from French 351, 352, 353; d) two courses from French 354, 355 (both can be taken more than once for credit); e) two courses from French 261, 240 (can be taken more than once for credit).

A student may request the Department to substitute a Short Term unit for one of the courses above. The Department normally will allow only four courses taken in a study-abroad program to count toward the major in French. Fluent and correct use of the language is essential to the successful completion of the major. All senior majors must pass, during the second semester, a comprehensive examination testing advanced proficiency in the language and knowledge of the literature and civilization. All senior majors must also assemble a portfolio of their work in the major and defend it in French before the faculty at the end of the second semester of their senior year. This portfolio may contain several papers from courses taken at Bates and abroad, a journal of a study-abroad or travel experience, several cassette recordings to show progress in oral proficiency, personal reflections upon the major in French, and so on. Honors candidates register for French 457-458.

Courses in other departments appropriate to the French major include Art 280, 281, and 282; English 171, 172, and 295; History 223 and 224; Music 244 and 245; and Theater 210 and 220. Majors are strongly encouraged to take at least one course in philosophy.

Courses
101-102. Elementary French I and II. In the first semester, emphasis is placed on oral proficiency with conversational practice in various aspects of contemporary French culture. Acquisition of vocabulary, basic grammar, and reading and writing skills. In the second semester, concentration on further development of these skills with short readings and films. French 101 is not open to students with two or more years of French in secondary school. Enrollment is limited to 30. Mr. Toumi, Ms. Rice-DeFosse. F W

201. Intermediate French I. Development of proficiency in speaking, with intensive review of grammar. Practice in reading and analyzing selected texts. Class discussions in French on both literary and cultural topics. Prerequisite: French 102 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 30 per section. Mr. Read. F W

202. Intermediate French II: Language and Culture of Modern France. This course aims to develop facility in speaking, reading, and writing French as well as familiarity with current French thought and cultural institutions. Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on such cultural material as magazine and newspaper articles, published interviews, videos, and appropriate works of current literature. Individual oral and written reports. Prerequisite: French 201 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment is limited to 30. Mr. Williamson. F

203e. Introduction au Monde Francophone. This course aims to develop familiarity with the Francophone world as well as greater facility in speaking, reading, and writing French. The course presents the diversity of Francophone voices, such as those of Mariama Bâ (Sénégal), Bernard Dadié (Côte d'Ivoire), Aimé Césaire (Martinique), René Depestre (Haïti), Assia Djebar (Algérie), Roch Carrier (Québec), and Antonine Maillet (Acadie). Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on a variety of cultural materials including newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, videos, and appropriate works of literature. Prerequisite: French 201 or written permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 30. Ms. Rice-DeFosse. W

205. Oral French. Designed to develop oral/aural fluency. An introduction to French phonetics, diction, intonation, and elocution. Class discussion on topics of contemporary interest. Individual conferences with attention given to the particular difficulties of the student. Prerequisite: French 201 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Not open to those who have taken French s31. Enrollment is limited to 20. Mr. Toumi. F W

235. Advanced French Conversation. Designed to develop facility in conversing in idiomatic French with ease and fluency. Prerequisite: French 205 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 20. Mr. Read, Mr. Williamson. F W

240. Introduction to French Studies. An examination of literature in its social, political, historical context with emphasis on the cultural interrelationship of text and society. Topics may include the literature of Francophonic black West Africa, the Quebec novel, revolution and the French novel, or the literature of French colonialism and Algerian immigration. Topic for Fall 1995: "Le Portrait de l'enfance: Littérature et film." Short critical papers and class discussion in French. Prerequisite: French 202, 203, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Mr. Williamson. F

250, 251. Introduction to French Literature I and II. An introduction to major French authors and forms of French literature through close readings, short papers, and discussion of texts selected from various periods of French literature. The purpose is to introduce the student to a critical approach to French literature. Although this is not a survey course, the first semester does concentrate on texts written before the French Revolution, and the second semester on texts written after 1800. Some attention is paid to the socioeconomic context of the works studied and to questions of gender. Prerequisite: French 202, 203, or permission of the instructor. Required of all majors. Open to first-year students. Mr. Toumi, Mr. Read. F W

261e. French Civilization: A Historical Approach. An overview of the major developments in French civilization from the Middle Ages to the present with emphasis on placing artistic movements in their historical and social milieu. Some exploration of the relationships between literature and the other arts. Lectures, slides, recitations, discussions, oral and written reports. Given in French. Prerequisite: French 202, 203, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. [Ms. Rice-DeFosse].

