Classical and Romance Languages and Literatures

The material on this page is from the 1997-98 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.

Classical and Romance Languages
and Literatures

Professor Williamson, Acting Chair (winter semester and Short Term); Associate Professors Rice-DeFosse, Chair (on leave, winter semester and Short Term), Fra-Molinero, O'Higgins (on leave, 1997-1998), Read, and López; Assistant Professors Casey, Garabano, and Imber; Ms. Guzmán, Mr. Hayward, Mr. Walker, Ms. Fagan-DiStasio, Ms. Cano, and Ms. D'Angelo

The Department of Classical and Romance Languages and Literatures offers courses in classics, Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish. Courses in classics, Greek, and Latin introduce students to the culture, languages, and literatures of ancient Greece and Rome. Whether they read in the original languages or in translation, students discover a distant world which has profoundly influenced our own. The ancient languages are intellectually satisfying in themselves, and they provide direct access to the literature.

Objectives of courses in French and Spanish are to help students learn basic communication skills, to learn about another culture through its language, and to go beyond the study of language to achieve a deeper understanding of diverse peoples by way of their literature. Most courses are taught in French or Spanish, and texts are read closely from a contemporary critical perspective with attention to their cultural context.

In addition to a major in French or Spanish, a secondary concentration can be pursued in these languages and in Greek and Latin. Application for a secondary concentration should be made to the Chair of the Department. A secondary concentration requires a minimum of seven courses in the given language (or six courses and a designates Short Term unit). All courses taken at Bates must be from the curriculum of the Department. At least one of the seven courses must involve a study of literature or culture (taught either in the language or in translation), but only one course in translation may be counted toward the concentration. A student may petition to have up to three comparable courses, completed at other institutions either in the United States or abroad, apply toward the secondary concentrations.

Foreign Study. All students, and especially majors, are strongly encouraged to spend an extended period of time in a foreign country prior to graduation. Opportunities to do so include participation in a Bates Fall Semester Abroad Program in Junior Year or Junior Semester Abroad programs, and in the various off-campus Short Term units sponsored by Department. The Department supports programs of study it has approved for a Junior Year or Semester Abroad as significant means of increasing one's comprehension of the culture and as the most effective method of developing advanced proficiency in the language.

Placement in Greek, Latin, French, and Spanish courses. Entering students are assigned to the appropriate level according to these criteria: their performance in an Achievement or Advanced Placement Test of the College Entrance Examination Board taken in secondary school or in an ACTFL-certified Oral Proficiency Interview; relative proficiency based on length of study, travel abroad, or methodology; or consultation with an appropriate member of the Department. Normally admission to advanced courses in language and literature is granted to those receiving a 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Test or a score of 600 on the CEEB Achievement Test.

Classics
The classical heritage is a cornerstone of Western civilization; it can be studied in many ways, both as a culture generally and directly through its languages and literatures. Students in every discipline can benefit from exposure to the great ideas and artifacts of the Greek and Roman civilizations. Without requiring familiarity with the ancient languages, courses in classics afford a broad basis for the knowledge of these two ancient cultures.
Students may elect to complete an interdisciplinary major in Classical and Medieval Studies. See page 94 for a description of this program.

100. Introduction to the Ancient World. This course introduces the Greco-Roman world, and serves as a useful basis for 200- and 300-level classes in classical civilization. Within a general chronological framework students consider the ancient world under a series of headings: religion, philosophy, art, education, literature, social life, politics, and law. The survey begins with Bronze Age Crete and Mycenae and ends in the first century B.C., as Rome makes her presence felt in the Mediterranean and moves toward empire. This course is the same as History 100. D. O'Higgins.

150. The Grotesque in Classical Antiquity. This course examines the presence and function of the grotesque in classical literature and culture. The grotesque is a way to consider ancient conceptions of disorder and degradation, excess and exaggeration. Beginning with the grotesque as contrast to classical notions of beauty, order, and control over bodily matters, the course proceeds to the varying roles of the grotesque in literary genres of comedy and tragedy. Topics include the contrasting conceptions of the beautiful and the ugly; the role of gender in the construction of the grotesque (male and female grotesques); mythological monsters and human deformities as types of the grotesque; and modern depictions of the grotesque in contemporary media such as painting, photography, and film. E. Casey.

