Gender in the Spanish American Development Novel: Selfhood and Society

Module code: SP3161

On this module we will explore literature authored by Spanish American women writers of the ‘Post-Boom generation’ (1980s-1990s), with a particular view to examining the portrayal of gendered identity formation that takes place in the selected works. We will discuss texts from across the region (Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Uruguay) as versions of the ‘novel of development’ (or Bildungsroman) – an originally European genre that has been mobilised and adapted by women writers in their examination of gendered selfhood and related social issues. The module will therefore also allow you to encounter other topics recurrent in Latin American literature, including dictatorship, exile and revolution, national identity, race, ethnicity and class, as we consider the relationship between the individual and their social context, and the role of literature in articulating, and inspiring change in, both selfhood and society. As part of the module assessment you will have the chance to explore gender studies-relevant issues in present-day Latin American contexts, and thereby to connect your study of this particular wave of women's writing to your knowledge of contemporary lived experiences. The module is assessed via a presentation and coursework essay. To take this module, you must be studying Spanish as part of your degree.