270. Advanced French Grammar and Composition. An intensive review of French grammar with emphasis on developing facility in writing idiomatic French. Weekly compositions, written exercises, oral drills, and grammatical analysis of literary texts. Prerequisite: French 202, 203, or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Mr. Williamson. W

271. The Art of Translation. A study of the problems of translation. Passages from newspapers and journals and from literary, technical, and scientific works are translated and analyzed. Prerequisite: French 202, 203, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. [Ms. Rice-DeFosse].

305. Cours Supérieur de Langue Française. An advanced course on the subtleties of oral French with particular attention to vocabulary acquisition and accent. Discussion of recent events in France and in Francophonic areas based on selected newspaper or journal articles. Recommended for senior majors and others who have studied in a French-speaking country. Prerequisite: French 235 or permission of the instructor. Enrollment is limited to 20. [Staff].

351. Early French Literature. "Literary Identity in Early French Literature." Reading and discussion of aspects of literary identity in medieval and Renaissance literature, with particular attention devoted to considerations of religion, gender, family and domestic concerns, and nationality. Prerequisite: French 250, 251, or permission of the instructor. [Mr. Read]. F

352. French Literature of the Seventeenth Century. "Woman writer/Women written." Reading and discussion of women writers of the seventeenth century with a focus on their important role in the formation of the novel. Secondary focus on women as heroines or titular characters in the works of male authors of the period. Prerequisite: French 250, 251, or permission of the instructor. Mr. Read. F

353. French Literature of the Eighteenth Century. A study of the role of the individual in relation to others within French society preceding and during the great French Revolution, as seen in major works by authors such as Marivaux, Diderot, Rousseau, Condorcet, Sade, Beaumarchais, and Gouges. Issues of class, gender, privilege, nature and culture, and social rights and responsibilities are placed within a historical and theoretical context. Prerequisite: French 250, 251, or permission of the instructor. [Ms. Rice-DeFosse].

354. French Literature of the Nineteenth Century. This course explores a century of enormous political, socioeconomic, and cultural change through its literature. Topic for Winter 1995: "Visages de la folie." Focus on representations of madness by such authors as Balzac, Flaubert, Nerval, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Zola, and Huysmans with particular attention to masculine construction of feminine "hysteria." Prerequisite: French 250, 251, or permission of the instructor. May be taken more than once for credit. [Mr. Williamson]. W

355. French Literature of the Twentieth Century. "Un siècle d'aventures." From Proust's "new novel" at the beginning of the century to Duras's haunting fictions; from Apollinaire's lyrical ideograms to Bonnefoy's poetry of place; from Ubu roi of Jarry to Les Nègres of Genet; from Le deuxième sexe of Simone de Beauvoir to Irigaray's Ce sexe qui n'en est pas un, the twentieth century in French literature has been marked by a spirit of adventure. This course attempts to capture that spirit and to understand it in its social and political context. Serious attention to questions of gender. Prerequisite: French 250, 251, or permission of the instructor. May be taken more than once for credit. [Mr. Williamson].

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers required. May be taken more than once for credit. Permission of the Department is required. Staff.

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the instructor is required. May be taken more than once for credit. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Open only to senior majors, with departmental permission. Before registering for 457 a student must present to the Department Chair an acceptable plan, including an outline and a tentative bibliography, after discussion with a staff member. Honors candidates register for both 457 and 458. Other senior majors register for 457 or 458 only, unless the Department gives permission for a second semester's credit because the nature of the project warrants it. Permission of the Department is required. Staff.