160. Tragedy and the Athenian City. How did Greek tragedy fit into the city life of ancient Athens? A thematic unit on cultic ritual deals with initiation, marriage and funerary rites, human sacrifice, and conflict between religious and secular authorities. A second unit on construction and depiction of gender introduces such topics as gender relations and the politics of marriage; the stereotype of Greek women as wild, defiant, and irrational; male fear of the feminine and misguided attempts to control it; and manifestations of the wrath of Aphrodite in madness and suicide. A third unit on civic discourse considers tragedy as a mode of critique of contemporary issues such as democracy and imperialism, legitimacy of children, and social function of the idea of native origin (autochthony) in myth. A fourth unit on ancient analysis of tragedy compares how the ancient critics thought about the above subjects. E. Casey.

200. Ancient Comedy and Satire. Students read (in translation) the comic poets and satirists of Greece and Rome, and investigate the nature and social context of ancient humor, satire, and invective. Authors to be read include Homer, Hesiod, Archilochus, Semonides, Aristophanes, Menander, Terence, Horace, Seneca, and Petronius. Recommended background: Classics 100. Open to first-year students. D. O'Higgins.

201. Women in Antiquity. This course looks at women in ancient Greece and Rome, their image in men's art and literature and (in rare cases) in their own, their status under various law codes, their perceived powers and weaknesses, and their role in public and private life. The course also examines female cults and divinities, and myths of rebellion, transsexuality, matriarchies, and monsters. Students read ancient texts (in English translation) and modern works of scholarship on the subject. Recommended background: Classics 100 (or other classics courses). Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 35. D. O'Higgins.

202. Greek Tragedy. This course introduces students to fifth-century Athenian tragedies (in English translation). The plays form the primary focus of the course, but there are many related topics of discussion: the origin of tragedy and its religious significance, its political context and content, tragedy's audience and affective power, tragedy's self-conscious relationship with epic and lyric. Students also read and discuss a representative selection of modern criticism on Greek tragedy. Open to first-year students. D. O'Higgins.

301. Explorations in Greek Prose. This course introduces the student to prose literature in the original Greek, and it assumes a reading knowledge of the language. The course focuses on one of the major genres of Greek prose: historiography, philosophy, law court rhetoric, or political writing. It examines the style and rhetorical ploys of the writers, and heightens the student's awareness of the use and abuse of public discourse. It also includes class presentations and discussions on the social and political outlook of these writers, who created the imaginary past and political ideology of every democracy since that time. This course is the same as Greek 301. Prerequisite(s): Greek 201 or 202. D. O'Higgins.

305. Africa and the Classics. The field of classics, long seen as fundamental to and defining the culture of the Western world, recently has begun to examine its own definitions, canons, and presumptions. One of the most controversial areas of this self-reflective research is that of race, and the role that race has played in our definitions of cultural heritage. This course examines the cultures of ancient Egypt and Nubia, and how the ancient Greeks and Romans viewed the African civilizations with which they came in contact. In the last part of the semester students read and discuss M. Bernal's Black Athena (among other things) and consider how the modern study of classics has been shaped. Recommended background: previous courses in Greek or Roman antiquity, the ancient Mediterranean, historiography. Enrollment limited to 20. Written permission of the instructor is required. D. O'Higgins.

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Permission of the Department is required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Written permission of the instructor is required. Staff.

Short Term Units

s20. Readings in the Odyssey of Homer. The Odyssey had proved an inspiring and inexhaustible text over the centuries. This unit explores the poem in detail, examining its cultural and literary context and considering modern approaches to this most enigmatic text. The unit is taught in English, but students who have completed one or more years of ancient Greek are encouraged to read sections in Greek, and learn how to "perform" the poetry. This unit is the same as Greek s20. Recommended background: Classics 100. Written permission of the instructor is required, with priority given to students of Greek. Enrollment limited to 15. D. O'Higgins.

s21. Readings in Latin Epic. This unit introduces students to two major Latin epics: Vergil, Aeneid, and Lucan, Pharsalia. These poems span a critical century during which Rome moved from Republic to Empire. Taken together, they provide insights into sharply changing views of the Roman state and of the poet's function within it. Students read both poems, together with relevant modern scholarship. The class is taught in English, but a section of reading (and performance) in Latin is available to students with one or more years of Latin. This unit is the same as Latin s21. Enrollment limited to 15. M. Imber.

101-102. Elementary Ancient Greek. The objective of the course is to begin a study of Classical Greek as a foundation for upper-level reading courses. It covers the basics of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary building. Students learn to read Greek sentences and passages, and to translate from English into Greek. During the early stage much learning by rote of forms and rules is necessary, but students find that Greek is a structured and beautiful language, and the pleasure of reading "in the original" is inestimable. E. Casey.

