Professor John M. Fyler, Acting chair; Chaucer,
medieval literature
Professor Juan M. Alonso, Nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature of Spain,
Spanish American literature
Professor Gérard Gasarian, Nineteenth- and twentieth-century French
poetry
Professor Eglal Henein, Seventeenth-century French literature, myth, French
Canadian literature and culture
Professor Elizabeth T. Howe, Spanish Golden Age, medieval literature,
mysticism
Professor José Antonio Mazzotti,
Latin American literature
Associate Professor Madeleine Fletcher, Nineteenth- and twentieth-century
Spanish literature, Hispano-Arabic civilization
Associate Professor Nina Gerassi-Navarro, Latin American literature
Associate Professor Claudia Kaiser-Lenoir, Latin American literature
Associate Professor Brigitte Lane, French cultural studies, contemporary French
literature, film studies
Associate Professor Isabelle H. Naginski, Nineteenth-century French prose,
Franco-Russian literary relations, women writers
Associate Professor Vincent J. Pollina, Medieval and Renaissance French and
Italian literature
Assistant Professor Mark Hernández, Mexican literature and culture
Assistant Professor Paulette Anne Smith, Francophone African and Caribbean
literature
Senior Lecturer Laura Baffoni Licata, Italian literature and culture
Senior Lecturer Patricia DiSilvio, Italian language coordinator
Senior Lecturer Marta Rosso-O'Laughlin, Spanish language coordinator
Senior Lecturer Emese Soos, French language coordinator
Lecturer María-Concepción Lagunas Davis, Spanish language course administrator
Lecturer Claudia Mejía, Spanish language course administrator
Lecturer Kathleen Pollakowski, Spanish language and literature
Lecturer Claire Schub, Nineteenth- and twentieth-century French literature
Lecturer Agnès Trichard-Arany, French language course administrator
Adjunct Professor Angel Berenguer, Director, Tufts-in-Madrid program
Monique Fecteau, Director, Tufts-in-Paris program
Carmen Gloria Guinez, Director, Tufts-in-Chile program
The Romance languages all derive from the Latin spoken in different parts of the Roman Empire. Courses in French, Spanish, and Italian lead students to an understanding of the language when spoken or written, and allow them to read and appreciate each nation's literature. At all stages of instruction students may deepen their linguistic sensibilities and expand their horizons by studying, through a Romance language, a civilization different from but connected to their own. Students may major in French, in Spanish, or in Italian Studies, and may minor in Italian. A special minor for engineering students allows them to minor in French, Spanish, or Italian. The Department of Romance Languages also participates in the programs of the Experimental College.
Language Houses
The Department of Romance Languages sponsors the French House and the Spanish House. The
houses are open to all students interested in these languages and cultures and are not
limited to majors. They offer small-group living and an opportunity to enjoy an intensive
language experience, often with native speakers, and to participate in many social and
cultural events.
Junior Year Abroad
Through the Tufts-in-Madrid, the Tufts-in-Paris, and the Tufts-in-Chile programs, the
Department of Romance Languages offers undergraduate majors an unusual opportunity for
study in Spain, France, and Chile during the academic year. For more information, contact
the Department of Romance Languages or the Office of Tufts Programs Abroad.
Tufts University European Center
The Tufts University European Center sponsors a six-week summer study program in
Talloires, on the Lac d'Annecy, in the heart of the French Alps. Students enroll for
credit in two courses chosen from an array of offerings including French language,
literature, and civilization. The courses, taught by members of the Tufts faculty, draw on
the rich cultural and physical resources of this beautiful region of France. Classes are
held in Le Prieuré (the Priory), which was formerly part of an eleventh-century
Benedictine monastery. Each student lives and shares meals with a local French family; the
residential component of the program adds an important dimension to the students'
experience of French daily life and culture. For more information, contact the Office of
the Tufts University European Center.
Placement of Entering Undergraduates
All entering students who elect courses in French, Spanish, or Italian and who have
previously studied the language will be placed in the appropriate course level by their
scores on the SAT II Subject Tests (formerly known as the CEEB Achievement Test), Advanced
Placement Test, or the Tufts placement examination. The Tufts placement examination, which
is for diagnostic purposes only, is given each September and January during the
orientation period.
Students who place above French, Spanish, or Italian 3 may complete the language requirement by choosing any one of the three available options (see College of Liberal Arts Information, Foundation Requirements). One course credit equivalent to French/Spanish/Italian 21 or 22 is granted under certain conditions (see College of Liberal Arts Information, Advanced Placement and Acceleration Credit).
