No preciso erigir un laberinto, cuando el universo ya lo es. - Jorge Luis Borges, "Abenjacán el Bojarí, muerto en su laberinto"
 

This paper is available for the academic year 2023-24.

The countries of Latin America are as rich and varied in their culture and historical development as they are in their geography and in the mix of peoples that inhabit them. In this second-year paper we offer a snapshot of that rich culture and its turbulent histories, giving you an introduction to some of the most salient and exciting facets of Hispanophone Latin American culture. These include some of the earliest Amerindian and European accounts of the region from the time of the Spanish Conquest, the problems surrounding nation building from the early years of independence from Spain, the persistence of racism and other forms of social exclusion, revolution in Haiti and Mexico, and dictatorship in the Southern Cone and Central America. We also explore some of the competing imaginations of urban culture in the twentieth century as these take form in literature and film in profoundly different regional contexts. Finally, we take you through the metafictional labyrinths spun by internationally-renowned authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Gabriel García Márquez and others. You are encouraged to read around the history covered in each topic, although the primary emphasis of the paper is cultural (including literature, cinema, and visual arts). You are expected to read texts comparatively, and you are encouraged to relate them to their historical, social and intellectual context.

History is not taught as a separate component, but for many of the topics you are encouraged to set culture within its historical context, and relevant historical background will be given in lectures. Some questions which can be answered with historical methodology: please consult your supervisor if this is of interest to you.