201-202. Intermediate Greek. A continuation of Greek 102, this course introduces students to important Greek texts and their cultural milieu. In addition to improving their Greek, students learn about the historical, literary, religious, and philosophical implications of the works they read. Texts may include: Plato, Apology, Phaedo; Euripides, Bacchae, Alcestis, Medea; Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days; Herodotus, History of Greece; Homer, Iliad, Odyssey. Prerequisite(s): Greek 101 and 102. Open to first-year students. D. O'Higgins.

301. Explorations in Greek Prose. This course introduces the student to prose literature in the original Greek, and it assumes a reading knowledge of the language. The course focuses on one of the major genres of Greek prose: historiography, philosophy, law court rhetoric, or political writing. It examines the style and rhetorical ploys of the writers, and heightens the student's awareness of the use and abuse of public discourse. It also includes class presentations and discussions on the social and political outlook of these writers, who created the imaginary past and political ideology of every democracy since that time. This course is the same as Classics 301. Prerequisite(s): Greek 201 or 202. Staff.

Short Term Units

s20. Readings in the Odyssey of Homer. The Odyssey has proved an inspiring and inexhaustible text over the centuries. This unit explores the poem in detail, examining its cultural and literary context and considering modern approaches to this most enigmatic text. The unit is taught in English, but students who have completed one or more years of ancient Greek are encouraged to read sections in Greek, and learn how to "perform" the poetry. Recommended background: Classics 100. This unit is the same as Classics s20. Enrollment limited to 15. Written permission of the instructor is required. D. O'Higgins.

Courses in Latin. Students who desire to begin or continue the study of Latin may have various reasons, practical or aesthetic. Latin is invaluable for understanding the English language and its literature and aids directly in the study of French, Spanish, other modern languages, comparative literature, and linguistics. It has basic application to science, medicine, and law as well as to archeology, art, and other humanistic studies. However, beyond all the utilitarian and theoretical justifications, the student of Latin can simply enjoy the challenges of learning and the rewards of reading a great literature.

101-102. Elementary Latin. A humanistic introduction to classical Latin vocabulary, forms, and syntax, with special emphasis on reading the actual words of ancient authors. Relations to English grammar and etymology are stressed. Concentration on Latin-English translation, with some English-Latin composition. Latin 101 is not open to students with two or more years of Latin in secondary school. Open to first-year students. M. Imber.

201-202. Intermediate Latin. Introductory studies of Latin poetry (including metrics), prose, and culture, with further development of grammar and vocabulary through the readings. Representative selections from Ovid, Cicero, Livy, Pliny, or other authors. Open to students who have completed Latin 101-102 or its equivalent or who have had at least two years of Latin in secondary school. Open to first-year students. Staff.

205. Ovid's Metamorphoses Transformed. Very soon after its publication, Ovid's Metamorphoses became the standard source for the stories of Greco-Roman mythology. This course traces (in English) the various retellings of some of those myths through medieval, Renaissance, and modern times, in Europe and the Americas, primarily in literary reworkings, but with some attention to art and music as well. Reading the Ovidian original in Latin is available to students with one or more years of Latin. This course is the same as Classical and Medieval Studies 205. Open to first-year students. T. Hayward.

Short Term Units

s21. Readings in Latin Epic. This unit introduces students to two major Latin epics: Vergil, Aeneid, and Lucan, Pharsalia. These poems span a critical century during which Rome moved from Republic to Empire. Taken together, they provide insights into sharply changing views of the Roman state and of the poet's function within it. Students read both poems, together with relevant modern scholarship. The class is taught in English, but a section of reading (and performance) in Latin is available for students with one or more years of Latin. This unit is the same as Classics s21. Enrollment limited to 15. M. Imber.

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the Department only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the Department to direct the study and evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.

French
The major in French aims at flexibility within a structure that affords a diversity of experience in Francophonic culture and literature and continuous training in the use of the language. It provides effective preparation for graduate work, but is not conceived as strictly pre-professional. The usefulness of French is highlighted by the College's proximity to Québec and by the significant number of Franco-Americans who live and work in northern New England. In addition to the ten centuries of a rich and varied literature in France, the writers of such Francophonic areas as North Africa, black West Africa, the Caribbean, and Québec have impressed the literary world with their dynamism and insights.

A major in French consists of a minimum of ten courses which must include: a) French 250 or 251; b) three courses from French 205, 235, 305, 270, 271; c) one course from French 351, 352, 353; d) two courses from French 354, 355 (both can be taken more than once for credit); e) two courses from French 261, 240 (can be taken more than once for credit).

