RLSP 222
Mexican Underworlds: Visual Configurations of Life beneath the Ground Fall 2013
Division I
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Class Details

The notion of the underworld evokes several images: mythical hell, the space of the repressed, and the breeding ground of conspiracy, to name just a few. In this course we will explore how the image of the underground appears repeatedly in Mexican cultural objects throughout history. We will use the theoretical approach of visual studies and psychoanalysis to explore the multiple meanings that the underground can carry when we think about it as a relation between concealment and revelation. Our readings will include Aztec and Mayan myths; classic novels by Azuela, Revueltas, and Rulfo; essays by Octavio Paz and Carlos Fuentes; contemporary novels by Roberto Bolaño and Guadalupe Nettel; and films. Attendance at the three film screenings outside the scheduled class time is required. Canonical Mexican texts will be re-read from a visual studies perspective, incorporating visual studies as a critical discourse separate from but compatible with literary studies. Conducted in Spanish
The Class: Format: lecture/discussion
Limit: 22
Expected: 22
Class#: 1965
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: two short essays (2-3 pages) due on weeks 5 and 10, an annotated bibliography, a final paper (5 pages), and a class presentation based on the final paper
Extra Info: every main reading/topic will be introduced by a 15-20 minute lecture, followed by discussion questions;the course will have a Glow site in which students will post their initial responses to the readings in advance as preparation for class discussion
Prerequisites: RLSP 105 or higher
Enrollment Preferences: none
Distributions: Division I

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