For further information, see the appropriate coordinator of language instruction.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements in French and in Spanish
Prospective majors in French or Spanish are advised to consult the guidelines for
selecting a related field, which appear in the departmental course brochure and on the
Romance Languages Web site. The department highly recommends that seniors returning from
overseas programs enroll in two 100-level French or Spanish courses on the Tufts campus
during their final year of study. At least one of the four 100-level literature courses
must be taken during the senior year on the Tufts campus itself.
Major in French
Ten courses as follows:
French 21 and 22, or equivalent; French 31 and 32, or equivalent; four 100-level courses
in literature; one 100-level course to be selected from among the various course offerings
in advanced language and culture, including French 121, 122, 124, 125 or their
equivalents. (Students participating in programs abroad may count toward the satisfaction
of this requirement a wide range of courses in language, literature, art history,
geography, history, civilization, and other areas, taught in the language of the major.)
One course in a related field. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted
toward the major. No more than two credits combining an Independent Study and an honors
thesis may be counted toward the major. All courses taken for credit in the major must be
completed with a grade of C- or better.
Major in Spanish
Ten courses as follows:
Spanish 21 and 22, or equivalent; Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or equivalent; four
100-level courses in literature; one 100-level course to be selected from among the
various course offerings in advanced language and culture, including Spanish 121, 122,
124, 130, 140, 150, or their equivalents. (Students participating in programs abroad may
count toward the satisfaction of this requirement a wide range of courses in language,
literature, art history, geography, history, civilization, and other areas, taught in the
language of the major.) One course in a related field. No more than one credit in
Independent Study may be counted toward the major. No more than two credits combining an
Independent Study and an honors thesis may be counted toward the major. All courses taken
for credit in the major must be completed with a grade of C- or better.
Undergraduate Concentration Requirements in Italian Studies
Prospective majors in Italian Studies are advised to consult the list of courses
exclusively devoted to Italian culture, taught in departments other than Romance
Languages, which count toward the Italian Studies major. The list appears in the
departmental course brochure and on the Romance Languages Web site. It is highly
recommended that seniors returning from overseas programs enroll in an appropriate Italian
course in the Department of Romance Languages during their final year of study. Interested
students should consult the designated adviser for the major.
Major in Italian Studies
Ten courses distributed as follows among Categories A, B, and C:
Category A: Five courses taught in the Department of Romance Languages: Italian 21
and 22, or equivalent; Italian 31 and 32, or equivalent; one 100-level course, such as
Italian 121, 191, or 192. Category B: Two courses taught in English in the
Department of Romance Languages, such as Italian 51, 52, 55, or 75. Category C: Any
three courses from one or more of the following groups: Category A, above; Category B,
above; courses in Latin language or literature, with readings in the original, above the
level of Latin 3; courses in Latin literature or culture, with readings in English
translation; courses devoted exclusively to Italian culture (as attested by course
description and syllabus), taught in departments other than Romance Languages. Courses
taken in other departments must be approved by the Department of Romance Languages for
credit in the major. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward
the major. No more than two credits combining an Independent Study and an honors thesis
may be counted toward the major. All courses taken for credit in the major must be
completed with a grade of C- or better.
Undergraduate Minor Programs
Minor in Italian
Five courses as follows:
Four courses in Italian language, literature, and/or culture above the intermediate level
(Italian 3-4), one of which must be in literature. These courses must be taught in
Italian. One course chosen from among the following: a) a course, taught in English
translation, on Italian literature or civilization (e.g., Italian 41, 42, 51, 52, 55, 75);
b) one of the Italian culture courses listed in this bulletin at the end of the College of
Liberal Arts Information section; c) one further course in Italian language, literature,
and/or culture, taught in Italian on the Medford/Somerville campus; d) an upper-level
course, completed in Italy, in one of a variety of disciplines. No more than one credit in
Independent Study may be counted toward the minor.
It is highly recommended that seniors returning from overseas programs enroll in an appropriate Italian course in the Department of Romance Languages during their final year of study.
Interested students should consult the designated adviser for the minor.
Special Minors for Engineering Students
The humanities and/or arts and social sciences requirements for students in the School of
Engineering may be satisfied by a special minor in French, Spanish, or Italian language
and culture comprising a total of six credits.
Please note the following stipulations:
1) Of the five credits taken in the Department of Romance Languages, no more than one
credit may be taken in English.
2) Students must determine their level of proficiency in the language by examination
(placement test at Tufts, Advanced Placement Test score, or CEEB SAT II Subject Test
score).
3) Students cannot receive credit toward the minor for courses taken below this initial
placement.
4) Students must consult with the designated adviser for the special minor in the
Department of Romance Languages.
5) Independent Studies will not be available.
FRENCH or SPANISH
Five credits above French 3 or Spanish 3.
The sixth credit must be taken in the social sciences, concentrating on the area in which
the target language is spoken.
ITALIAN
Five credits above Italian 2.
The sixth credit must be taken in the social sciences, concentrating on the area in which
the target language is spoken.
Departmental Honors
The departmental honors program provides the opportunity for majors in French, in Spanish,
or in Italian Studies--in close cooperation with a faculty adviser--to write a senior
honors thesis for one or two course credits. Each such credit may count toward the major
as a 100-level literature course. No more than two credits combining an Independent Study
and an honors thesis may be counted toward the major. Near the end of the spring term the
thesis is defended before a committee of three readers, who determine whether the degree
with highest honors in thesis, with high honors in thesis, or with honors in thesis is to
be awarded at commencement. The applicant's name must have appeared on the Dean's List
prior to the first term of the senior year. Interested students should consult with the
potential adviser and with the chair of the department toward the end of the junior year.
Graduate Program
Master's Degree
A master of arts degree is offered in French language and literature. Preference is given
to students who have a strong undergraduate major in French.
To qualify for the master's degree, a student completes an approved program of at least ten courses, including a general examination. A student is expected to show evidence of scholarly attainment both in course work and in the general examination.
Application forms are available from the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies in
Ballou Hall.
Undergraduate Courses
1, 2 Elementary French I and II. For students having no previous knowledge of French who wish to achieve an active command of the language. Study of fundamental speech patterns. Listening comprehension and oral ability stressed from the outset; progressively greater emphasis on reading and writing skills. Language laboratory. Conducted in French. Two courses. Members of the department
3 Intermediate French I. Rapid oral-aural review of structural principles with emphasis on independent use of these principles in oral and written work. Reading and classroom discussion of a variety of texts. Oral exposés, written compositions. Language laboratory. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 2 or equivalent. Members of the department
4 Intermediate French II. Continued grammar review with emphasis on fluency and accuracy of expression. Prose readings (fiction, theatre, magazine articles) for development of vocabulary; attention to tone and style. Classroom discussions and written compositions. Language laboratory. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 3 or equivalent. Members of the department
21 Composition and Conversation I. Advanced oral and written drill in idiomatic French, combined with grammar review for greater fluency of expression. Study of contemporary French culture. Class discussions, oral reports, and writing assignments stressing expository prose and the art of the résumé. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 4 or equivalent. Members of the department
22 Composition and Conversation II. Continuation of grammar review; increasing emphasis on close reading of texts on contemporary France. Standard French writing forms such as dissertation and commentaire de texte. Oral-aural work, class discussions, regular laboratory assignments, and the dramatization of a narrative text. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 21 or equivalent. Members of the department
31 Readings in French Literature I. Study of works representing significant currents of thought and expression from the Middle Ages through the eighteenth century. Lectures, discussions, and explications de texte. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad. Members of the department
32 Readings in French Literature II. Study of works representing significant currents of thought and expression in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Lectures, discussions, and explications de texte. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad. Members of the department
91, 92 Special Topics. (Conducted in English.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization, e.g., the Jew in French literature. Members of the department
93, 94 Independent Study. (Conducted in English.) Guided individual study of an
approved topic in French literature or civilization. Variable credit. Prerequisite:
consent. Members of the department
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
121 Advanced Language I. In-depth analysis of contemporary French language with special emphasis on the development of the individual's ability to understand and use different styles, written and spoken, from the formal to the familiar. Not for native speakers or for those who have studied in France. Prerequisites: French 21 and 22, or consent. Members of the department
122 Advanced Language II. A continuation of French 121. Not for native speakers or for those who have studied in France. Prerequisite: French 121 or consent. Members of the department
124 Translation and Stylistics. A workshop using the contrastive stylistics of French and English as a key to the art of translation. Texts from a variety of chronological periods, including both literary and extraliterary sources (business, correspondence, journalism, other media). Published literary translations of outstanding merit are also examined. Version, thème, and other exercises. Prerequisites: French 21 and 22, or consent. Pollina
125 Studies in French Culture. Analysis of current trends in the social and intellectual life of the French through films and readings. Institutions, attitudes, and problems specific to contemporary France. Prerequisites: French 21 and 22, or 31 and 32, or consent. Lane
131 Medieval French Literature. Introduction to the cultural context and major literary genres of the medieval period. Representative texts, read in modern French translation: La Chanson de Roland; the Tristan of Béroul; lyric poetry of the troubadours and trouvères, with examples of their music; the Lais of Marie de France; Le Roman de la rose; the novels of Chrétien de Troyes; Le Jeu de la feuillée; La Farce de Maistre Pierre Pathelin; the poems of François Villon. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Pollina
136 French Renaissance Literature. Cultural contrasts and literary tastes of the sixteenth century, with emphasis on Rabelais (the novel), Marguerite de Navarre (the nouvelle), Montaigne (the essay), and the poets Marot, Scève, Louise Labé, Du Bellay, Ronsard. Themes include tradition and innovation, skepticism and belief, tolerance and intolerance, body and spirit. Attention to the shifting relationship between lyric poetry and music. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Pollina
137 French Renaissance and Baroque Poetry. Introduction to the thematic innovation and formal perfection of Renaissance and Baroque poetry, with attention to the art of reading poetic texts. Topics include love, death, and the spiritual quest, as envisaged by such authors as Ronsard, Du Bellay, Scève, Louise Labé, Pernette du Guillet, Sponde, La Ceppède, Hopil, Saint-Amant. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Pollina
142 Seventeenth-Century French Theatre. Corneille's ambiguous Illusion comique. Farces, comedies, and tragedies by Rotrou, Scarron, Corneille, Molière, Racine, and Quinault. Special attention to changes in taste before and during the reign of Louis XIV. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Henein
143 Molière. Molière as a writer who read Aristotle but sought to plaire et toucher; as an actor who wished to attract all types of audiences; as a director who had to employ his actors. Special attention to modern interpretations of his plays. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Henein
144 Racine. Literary, philosophical, and sociological approach to Racine's theatre. Examination of Racine's plays from the points of view of three nouvelle critique writers: Goldmann, Mauron, and Barthes. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Henein
145 Seventeenth-Century French Narrative. The rebirth of the love story in novels and short fiction after the Wars of Religion. Emphasis on the interaction between ethical considerations and narrative techniques in pastoral, heroic, epistolary, and satirical works of such authors as d'Urfé, J.-P. Camus, Sorel, Mlle de Scudéry, Guilleragues, Mme de Lafayette, and Perrault. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Henein
146 Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century French Moralistes. A study of those writers who, as observers of the individual and society, reflected and shaped the thought of their own and subsequent times. Special attention to Montaigne, Descartes, Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, and others. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Henein
152 The French Enlightenment. Philosophical, political, and social ideas in the works of Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, and Rousseau; their contribution to modern thought. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
155 Eighteenth-Century French Narrative. Study of themes and narrative techniques in eighteenth-century prose, with attention to historical context and to recent critical reassessment. Topics may include social mobility, the seduction paradigm, and issues of representation in fiction. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
159 French Pre-Romanticism. The beginnings of the Romantic sensibility in the second half of the eighteenth century. Novels of Diderot, Rousseau, Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Chateaubriand, Germaine de Staël, and Senancour. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Naginski
162 French Romanticism. The literary renewal in postrevolutionary and post-Napoleonic France, as manifested in drama (Vigny, Musset), poetry (Lamartine, Hugo), and especially the novel (Balzac, Sand, Nerval, Fromentin). Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Naginski
163 Nineteenth-Century French Novel. From Romantic realism to naturalism. The great age of French fiction seen through the novels of Stendhal, Balzac, Hugo, George Sand, Flaubert, and Zola. Topics may include revolution in the novel, the heroine's plot, idealism and realism. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Naginski
169 French Symbolist Poetry. The poetry of authors such as Nerval, Hugo, Baudelaire, Verlaine, and Mallarmé. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Gasarian
171 Twentieth-Century French Theatre. Close study of the plays of Camus, Beckett, Ionesco, and Genet as reflections of the absurdity of the human condition. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Gasarian
172 Twentieth-Century French Novel I. Works by representative novelists from the beginning of the century to 1939, such as Proust, Gide, Martin du Gard, Romains, Mauriac, Céline, Bernanos, Giono, Malraux, and the early Sartre. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
173 Twentieth-Century French Novel II. Works by representative novelists from 1939 to the present, such as Sartre, Camus, Sarraute, Beckett, Robbe-Grillet, Butor, Simon. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Lane
174 Twentieth-Century French Short Fiction. Methods of textual analysis through reading of short stories, novellas, and short novels by major twentieth-century writers such as Gide, Bernanos, Giono, Camus, and Sartre. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
175 Recent French Fiction. Introduction to the themes and styles of the French novel in the seventies and eighties: the search for identity, new narrative forms inspired by film and mass language. Books selected from among prize-winning novels of these decades. Texts examined in their literary and cultural context. Authors include Duras, Le Clézio, Modiano. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Lane
177 Twentieth-Century French Poetry. The heritage of Rimbaud and Mallarmé; developments in both experimental and traditional poetic forms. Authors such as Apollinaire, Valéry, the Surrealists, Ponge, Michaux, Char, and Bonnefoy. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Gasarian
178 French Autobiography. The process of self-examination in its relation to narrative forms. Textual analysis of works by Colette, Beauvoir, Leiris, Barthes, and others. Cultural background of each work and models of the autobiographical genre in French literature. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent.
181 French African Literature. Introduction to the cultural contexts and major literary genres of French-speaking Africa with emphasis on the themes of Negritude and racial difference, tradition and modernity, acculturation and authenticity in works of authors such as Senghor, Kourouma, Niane, Memmi, Djebar, Feraoun, Mudimbe, Dadié, Tchicaya U'Tam'Si, and Birago Diop. Students may not receive credit for both French 48 and 179. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Smith
182 French African Theatre. Contemporary drama by Dadié, U'Tam'Si, Oyónó-Ubia, and Condé. Problems of cultural continuity and political hegemony after the independence movements of the 1960s, as well as new theatre aesthetics. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Smith
191, 192 Special Topics. (Conducted in French.) Courses on various topics in French literature or civilization. Topics may include love, marriage, and sexuality in medieval French literature; Balzac, George Sand; Jean Giono; Marguerite Duras; Ionesco; Beckett; Nathalie Sarraute; the Oedipus myth in French literature; and others. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32, or consent. Members of the department
193, 194 Independent Study. (Conducted in French.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization. Variable credit. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward the major. Prerequisites: one 100-level literature course and consent. Members of the department
199AT Honors Thesis (Fall term). Open to qualified students. Variable credit. Prerequisites: French 31 and 32 and consent. Members of the department
199BT Honors Thesis (Spring term). Open to qualified students. Variable credit.
Prerequisites: French 31 and 32 and consent. Members of the department
Tufts-in-Paris Program
(See Tufts Programs Abroad for description.)
Preparation equivalent to completion of French 21 and 22 is prerequisite to the program; completion of French 31 and 32 is highly recommended. Students are registered in the University of Paris III and the University of Paris IV (Sorbonne) and take most of their courses at these institutions. Courses are also offered within the Tufts-in-Paris program.
Students may be registered in courses at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, L'Ecole du Louvre, and various branches of the University of Paris. Internships are also available.
For more information concerning the Tufts-in-Paris Program, write to the Department of Romance Languages or to the Office of Tufts Programs Abroad.
Graduate Courses
291, 292 Graduate Seminar. Presentation of individual reports for discussion and criticism. Variable credit. Members of the department
293, 294 Independent Study. Guided individual study of an approved topic in French literature or civilization. Variable credit. Members of the department
295, 296 Master's Thesis. Guided research on an approved thesis topic. Variable credit. Members of the department
401PT Master's Continuation, Part-time.
402FT Master's Continuation, Full-time.
501PT Doctoral Continuation, Part-time.
502FT Doctoral Continuation, Full-time.
The department offers a major in Italian Studies and a minor in Italian, described above.
Undergraduate Courses
1, 2 Elementary Italian I and II. For students having no previous knowledge of Italian who wish to achieve an active command of the language. Study of fundamental speech patterns. Listening comprehension and oral ability stressed from the outset; progressively greater emphasis on reading and writing skills. Language laboratory. Conducted in Italian. Two courses. Members of the department
3 Intermediate Italian I. Continued presentation of grammar with emphasis on applying structural principles in oral and written work. Vocabulary building; regular written compositions; more extensive readings in Italian civilization. Language laboratory. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 2 or equivalent. Members of the department
4 Intermediate Italian II. Review of structural principles, refinement of language skills, including use of idiomatic expressions. Selected readings in contemporary Italian literature. Classroom discussions, oral presentations, and regular written compositions to improve accuracy of self-expression. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 3 or equivalent. Members of the department
21 Composition and Conversation I. Advanced written and oral drill in idiomatic Italian. Discussions concerning present-day Italy, based on short stories, magazine articles, and a contemporary novel. Oral presentations and written compositions. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 4 or consent. Members of the department
22 Composition and Conversation II. Continued advanced review of language structures; increasing emphasis on close reading of texts on modern Italian civilization. Study of a contemporary novel and film. Oral-aural work, classroom discussions, and writing assignments. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 21 or consent. Members of the department
31 Readings in Italian Literature I. Study of works representing significant currents of thought and expression from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century. Lectures, discussions, and writing assignments. Emphasis on textual analysis. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 21 or 22, or consent. Baffoni Licata
32 Readings in Italian Literature II. Study of works representing significant currents of thought and expression from the eighteenth century through the twentieth. Lectures, discussions, and writing assignments. Emphasis on textual analysis. Conducted in Italian. Prerequisite: Italian 21 or 22, or consent. Baffoni Licata
91, 92 Special Topics. (Conducted in English.) Courses on various topics in Italian literature or civilization. Members of the department
93, 94 Independent Study. (Conducted in English.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in Italian literature or civilization. Variable credit. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward the major in Italian Studies or the minor in Italian. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
121 Advanced Language. In-depth study of contemporary Italian language. Emphasis on active control of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, effective self-expression, and recognition of different styles. Prerequisites: Italian 21 and 22, or consent. Members of the department
177 Twentieth-Century Italian Poetry. Italian poetry of the twentieth century in the context of historical, political, and social changes. Defined by the philosophy of Existentialism with its recurrent themes of human isolation and search for identity. The poetic expression traced through the dominant literary currents: Decadentism, Symbolism, Hermeticism, and the new avant-garde. Authors include Pascoli, D'Annunzio, Saba, Ungaretti, Montale, Quasimodo, Luzi, Sereni, Bertolucci, Conte, and Zanzotto. Prerequisites: Italian 31 and 32, or consent. Baffoni Licata
191, 192 Special Topics. (Conducted in Italian.) Courses on various topics in Italian literature or civilization. Topics may include Renaissance humanism; Romanticism and decadence; the realistic, futuristic, and hermetic movements; and others. Prerequisites: Italian 31 and 32, or consent. Members of the department
193, 194 Independent Study. (Conducted in Italian.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in Italian literature or civilization. Variable credit. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward the major in Italian Studies or the minor in Italian. Prerequisites: two courses above Italian 22 and consent. Members of the department
199AT Honors Thesis (Fall term). Open to qualified students. Variable credit. Prerequisites: Italian 31 and 32 and consent. Members of the department
199BT Honors Thesis (Spring term). Open to qualified students. Variable credit.
Prerequisites: Italian 31 and 32 and consent. Members of the department
Undergraduate Courses
1, 2 Elementary Spanish I and II. Fundamentals of the Spanish language with stress on oral skills, pronunciation, and listening comprehension. Language laboratory. Conducted in Spanish. Two courses. Members of the department
3 Intermediate Spanish I. Review of grammar with emphasis on speaking, writing, and oral comprehension. Discussion of texts on contemporary Spanish and Latin American civilization. Written compositions; language laboratory. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 2 or equivalent. Members of the department
4 Intermediate Spanish II. Rapid review of fundamentals of the language. Oral and written exercises; regular compositions; practice in conversation. Readings in contemporary literature and journalism from Spain and Latin America. Language laboratory. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 3 or equivalent. Members of the department
21 Composition and Conversation I. Advanced written and oral grammar review. Discussion of contemporary Spanish and Latin American civilization, including plays and short stories. Oral presentations and written compositions. Language laboratory. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 4 or equivalent. Members of the department
22 Composition and Conversation II. Continued advanced review of language structures; written compositions and oral presentations. Increasing emphasis on discussion of literature and journalism from Spain and Latin America; study of contemporary film. Language laboratory. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent. Members of the department
23 Advanced Composition for Heritage Learners. Development and expansion of reading and writing skills for students without formal training in the language but with ability to comprehend and speak Spanish because of their heritage. Study of grammar and stylistics, differences in regional dialectics, vocabulary expansion and effective communication based on literary and cultural readings. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 4 or consent.
24 Fundamentals of Spanish Translation I. The first of two courses in translation from and into Spanish. A theoretical and practical introduction to the tools utilized in the analysis, transposition, and reconstruction of text in an alternate code. Consideration of the contrasts and similarities between languages. Translation exercises using journalistic fragments, short essays, and technical writing. Prerequisites: Spanish 22 or consent.
25 Fundamentals of Spanish Translation II. Continuation of Spanish 24. Analysis of specific problems encountered in translating different types of writing. Emphasis on the translation from English into Spanish. Application of a variety of techniques used to convert a text into an equivalent one in the target language. Discussion of linguistic and other theoretical issues. Evaluation of published translations. Prerequisite: Spanish 24 or consent.
31 Main Currents of Spanish Literature I. Significant currents of Spanish literature from the Middle Ages through the seventeenth century. Selected works of representative authors read and discussed. Lectures and reports. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad. Members of the department
32 Main Currents of Spanish Literature II. Significant currents of Spanish literature from the eighteenth through the twentieth century. Selected works of representative authors read and discussed. Lectures and reports. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad. Members of the department
34 Survey of Latin American Literature from Preconquest through Independence. Latin American literature from the pre-Hispanic and colonial eras through the period of national emancipation in the first half of the nineteenth century. Major trends in prose, poetry, and other genres from various cultural traditions in Latin America. Historical context as well as literary analysis. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad. Members of the department
35 Survey of Latin American Literature from Modernism to the Present. Latin American literature from the nineteenth-century Modernist poetry and prose through the groundbreaking trends of the twentieth century, such as Regionalist and Indigenist narrative, Magical Realism, and the "boom" in the Latin American letters of the sixties and seventies. Writers include Rubén Dario, Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, and Jorge Luis Borges. Historical context as well as literary analysis. Conducted in Spanish. Prerequisite: Spanish 21 or equivalent. Not for seniors or for students returning from programs abroad.
91, 92 Special Topics. (Conducted in English.) Courses on various topics in
Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization. Members of the
department
93, 94 Independent Study. (Conducted in English.) Guided individual study of an
approved topic in Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization.
Variable credit. Prerequisite: consent. Members of the department
Courses for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
101 Latin American Theatre. Development of Latin American theatre from its original European affiliation to its current distinct characteristics in form, theme, and mode of production. Emphasis on the assimilation of the Western dramatic tradition to popular and native modes of performance, including black ritualistic drama, the auto popular, circus plays, and others. Discussion of single-author plays and of collective creation groups. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Kaiser-Lenoir
102 Latin American Short Story. Development of the Latin American short story from Romanticism to the present. A comparative approach, analyzing the influence of French, English, and North American short fiction. Works from José Marmol and Baldomero Lillo to Gabriel García Márquez, Carlos Fuentes, and Jorge Luis Borges. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Kaiser-Lenoir, Hernández
103 Contemporary Latin American Novel. Novels by major contemporary writers such as Cortázar, Carpentier, Fuentes, Donoso, García Márquez, Rulfo, Vargas Llosa. Problems of Latin American culture as seen in these works. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Kaiser-Lenoir, Hernández
104 Poetry in Spanish America. Development of poetry in Spanish America since Independence. Equal attention to close reading and historical context. Texts extending from late Romanticism and modernismo to the vanguard poets and nueva canción movement. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Kaiser-Lenoir
105 The Dictator in the Latin American Novel. Historical, political, and social aspects of dictatorship in Latin America as seen in novels of Valle-Inclán, García Márquez, Carpentier, and Martín Luis Guzmán. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Hernández
106 Literature and Revolution: Mexico and Cuba. Fiction reflecting the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the Cuban Revolution of 1959. The Mexican conflict as seen in novels by Mariano Azuela, Martín Luis Guzmán, Agustín Yañez, Juan Rulfo, and Carlos Fuentes. The Cuban Revolution in Edmundo Desnoes's Memorias del subdesarrollo and in short stories and poetry of the past twenty-five years. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Hernández
107 Testimonial Literature of Latin America. Development of this genre from early chronicles of discovery and conquest through New Journalism of the 1960s to more recent testimonial writings. Consideration of questions of form through examination of fictional, journalistic, and historical writings. Readings and discussion of Cuban, Bolivian, Guatemalan, Nicaraguan, and Argentine texts. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Kaiser-Lenoir
108 Latin American Women Writers. Works in various genres by women from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, ranging from the seventeenth-century Mexican Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz to the emerging Latina writers of the U.S. Authors include Allende, Poniatowska, Valenzuela, Ferré, and Belli. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Members of the department
121 Advanced Composition and Conversation I. Continued practice in the speaking and writing of Spanish. Study of syntax and stylistics, oral and written reports. Not for native speakers or for those who have studied in Spanish-speaking countries. Prerequisites: Spanish 21 and 22, or consent. Members of the department
122 Advanced Composition and Conversation II. A continuation of Spanish 121. Not for native speakers or for those who have studied in Spanish-speaking countries. Prerequisite: Spanish 121 or consent. Members of the department
