SPAN6698 · Romance Languages and Literatures

Generation of 98

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

Conducted in Spanish and fulfills the Post-1800 Peninsular Literature and Culture requirement for majors.Spanish arts flourished intensely during the last years of the 19th century, when the works of some of the most important authors in the history of Spain appeared, such as the versatile Miguel de Unamuno, the playwright Jacinto Benavente (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922), and the essayist Jos Ortega y Gasset. In this course we will discuss the characteristics that define the Generation of 98 and the authors that compose it, paying attention to the following key aspects: the history of Spain (specially the colonial wars of 1898 and the crisis of the monarchy); the relationship of Spanish literature with Latin American and European art; and the writers traditionally marginalized by criticism. In this course we will read a selection of works of diverse genres (essays, novels, poetry, and theater) that will help us improve our ability to interpret and enjoy literature, while we review a fundamental phase in the history of Spain and practice the four skills of Spanish (speaking, listening, writing and reading).