A student may request the Department to substitute a Short Term unit for one of the courses above. The Department normally will allow only four courses taken in a study-abroad program to count toward the major in French. Fluent and correct use of the language is essential to the successful completion of the major. All senior majors must pass, during the second semester, a comprehensive examination testing advanced proficiency in the language and knowledge of the literature and civilization. All senior majors must also assemble a portfolio of their work in the major and defend it in French before the faculty at the end of the second semester of their senior year. This portfolio may contain several papers from courses taken at Bates and abroad, a journal of a study-abroad or travel experience, several cassette recordings to show progress in oral proficiency, personal reflections upon the major in French, and so on. Honors candidates register for French 457-458.

Courses in other departments appropriate to the French major include Art 280, 281, and 282; English 171, 172, and 295; History 223 and 224; Music 244 and 245; and Theater 210 and 220. Majors are strongly encouraged to take at least one course in philosophy.

Courses
101-102. Elementary French I and II. In the first semester, emphasis is placed on oral proficiency with conversational practice in various aspects of contemporary French culture. Acquisition of vocabulary, basic grammar, and reading and writing skills. In the second semester, concentration on further development of these skills with short readings and films. French 101 is not open to students with two or more years of French in secondary school. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. L. D'Angelo.

201. Intermediate French I. Development of proficiency in speaking, with intensive review of grammar. Practice in reading and analyzing selected texts. Class discussions in French on both literary and cultural topics. Prerequisite(s): French 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. Staff.

202. Intermediate French II: Language and Culture of Modern France. This course aims to develop facility in speaking, reading, and writing French as well as familiarity with current French thought and cultural institutions. Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on such cultural material as magazine and newspaper articles, published interviews, videos, and appropriate works of current literature. Individual oral and written reports. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. R. Williamson.

203. Introduction au Monde Francophone. This course aims to develop familiarity with the Francophone world as well as greater facility in speaking, reading, and writing French. The course presents the diversity of Francophone voices, such as those of Mariama Bâ (Sénégal), Bernard Dadié (Côte d'Ivoire), Aimé Césaire (Martinique), René Depestre (Haïti), Assia Djebar (Algérie), Roch Carrier (Québec), and Antonine Maillet (Acadie). Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on a variety of cultural materials including newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, videos, and appropriate works of literature. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30.
C. Cano.

205. Oral French. Designed to develop oral/aural fluency. An introduction to French phonetics, diction, intonation, and elocution. Class discussion on topics of contemporary interest. Individual conferences with attention given to the particular difficulties of the student. Not open to those who have taken French s31. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. C. Cano.

235. Advanced French Conversation. Designed to develop facility in conversing in idiomatic French with ease and fluency. Prerequisite(s): French 205. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Williamson.

240. Introduction to French Studies. An examination of literature in its social, political, historical context with emphasis on the cultural interrelationship of text and society. Short critical papers and class discussion in French. Open to first-year students.

240B. "Mon pays, c'est l'hiver": Québec Culture and Literature. A study of the unique North American society of Québec with focus on its continual search for identity and independence. Some attention to the emigration of French Canadians to Maine and their influence. Reading and analysis of texts by such authors as Hémond, Godbout, Blais, Roy, Miron, Tremblay, and Lessard. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first year students. R. Williamson.

250, 251. Introduction to French Literature I and II. An introduction to major French authors and forms of French literature through close readings, short papers, and discussion of texts selected from various periods of French literature. The purpose is to introduce the student to a critical approach to French literature. Although this is not a survey course, the first semester does concentrate on texts written before the French Revolution, and the second semester on texts written after 1800. Some attention is paid to the socioeconomic context of the works studied and to questions of gender. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. R. Williamson, C. Cano.

261. French Civilization: A Historical Approach. An overview of the major developments in French civilization from the Middle Ages to the present with emphasis on placing artistic movements in their historical and social milieu. The course also explores the enduring influence of the past on contemporary French society. Conducted in French. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

270. Advanced French Grammar and Composition. An intensive review of French grammar with emphasis on developing facility in writing idiomatic French. Weekly compositions, written exercises, oral drills, and grammatical analysis of literary texts. Prerequisite(s): French 202 and 203. Open to first-year students. R. Williamson.

271. The Art of Translation. A study of the problems of translation. Passages from newspapers and journals and from literary, technical, and scientific works are translated and analyzed. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

305. Cours Supérieur de Langue Française. An advanced course on the subtleties of oral French with particular attention to vocabulary acquisition and accent. Discussion of recent events in France and in Francophonic areas based on selected newspaper or journal articles. Recommended for senior majors and others who have studied in a French-speaking country. Prerequisite(s): French 235. Enrollment limited to 15. Staff.