Short-Term Units
s31. French Language and Culture in France. The unit includes language study with qualified native teachers, study of French life and institutions, organized visits to museums, historical monuments, and theatrical performances, and an end-of-term trip to Paris. Each student keeps a journal in French, which is used by the professor in evaluating progress in the unit. Prerequisites: French 201 or equivalent competence, and permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. [Mr. Williamson].

s32. The Cultures of Martinique: Cette île que l'on dit française. A total-immersion experience on the French-speaking island of Martinique. Intensive French language instruction, study and analysis of Martinique's different cultures, and visits to important historical and cultural sites. Readings selected from historical, cultural, and literary texts by such authors as Aimé Césaire, Edouard Glissant, Joseph Zobel, and Patrick Chamoiseau. Students keep a journal of their experience and complete a substantial project in an area of their interest. Prerequisite: French 201. Recommended background: French 203. Open to first-year students. Written permission of the instructor is required. Enrollment is limited to 8. Mr. Williamson.

s34. French Drama in Performance. A study and performance of scenes from French dramatic works from a variety of literary styles, movements, and eras. Students read, discuss, and perform dramatic works (or portions thereof) throughout the unit and then conceive and create a coherent production of portions of these plays to be presented in public to area high schools and colleges. Readings may include the works of Molière, Racine, Beaumarchais, De Musset, Ionesco, and Duras, which, though drawing on a wide range of time periods and approaches, are assimilated and reconciled under a common theme to be determined by the class. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 201 or permission of the instructor. Recommended background: adequate oral fluency in French, good reading comprehension. Open to first-year students. May be taken for credit more than once. Enrollment is limited to 25. Mr. Read

s35. French in Maine. A bilingual study of what it means to speak French and to be French in Maine. The unit explores the Franco-American heritage as well as contemporary expressions of Franco-American culture. It focuses on questions of language and identity through oral and written histories, interviews, newspaper articles, documentaries, literature, and music. Students visit local cultural sites and participate in an excursion to the St. John Valley and Québec. Prerequisite: French 201 or written permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 20. [Ms. Rice-DeFosse].

s36. The Evolution of French Cinema. A study of the development of theme, structure, and technique in French film through the works of directors such as Vigo, Clair, Renoir, Resnais, Godard, Truffaut, Kurys, and Beneix. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 201 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 25. Ms. Rice-DeFosse.

Spanish
Spanish is one of the languages of Spain and nineteen countries in Latin America, as well as that of several million Hispanics in the United States. The major in Spanish seeks to develop students' skills in the language--they are strongly encouraged to spend a year or a semester living and studying in a Spanish-speaking country--and their capacity to read and write critically about the literatures of Spain and Spanish America. The usefulness of Spanish is highlighted by our growing cultural and economic ties with the peoples of Mexico, the Caribbean, and other places. Students interested in graduate studies in any area of Iberian or Latin American studies, or in business, medicine, or law, are encouraged to develop advanced proficiency in Spanish.

The Department expects its majors to have a broad and diverse experience in the literatures and cultures of Spanish-speaking peoples and thus, in consultation with the departmental staff, to elect courses in both peninsular Spanish and Spanish-American subjects. Major requirements for students in the Class of 1997 and thereafter include the following: a) nine courses beyond the intermediate level, including one 300-level course each semester of the senior year; b) one of the following courses: Anthropology 234 or 334, English 295, History 181, Political Science 249, or one course approved by the faculty in Spanish; c) a portfolio that may include papers from each of the student's literature courses in the major, an essay on a study-abroad experience or a similar subject, several cassette recordings of progress in oral Spanish, and so on; in the second semester of the senior year, the student reviews the entire portfolio and writes a final essay; d) successful performance on an oral and written proficiency exam at the beginning of the senior year. Honors candidates register for Spanish 457-458.

Courses
101-102. Elementary Spanish I and II. Emphasis is placed on oral proficiency with pronunciation exercises and conversational practice. Development of reading and writing skills. Drill in the essential constructions and basic vocabulary of Spanish. Short films and cultural presentations. Regularly scheduled laboratory periods. Spanish 101 is not open to students with two or more years of Spanish in secondary school. Enrollment is limited to 30 per section. Ms. Britt. F W

201. Intermediate Spanish I. Designed to increase students' vocabulary and to improve mastery of language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. A thorough review of grammar as well as an emphasis on conversational proficiency, expository writing, and Hispanic culture. Prerequisite: Spanish 102 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 30 per section. Mr. Fra-Molinero. F

202. Intermediate Spanish II. Intensive practice in reading, composition, and conversation, as well as attention to selected grammar problems. Focus on discussion through visual presentations and selections of Hispanic literature, art, and culture. Prerequisite: Spanish 201 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 30 per section. Mr. Fra-Molinero. W

