P420 The Brazilian Novel in Translation

This course aims to introduce students with little prior knowledge of
the Brazilian literary tradition to the modern Brazilian novel,
through the in-depth reading of select major works. Among the
questions we will consider are: the significance of the works within
Brazilian literary history; the socio-historical conditions in which
they were produced and their relation to those conditions; the
complications that may arise in reading a work in translation. Why are
these novels canonical? What can they tell us about the social,
political and economic realities of Brazil? Does reading these works
in translation affect our access to these realities, and if so how?
How can we best approach a work in translation?

Requirements: A midterm exam, an oral presentation, and a final paper
(undergraduates: 8-10 pp.; graduate students: 15-20 pp.) Graduate
students will do an additional project which may be either 1) a
critical review of a selected study; 2) an analysis of some issue
related to the translation of Brazilian literature. The latter option
is available to students who have a good knowledge of written
Portuguese and may also be pursued by undergraduates as a final paper
topic. Students interested in pursuing an in-depth comparative
approach may write a final paper focused on two or more national
literary traditions, of which one must be Brazilian.

Texts:

Machado de Assis, EPITAPH FOR A SMALL WINNER (MEMÓRIAS PÓSTUMAS DE
BRÁS CUBAS, 1881)
Aluísio Azevedo, THE SLUM (O CORTICO, 1890)
Graciliano Ramos, BARREN LIVES (VIDAS SECAS, 1938)
Clarice Lispector, THE PASSION ACCORDING TO G.H.. (A PAIXÃO SEGUNDO
G.H., 1964)
Lygia Fagundes Telles, GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPH (AS MENINAS, 1973)
Ivan Angelo, THE CELEBRATION (A FESTA, 1976)
Marilene Felinto, THE WOMEN OF TIJUCOPAPO (AS MULHERES DE TIJUCOPAPO,
1982)
Caio Fernando Abreu, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO DULCE VEIGA (ONDE ANDARÁ
DULCE VEIGA, 1990)

P420  #3968   2:30P-3:45P  MW  BH011  Professor Sabrina Karpa-Wilson
(Note:  This course meets with HISP P520.)