351. Early French Literature. "Literary Identity in Early French Literature." Reading and discussion of aspects of literary identity in medieval and Renaissance literature, with particular attention devoted to considerations of religion, gender, family and domestic concerns, and nationality. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. K. Read.

352. French Literature of the Seventeenth Century. "Woman writer/Women written." Reading and discussion of women writers of the seventeenth century with a focus on their important role in the formation of the novel. Secondary focus on women as heroines or titular characters in the works of male authors of the period. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. K. Read.

353. French Literature of the Eighteenth Century. A study of French literature of the eighteenth century. We study major works by authors such as Marivaux, Diderot, Rousseau, Condorcet, Sade, Beaumarchais, and Gouges. This course is similar to History 223, which may be taken in its place upon approval of the Department Chair. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. M. Rice-DeFosse.

354. French Literature of the Nineteenth Century. This course explores a century of enormous political, socioeconomic, and cultural change through its literature. We study such authors as Balzac, Sand, Flaubert, Nerval, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Zola, Rachilde, and Huysmans. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. Staff.

355. French Literature of the Twentieth Century. From Proust's "new novel" at the beginning of the century to Duras's haunting fictions; from Apollinaire's lyrical ideograms to Bonnefoy's poetry of place; from Ubu roi of Jarry to Les Négres of Genet; from Le deuxième sexe of Simone de Beauvoir to Irigaray's Ce sexe qui n'en est pas un, the twentieth century in French literature has been marked by a spirit of adventure. This course attempts to capture that spirit and to understand it in its social and political context. Serious attention to questions of gender. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. Staff.

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers required. Permission of the Department is required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

370. L' Individu Face à la Société. A study of the role of the individual in society in French literature written just prior to, during, and after the Revolution of 1789. The course explores issues of privilege and power, rights and responsibilities, nature and culture in works by authors such as Marivaux, Diderot, Beaumarchais, Sade, Nodier, Balzac, and Sand. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. Open to first-year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Open only to senior majors, with departmental permission. Before registering for 457 or 458 a student must present to the Department Chair an acceptable plan, including an outline and a tentative bibliography, after discussion with a member of the Department. Students register for French 457 in the fall semester and for French 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both French 457 and 458. Senior majors register for 457 or 458 only, unless the Department gives permission for a second semester's credit because the nature of the project warrants it. Staff.

Short Term Units

s30. Retracing the Pilgrimage Route. Of the three great pilgrimage routes in the Middle Ages the one leading from various locations in central France to the tomb of St. James in Santiago, Spain continues to attract much attention. To the faithful the experience of enduring the hardships of such a long walk was just as vital as finally praying on the tomb. In this unit, we retrace, on mountain bikes, the 1,400 KM route from Puy en Velay to Santiago and explore the important role of the pilgrimage in medieval art, literature, and culture. This unit is the same as Spanish s30. Prerequisite(s): one year of college-level French or Spanish. Recommended background: Art 225, 251 or 252; English 205 or 206. Written permission of instructor required. Open to first-year students. F. López, R. Williamson.

s31. French Language and Culture in France. The unit includes language study with qualified native teachers, study of French life and institutions, organized visits to museums, historical monuments, and theatrical performances, and an end of-term trip to Paris. Each student keeps a journal in French, which is used by the professor in evaluating progress in the unit. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Written permission of the instructor is required. Staff.

s32. The Cultures of Martinique: Cette île que l'on dit française. A total-immersion experience on the French-speaking island of Martinique. Intensive French language instruction, study and analysis of Martinique's different cultures, and visits to important historical and cultural sites. Readings selected from historical, cultural, and literary texts by such authors as Aimé Césaire, Edouard Glissant, Joseph Zobel, and Patrick Chamoiseau. Students keep a journal of their experience and complete a substantial project in an area of their interest. Recommended background: French 203. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 8. Written permission of the instructor is required. R. Williamson.

s34. French Drama in Performance. A study and performance of scenes from French dramatic works from a variety of literary styles, movements, and eras. Students read, discuss, and perform dramatic works (or portions thereof) throughout the unit and then conceive and create a coherent production of portions of these plays to be presented in public to area high schools and colleges. Readings may include the works of Molière, Racine, Beaumarchais, De Musset, Ionesco, and Duras, which, though drawing on a wide range of time periods and approaches, are assimilated and reconciled under a common theme to be determined by the class. Conducted in French. Recommended background: adequate oral fluency in French, good reading comprehension. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. K. Read.

s35. French in Maine. A bilingual study of what it means to speak French and to be French in Maine. The unit explores the Franco-American heritage as well as contemporary expressions of Franco-American culture. It focuses on questions of language and identity through oral and written histories, interviews, newspaper articles, documentaries, literature, and music. Students visit local cultural sites and participate in an excursion to the St. John Valley and Québec. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. M. Rice-DeFosse.

s36. The Evolution of French Cinema. A study of the development of theme, structure, and technique in French film through the works of directors such as Vigo, Clair, Renoir, Resnais, Godard, Truffaut, Kurys, and Beneix. Conducted in French. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Written permission of the instructor is required. M. Rice-DeFosse.

Spanish
Spanish is the most widely spoken language in the Americas, without even including ten percent of the United States population. It is also spoken in Spain, Equatorial Guinea, Israel, and the Philippines. The major in Spanish develops not only students' language skills, but also the exercise of critical thinking around subjects related to the culture, literatures, art, and history of the Spanish-speaking peoples of all continents. Reading, discussing, and writing in Spanish are the principal activity of the major. Bates College Spanish majors are strongly encouraged to spend a year or a semester living and studying in a Spanish-speaking country. The growing cultural, political, and economic ties between all nations of the American continent underscore the importance of this major. Students interested in graduate studies in Spanish or Latin American studies, or in business, medicine, law, or international relations, are encouraged to develop advanced proficiency in Spanish.

The Department expects its majors to have a broad experience in the literatures of the Spanish-speaking peoples. In consultation with the Spanish faculty, the student will elect courses in a variety of issues. Major requirements for students in the Class of 1998 and thereafter include the following: a) nine courses beyond the intermediate level, including one 300 level course each semester of the senior year; b) one course outside the Spanish program previously approved by the faculty in Spanish, such as English 295, Anthropology 234 or 334, History 181, Political Science 249, research methods courses in areas such as Women's Studies, African American Studies, American Cultural Studies, Classical and Medieval Studies; c) the completion of a senior thesis written in Spanish. Instead of the thesis, a comprehensive examination in Latin American and Spanish literature and culture can be substituted in those cases in which the student is a double major writing a thesis for another program. Honors candidates register for Spanish 457-458.

Courses
101-102. Elementary Spanish I and II. Emphasis is placed on oral proficiency with pronunciation exercises and conversational practice. Development of reading and writing skills. Drill in the essential constructions and basic vocabulary of Spanish. Short films and cultural presentations. Regularly scheduled laboratory periods. Spanish 101 is not open to students with two or more years of Spanish in secondary school. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. F. López.

201. Intermediate Spanish I. Designed to increase students' vocabulary and to improve mastery of language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. A thorough review of grammar as well as an emphasis on conversational proficiency, expository writing, and Hispanic culture. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. P. Fagan-DiStasio, C. Guzmán.

202. Intermediate Spanish II. Intensive practice in reading, composition, and conversation, as well as attention to selected grammar problems. Focus on discussion through visual presentations and selections of Hispanic literature, art, and culture. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. Staff.

207. Advanced Spanish: Culture and Language. This course develops oral/aural fluency as well as reading and writing skills by means of directed and spontaneous classroom activities and regular written assignments. Conversations and compositions are based primarily on readings and films. Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 234. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20 per section. B. Fra-Molinero, S. Garabano.

208. Advanced Spanish: Texts and Contexts. This course is a continuation of Spanish 207 with particular emphasis upon analyzing a variety of texts and developing more sophistication in writing. Conversations and compositions are based on both literary and cultural readings. Recommended background: Spanish 207. Not open to students who have received credit for Spanish 234. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20 per section. Staff.

210. Latin American Cultures. This course examines key issues in Latin American culture: the role of women, the issues of race, class, politics, and national identity through a variety of films, short stories, and essays. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 207 or Spanish 208. Open to first-year students. Staff.

215. Readings in Spanish American Literature. An introduction to the literature of Spanish America, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Among the issues addressed are the literary response to the space and peoples of the New World, the literature of vice-regal Mexico, the rise of national traditions in the nineteenth century, and experimentation in contemporary narrative fiction. Readings may include texts by Bernal Díaz del Castillo, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, José María Heredia, Esteban Echeverría, Rubén Darío, Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda, María Luisa Bombal, Alejo Carpentier, Julio Cortázar, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, and Elena Castedo. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. S. Garabano.

216. Readings in Peninsular Spanish Literature. A one-semester survey of representative peninsular Spanish texts. Major emphasis is on reading and discussing texts which relate to specific problems of literary form (poetry, theater, novel, etc.), literary movements, and literary periodization. The topics are also discussed in the sociocultural context of their representation of Spanish national life and character. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. Staff.

