HISP 226 - Medieval and Early Modern Spain

Semester Offered: Fall and Spring
1 unit(s)

Topic for 2021/22b: Pícaras, Busconas and Celestinas: Reading the Discourse on Female Behavior and in Early Modern Spain. This course considers how the discourse on early modern female behavior presents itself in literary and legal sources. The objective of the course is to explore 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 (she-rogue). 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. Nicolas Vivalda.

Prerequisite(s): One course above HISP 206.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS