Module Identifier SP30920  
Module Title MODERN SPAIN (1930 - 2000)  
Academic Year 2007/2008  
Co-ordinator Dr Jose M Goni Perez  
Semester Intended for use in future years  
Next year offered N/A  
Next semester offered N/A  
Pre-Requisite (Normally) eligibility for entry to Level 3 Spanish.  
Course delivery Lecture   2 per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials)  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours Written exam - 2 essays in 2 hours  60%
Semester Assessment Continuous Assessment: 2 essays of 1,500 - 2,000 words. Only the better of the two marks will be taken for the continuous assessment element. This is to allow some assessment to be formative as well as (or instead of) summative. If a student fails to submit one piece of the two required, and does not supply the tutor concerned with valid reasons/evidence in writing, the mark for the one piece of work submitted will be carried forward as a continuous assessment mark, but divided by two. If no assessed work is submitted, the mark for the continuous assessment element (which will be fed into the overall module assessment) will be zero.40%
Supplementary Exam 1 x 2 hour examination if continuous assessment submitted. 1 x 3 examination if no continuous assessment submitted.100%

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module students should have:

1) a good knowledge of the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship and the transition to democracy
2) specific knowledge of four texts that reflect the key issues of these years

Brief description

A study of the making of modern Spain from the turmoil of the Second Republic and the trauma of the Spanish Civil War 1936-39, through to the Franco Dictatorship and the transition to democracy after Franco's death. Against this sociopolitical background, students explore through major representative works (of novel, film and poetry) the experience of living in twentieth-century Spain.

In their assignments students may choose to emphasise either literary/cultural or sociopolitical issues, or the way the latter are treated by writers.

Syllabus

Weeks 1-6   the Second Republic and the Spanish Civil War: two crucial phases illustrated by Alberti's depiction of Madrid under siege in De un momento a otro (poesia) and by Cela's tremendista novel, La familia de Pascual Duarte.

Weeks 7-12   The two novels by Delibes and Goytisolo are read against the background of the political changes which took place in Spain under the Franco regime.

Reading Lists

Books
** Recommended Text
Balcells J.M. (1993) Introduction to Rafael Alberti, De un momento a otro Barcelona
Bowra C M Poetry and Politics, p 124 etc - The Creative Experiment Lonsdon 1949, 220253 ( on Alberti)
David Gilmour (1985) The Transformation of Spain London
Havard, Robert (2001) The Crucified Mind Tamesis, London
Hoyle Alan (1994) Cela: La familia de Pascual Duarte, critical guide Grant & Cutler
Nantell J A (1987) Ordering the Chaos: Rafael Alberti's Elegia civica, Hispanofila 57-80
Paul Preston (1986) The Triumph of Democracy in Spain London
Preston, Paul Franco
Rose Alan (1991) Surrealism and Communism New York
Thomas, Hugh The Spanish Civil War Penguin
Wesseling P (1977) 'Violence in Counterpoint: Alberti's Poems of 1935' - Also Revolution and Tradition,The Poetry of R Alberti, Chapel Hill 1981 Hispanofila 220-26
** Consult For Futher Information
Alberti, Rafael (1993) De un momento a otro (poesia y historia) (NB. This is not the play by the same title) Promociones y Publicaciones Universitarias
Atxaga, Bernardo El hombre solo Ediciones B or other
Carr, Raymond (1985) Modern Spain 1875-1980 Oxford
Cela, Camilo Jose La familia de Pascual Duarte Prentice-Hall or other
Grandes, Almudena Modelos de mujer Tusquets coleccion Andanzas

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6