240. Loco Amor/Buen Amor. In this course we study different ways of representing the passion of love, from the love of God to loving someone of the same sex. Spanish cities in the Middle Ages and San Francisco, California are some settings where idealized as well as forbidden forms of love take place in the texts of the Arcipreste de Hita, La Celestina and gay Mexican-American poets. This course may be taken in either Spanish or English. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216, if taken in Spanish. Open to first-year students.
B. Fra-Molinero.

241. Spanish Theater of the Golden Age. This course focuses on the study of Spanish classical drama of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Reading and critical analysis of selected dramatic works by Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, Calderon de la Barca, Miguel de Cervantes, Ana Caro and Maria de Zayas, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, among others offer an insight into the totality of the dramatic spectacle of Spanish society during its imperial century. This course is the same as Theater 241. Prerequisite(s) or Corequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. Open to first-year students. B. Fra-Molinero.

242. Advanced Grammar and Stylistics. An intensive grammar review, with emphasis on written exercises, translation, oral drills, and grammatical analysis of literary texts. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 202. Open to first-year students. F. López.

250. The Latin American Short Story. A study of the uncanny, the marvelous, and the fantastic short story through the analysis of works by modern Latin American authors such as Borges, Quiroga, Cortázar, Rulfo, Fuentes, García Márquez, Carpentier, and Asturias. Attention is directed to defining the genre critically and discussing the problems of ambiguity in literature. Readings are supplemented with cinematic examples. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. Open to first-year students. S. Garabano.

251. Literatura Colonial. The literary production during the Spanish colonial period in Latin America is more than a conscious imitation of models borrowed from Spain and Europe. Literary genres were tested against a reality that defied all previous categories. Readings include some of the most representative figures between 1492 and 1800, such as Columbus, Las Casas, Inca Garcilaso, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. Open to first-year students. B. Fra-Molinero.

255. Rewriting Modernity in Contemporary Latin American Fiction. A study of contemporary Latin American fiction from the 1960s to the present day, focusing on different trends in Post-Boom narrative. Readings may include short stories, novels, and essays by Manuel Puig, Clarice Lispector, Rodolfo Walsh, Severo Sarduy, César Aira, Juan José Saer, and Antonio Di Benedetto, as well as cultural and literary criticism. Special attention is given to the relations among art, politics, and ethics, as well as between literature and the mass media. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. Open to first year students. Staff.

262. Contemporary Spain. A study of Spanish history and political ideas from 1936 to the present, starting with historical information about the civil war and an analysis of the rhetoric of both sides ("republicanos" and "nacionales") through popular war songs. The Franco period is examined through texts of "high culture" (poetry, drama, and the novel) and "popular culture" (films, songs, and newspaper clippings) that express supposedly opposing ideologies. Similar texts are used to explore the transition from dictatorship to democracy and the new and old problems that Spain is facing since the late 1970s. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 and 216. Open to first-year students. F. López.

341. Cervantes. A careful reading and a comprehensive formal and thematic study of Don Quijote, and some of the Novelas ejemplares. Careful consideration is given to various pieces of Cervantine scholarship, and some of the effects of the Quijote on the genre of the novel are examined. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 208. B. Fra-Molinero.

343. Fictional Women in Nineteenth-Century Spanish Realism. This course examines the representation of women in canonical works by well-established male writers, mainly Galdós, Clarín, and Valera. Through the exploration of the patriarchal discourse, as well as socioeconomic structures in which both writers and characters are inscribed, one can reach a clearer understanding of the depiction of women in nineteenth-century Spanish realist fiction. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. F. López.

344. Women Writers of Post-Franco Spain. In this course, we discuss the impact of "la Transición" (from dictatorship to democracy) on the psychological and social dimensions of womanhood by focusing on the detailed textual analysis of novels and short stories. Authors may include Rosa Montero, Cristina Fernandez Cubas, Esther Tusquets, Consuelo Garcia, Carmen Gómez Ojea, and Soledad Puértolas. Recommended background: a course on Spanish literature. Written permission of the instructor is required. F. López.

345. Twentieth-Century Spanish Drama. A study of the evolution of political ideas and social values in Spain in the twentieth century through an examination of several plays. Interconnected and parallel sociocultural realities are analyzed along with different dramatic tendencies: from "poetic" to social-realist to avant-garde theaters. Authors may include: Lorca, Mihura, Buero Vallejo, Sastre, Nieva, Martin Recuerda, and Arrabal. Recommended background: Spanish 215 or 216. Prerequisite(s): a 200-level literature course in Spanish. Staff.

