HISP 226 - Medieval and Early Modern Spain

Semester Offered: Fall
1 unit(s)

Studies in Iberian literary and cultural production from the time of the Muslim conquest of the Peninsula to the end of the Hapsburg Empire.

Topic for 2014/15a: Pícaras, Busconas and Celestinas: Reading the Discourse on Prostitution in Early Modern Spain. This course considers how the discourse on early modern prostitution present in literary and legal sources informs us on the larger social framework that regulates women’s behavior in sixteenth and seventeenth century Spain. Through the study of a variety of legal measures and moral treatises that define the boundaries of sin in Early Modern Spain, we trace the rich symbolic and literary trajectory of the pícara-prostitute. From this sociological perspective, our focus explores the reasons behind the popularity of the female picaresque genre, paying special attention to the anxieties that the regulation of prostitution caused in Spanish society. Materials for analysis include selections of legal texts, moralist writings and literary works by Francisco Delicado, Miguel de Cervantes, and María de Zayas. Mr. Vivalda.

Prerequisite: HISP 216 or HISP 219 .

Two 75-minute periods.