The Latin American Essay: From the Nineteenth-Century to the Present

Through the study of significant and representative 19th-, 20th- and 21st-century Latin American essays from across the continent, this course aims at a better understanding of the genre and its particularities. While studying theconventions that define the genre, the course will also investigate the role that the essay has played in the historical construction of cultural identities. Special attention will be given to unique racial, national, and linguistic constructions in Latin America. Readings on historical and sociological aspects of the essay will also be required. Among the authors to be included are Martí, Lispector, Mistral, Paz, and Rama.