350. Between History and Literature. This course examines the relation between history and literature in texts by Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, Alejo Carpentier and Ricardo Piglia. Special attention is paid to the question of national origins, postcolonialism, and the modern/postmodern debate. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 215 or 216. Enrollment limited to 20. Staff.

457, 458. Senior Thesis. Research leading to writing of the senior thesis. Limited number of group meetings, plus individual conferences. Students register for Spanish 457 in the fall semester and for Spanish 458 in the winter semester. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both Spanish 457 and 458. A detailed outline and bibliography must be approved by the Department in the semester prior to the semester in which the thesis is written. Staff.

Short Term Units

s18. The Cuban Revolution: Problems and Prospects. This unit examines the problems and prospects facing the Cuban Revolution in historical and cultural context. The first two weeks are spent on campus in intensive study of the Cuban Revolution. The second two weeks are spent in Cuba doing first-hand research and study of current issues in Cuba, and the last week is spent on campus doing oral and written evaluations of the problems raised by the unit. Issues include food and agriculture, health, economic crisis and change, arts and culture, women, and Cuban relations with the United States. This unit is offered simultaneously in English and Spanish. Recommended background: some knowledge of Spanish. This unit is the same as History s18. Enrollment limited to 25. Written permission of the instructor is required. F. López.

s21. The Picaresque Hero: A Life of Crime. The unit examines and defines the picaresque hero in three Hispanic texts: the sixteenth-century classic Lazarillo de Tormes, Cervantes's Rinconete y Cortadillo, and the Mexican gay novel Adonis García, written in the 1980s. These texts raise issues concerning the relation between the individual and authority; social class and poverty; expression of identity, sexuality, gender, and ethnicity; as well as the use of language under confession and torture. Taught in English. Majors in Spanish must read texts in Spanish. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15.
B. Fra-Molinero.

s30. Retracing the Pilgrimage Route. Of the three great pilgrimage routes in the Middle Ages the one leading from various locations in central France to the tomb of St. James in Santiago, Spain continues to attract much attention. To the faithful the experience of enduring the hardships of such a long walk was just as vital as finally praying on the tomb. In this unit, we retrace, on mountain bikes, the 1,400 KM route from Puy en Velay to Santiago and explore the important role of the pilgrimage in medieval art, literature, and culture. This unit is the same as French s30. Prerequisite(s): one year of college-level French or Spanish. Recommended background: Art 225, 251, or 252; English 205 or 206. Written permission of the instructor is required. Open to first-year students. F. López, R. Williamson.

s32. Medieval Spain: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Spain developed three different literary traditions during the Middle Ages. The presence in the Iberian Peninsula of three different established religions ‹ Christianity, Islam, and Judaism ‹ gave rise to three distinctive intellectual communities and practices. Muslim philosophers and scientists developed knowledge in areas like medicine, optics, algebra, and chemistry. Jewish scholars gave shape to the Talmudic tradition, and Christian Europe sent its theologians to discover Aristotle among the few who still could read Greek in Western Europe: the Arab and Jewish scholars of Córdoba and Toledo. This course is taught in English. One section reads and discusses texts in Spanish. The second section is conducted in English; no prerequisite. Prerequisite(s): Spanish 216. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. B. Fra-Molinero.

s33. Women, Nation, and Literary Culture in Latin America. A study of the interventions provided by women in the national cultures of Latin America, focusing on their mediations in the public sphere, their participation in literary traditions, and their access to the symbolic realm that determines the cultural imagination of a nation. Readings include texts by Juana Manuela Gorriti, Lola Larrosa de Ansaldo, Emma de la Barra, Juana Manso, Victoria Ocampo, Alfonsina Storni, Norah Lange, Manuel Galvez, Ezequiel Martínez Estrada. Special attention is also given to literary and cultural theory. Recommended background: Spanish 215 or 216. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. Staff.

Other Foreign Languages
141-142-143-144. Self-Instructional Program in Less Commonly Taught Languages. Learning languages through the use of tapes, textbooks, and conventional classroom procedures, with consultants proficient in the language, under the supervision of a member of the Department. Where appropriate, final testing is by a visiting examiner of recognized qualifications, who consults with the Department Chair on the testing. One course credit is granted upon completion of two consecutive semesters. For the academic year 1997-1998 no languages will be offered. Written permission of the Department Chair is required.

Courses
360. Independent Study. Individual study, under the direction of a staff member, of a language not included in the regular course offerings. Permission of the Department is required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

Short Term Units

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the Department only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the Department to direct the study and evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.