207. Advanced Spanish: Culture and Language. This course develops oral/aural fluency as well as reading and writing skills by means of directed and spontaneous classroom activities and regular written assignments. Conversations and compositions are based primarily on readings and films. Prerequisite: Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 234. Enrollment is limited to 20 per section. Ms. Rosman. F

208. Advanced Spanish: Texts and Contexts. This course is a continuation of Spanish 207 with particular emphasis upon analyzing a variety of texts and developing more sophistication in writing. Conversations and compositions are based on both literary and cultural readings. Prerequisite: Spanish 202. Recommended background: Spanish 207. Required of all majors. Open to first-year students. Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 234. Enrollment is limited to 20 per section. Ms. López. W

215. Readings in Spanish American Literature. An introduction to the literature of Spanish America, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Among the issues addressed are the literary response to the space and peoples of the New World, the literature of vice-regal Mexico, the rise of national traditions in the nineteenth century, and experimentation in contemporary narrative fiction. Readings may include texts by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, José María Heredia, Esteban Echeverría, Rubén Darío, Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, María Luisa Bombal, Alejo Carpentier, Julio Cortázar, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, and Elena Castedo. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or permission of the instructor. Ms. Rosman. F

216. Readings in Peninsular Spanish Literature. A one-semester survey of representative peninsular Spanish texts. Major emphasis is on reading and discussing texts which relate to specific problems of literary form (poetry, theater, novel, etc.), literary movements, and literary periodization. The topics are also discussed in the sociocultural context of their representation of Spanish national life and character. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or permission of the instructor. Ms. López. W

242. Advanced Grammar and Stylistics. An intensive grammar review, with emphasis on written exercises, translation, oral drills, and grammatical analysis of literary texts. Prerequisite: Spanish 202 or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Ms. López. F

250. The Latin American Short Story. A study of the uncanny, the marvelous, and the fantastic short story through the analysis of works by modern Latin American authors such as Borges, Quiroga, Cortázar, Rulfo, Fuentes, García Márquez, Carpentier, and Asturias. Attention is directed to defining the genre critically and discussing the problems of ambiguity in literature. Readings are supplemented with cinematic examples. Prerequisite: Spanish 215, 216, or permission of the instructor. [Staff].

255. Re-Writing Modernity in Contemporary Latin American Fiction. A study of contemporary Latin American fiction from the 1960s to the present day, focusing on different trends in Post-Boom narrative. Readings may include short stories, novels and essays by Manuel Puig, Clarice Lispector, Rodolfo Walsh, Severo Sarduy, César Aira, Juan José Saer, and Antonio Di Benedetto, as well as cultural and literary criticism. Special attention is given to the relations among art, politics, and ethics, as well as between literature and the mass media. Prerequisite: Spanish 215, or 216, or permission of the instructor. Open to first-year students. Ms. Rosman. W

262. Visions of Contemporary Spain. An in-depth study of the Spanish Civil War and its effects on postwar Spanish society as manifested in poetry, drama, the novel, and essays of the postwar period. Major themes studied include the degeneration of the ideals and myths of Spanish society, the writer in exile, literature and censorship, and the effects of wartime violence on literature. Authors studied may include Lorca, Guillen, Sastre, Buero-Vallejo, Cela, Laforet, and R. Sender. Prerequisite: Spanish 215, 216, or permission of the instructor. [Ms. López].

341. Cervantes. A careful reading and a comprehensive formal and thematic study of Don Quijote, and some of the Novelas ejemplares. Careful consideration is given to various pieces of Cervantine scholarship, and some of the effects of the Quijote on the genre of the novel are examined. Prerequisite: Spanish 208, one course in literature, or permission of the instructor. [Mr. Fra-Molinero]. F

343. Fictional Women in Nineteenth-Century Spanish Realism. This course examines the representation of women in canonical works by well-established male writers, mainly Galdós, Clarín, and Valera. Through the exploration of the patriarchal discourse, as well as socioeconomic structures in which both writers and characters are inscribed, one can reach a clearer understanding of the depiction of women in nineteenth-century Spanish realist fiction. Prerequisite: Spanish 215, 216, or another 200-level literature course, or permission of the instructor. [Ms. López].

