Abstract
The purpose of this treatise is to develop a course in Spanish American Culture and Civilization designed for upper division undergraduate college students. The course focuses on twentieth-century literary works which illustrate conditions found in Latin America that are relevant to: the Indian peasantry, land tenure and labor relations, Church-State relations, leadership roles, and the concept of "dependency."In order to demonstrate the feasibility of a course such as that described above, the treatise includes novels that deal with the areas in question, describes these areas in general and justifies the choice of novels through a brief analysis of their social significance and by citing pertinent passages or chapters. In addition, this course offers a list of selected readings for each chapter, works chosen from the General Bibliography and judged as appropriate for the students' further acquisition of information.The proposed semester course, meeting twice a week, encompasses both lectures on background material and class discussions on the literary works, keeping in mind that these are tools toward the understanding and appreciation of Spanish American culture. The principal focus, therefore, is not directed toward the specific literary merits of the novels, although it would certainly be appropriate to acknowledge outstanding techniques as found.Following is a list of novels included in this treatise: (1) El mundo es ancho y ajeno (1941, Peru: Ciro Alegr(')ia); (2) Huasipungo (1934, Ecuador: Jorge Icaza); (3) El Cristo de espaldas (1952, Colombia: Eduardo Caballero Calderon); (4) El Senor Presidente (1946, Guatemala: Miguel Angel Asturias); (5) La muerte de Artemio Cruz (1961, Mexico: Carlos Fuentes).Pervading themes in these novels illustrate certain fundamental and general characteristics in most of the Spanish American countries. To treat regionalism and nationalism adequately, on the other hand, would necessitate a more thorough investigation, which is beyond the scope of this course.