344. Women Writers of Post-Franco Spain. In this course, we discuss the impact of "la Transición" (from dictatorship to democracy) on the psychological and social dimensions of womanhood by focusing on the detailed textual analysis of novels and short stories. Authors may include Rosa Montero, Cristina Fernández Cubas, Esther Tusquets, Consuelo García, Carmen Gómez Ojea, and Soledad Puértolas. Recommended background: a course on Spanish literature. Written permission of the instructor is required. [Ms. López]. W

345. Twentieth-Century Spanish Drama. A study of the evolution of political ideas and social values in Spain in the twentieth century through an examination of several plays. Interconnected and parallel sociocultural realities are analyzed along with different dramatic tendencies: from "poetic" to social-realist to avant-garde theaters. Authors may include: Lorca, Mihura, Buero Vallejo, Sastre, Nieva, Martin Recuerda, and Arrabal. Prerequisite: A 200-level literature course in Spanish or written permission of the instructor. Recommended background: Spanish 215 or 216. Ms. López. W

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the instructor is required. May be taken more than once for credit. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Research leading to writing of the senior thesis. Limited number of group meetings, plus individual conferences. Majors who take the thesis option enroll for Spanish 457 in the fall semester of their senior year or Spanish 458 in the winter semester. A detailed outline and bibliography must be approved by the Department in the semester prior to the semester in which the thesis is written. Majors writing an honors thesis enroll in Spanish 457 and 458. Staff.

Short-Term Units
s21. The Picaresque Hero: A Life of Crime. The unit examines and defines the picaresque hero in three Hispanic texts: the sixteenth-century classic Lazarillo de Tormes, Cervantes's Rinconete y Cortadillo, and the Mexican gay novel Adonis García, written in the 1980s. These texts raise issues concerning the relation between the individual and authority; social class and poverty; expression of identity, sexuality, gender, and ethnicity; as well as the use of language under confession and torture. Taught in English. Majors in Spanish must read texts in Spanish. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 15. Mr. Fra-Molinero.

s31. Spanish Culture. A study of selected aspects of Spanish culture in Spain, supplemented by visits to archeological sites, national monuments, and museums, and other cultural activities. Prerequisites: one year of college Spanish and permission of the instructor. [Ms. López].

s33. Women, Nation, and Literary Culture in Latin America. A study of the interventions provided by women in the national cultures of Latin America, focusing on their mediations in the public sphere, their participation in literary traditions, and their access to the symbolic realm that determines the cultural imagination of a nation. Readings include texts by Juana Manuela Gorriti, Lola Larrosa de Ansaldo, Emma de la Barra, Juana Manso, Victoria Ocampo, Alfonsina Storni, Norah Lange, Manuel Galvez, Ezequiel Martínez Estrada. Special attention is also given to literary and cultural theory. Recommended background: Spanish 215, 216, or permission of the instructor to preregister. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 30. Ms. Rosman.

Other Foreign Languages
141-142-143-144. Self-Instructional Program in Less Commonly Taught Languages. Learning languages through the use of tapes, textbooks, and conventional classroom procedures, with consultants proficient in the language, under the supervision of a member of the Department. Where appropriate, final testing is by a visiting examiner of recognized qualifications, who consults with the Department Chair on the testing. One course credit is granted upon completion of two consecutive semesters. Written permission of the Chair is required. For the academic year 1995-1996 no languages will be offered. [Mr. Williamson].

360. Independent Study. Individual study, under the direction of a staff member, of a language not included in the regular course offerings. May be taken more than once for credit. Permission of the Department is required. [Staff].

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small group of students who wish to study, under the direction of a staff member, a language not included in the regular course offerings. May be taken more than once for credit. Permission of the instructor is required. [Staff].

370. Practicum in Foreign-Language Teaching. This course is intended for foreign-language students who are interested in teaching at the secondary-school level or above. The course focuses on current issues in foreign-language pedagogy, with emphases on oral proficiency, authentic texts, and learner-centered instruction. Students design course syllabi and daily lesson plans, compose exams, review textbooks and related instructional materials, observe various levels of instruction at Bates and other schools, and teach practice sessions to other members of the practicum. This course is the same as Education 370. Prerequisite: at least one year of a foreign language at Bates beyond the second-year level, or written permission of the instructor to preregister. Recommended background: at least two years of college-level foreign language. Mr. Browne. F