123 Advanced Composition and Conversation III. Intensive oral and written practice of Spanish based on a variety of documents in Latin American civilization. Active class participation and intensive writing/rewriting. Satisfies the advanced language/culture requirement in the major; does not count as 100-level literature requirement. Prerequisite: Spanish 121 or 122, study in a Spanish-speaking country, or native-speaker status. Kaiser-Lenoir
124 Spanish Translation Workshop. Texts by Spanish peninsular and Latin American writers. Topics include literary translation as an act of re-creation, the translation of spoken language, the transposition of cultural references and of obscure allusions. Some discussion and evaluation of published translations. Prerequisites: Spanish 21 and 22, or consent. Members of the department
130 Civilization of Muslim Spain. A historical outline of the Islamic culture of Spain, 711 to 1492. Readings in Islamic law and Islamic mysticism, poetry (translated from Arabic), and philosophical works from Spain. A few parallel Jewish works of poetry (translated from Hebrew), philosophy, and mysticism from Spain. Films on art and architecture; a session on music. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 30 and 130. Fletcher
131 Spanish Literature of the Middle Ages. Major poetic and prose works of medieval Spanish literature read in the original texts; the Poema del Cid and epic poetry, Berceo and the mester de clerecía, el Conde Lucanor, the Libro de Buen Amor, the Celestina as a work of transition. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Fletcher, Howe
140 Spanish Civilization. Spanish cultural history as reflected in essays, novels, newspapers, music, and films. Topics include the Spain of the three religions, the Golden Age of Imperial Spain, Spanish women and men in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Spanish Civil War, and the contemporary picture. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 40 and 140. Fletcher
141 Spanish Drama of the Siglo de Oro. An intensive study of Golden Age drama, with special attention to the works of Lope de Vega, Tirso de Molina, and Calderón de la Barca. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Howe
142 Don Quijote. A careful reading of both books of Don Quijote (1605 and 1615) as expressions of the Renaissance and Baroque visions of man and his destiny. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Howe
143 Spanish Prose of the Golden Age. Prose of the Spanish siglo de oro other than Cervantes's Don Quijote. Fictional antecedents to the Quijote, such as the Moorish, sentimental, chivalresque, picaresque, and exemplary novels, as well as such nonfictional works as the Vida of Santa Teresa and other devotional or historical works. Development of prose fiction and nonfiction in relation to the novel and to other currents in the period. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Howe
144 Spanish Lyric Poetry of the Siglo de Oro. The new poetry arising from the Renaissance vision of man and the world, studied from its beginnings at the court of the Emperor Charles V through its manifestations in the work of mystics and humanists of the Counter-Reformation, together with the traditionalist reaction to it. Poets include Garcilaso, Aldana, San Juan de la Cruz, and Fray Luis de León. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Howe
150 Latin American Civilization. Examination of the main patterns shaping Latin American civilization and culture at the start of the new millennium. Particular emphasis placed on issues of ethnicity and hegemony as definers not only of all major historical processes of the Latin American past, but also of the main challenges of its present and future. Readings encompass both canonical works as well as cultural production generated from the margins. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 50 and 150. Kaiser-Lenoir
156 Afro-Hispanic Literature. Literary and historical analysis tracing the African roots of Hispanic Caribbean culture from the colonial period through the contemporary one. The impact of slavery and multiracial society on literary expression and national identity explored through fiction, drama, autobiography, poetry, and film. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Members of the department
163 Nineteenth-Century Spanish Novel. Post-Romantic narrative fiction as Spain's method of exploring her past and present. Realism and naturalism; the revival of the traditions of the picaresque and of Cervantine ambiguities concerning reality and the human psyche. Authors include Valera, Pereda, Pardo Bazán, and Galdós. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Fletcher, Alonso
164 Modern Spanish Poetry. Spanish poetry of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, considered in the context of changes in the European sensibility and of continental philosophic currents. Modern poetry traced from its roots in Romanticism through symbolism, modernism, and surrealism to the social and existentialist poetry of this century. Authors include Espronceda, Bécquer, Darío, Unamuno, Machado, Jiménez, Salinas, Guillén, Alberti, and Lorca. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Alonso
170 The Generation of 1898. Novels, essays, poetry, and plays by the most important writers of the turn of the century in Spain: Unamuno, Valle-Inclán, Baroja, Azorín, Machado, Benavente. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Alonso, Fletcher
173 Twentieth-Century Spanish Prose. The twentieth-century novel as a tool of philosophic speculation challenging the very nature of the genre; its exploration of the Spaniards, Spain, and the nature of man through periods of hope and despair, climaxing in the Spanish Civil War. Authors include Ortega y Gasset, Baroja, Unamuno, Machado, Pérez de Ayala, Miró, and Cela. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Alonso, Fletcher
174 Spanish Poetry from 1936 to the Present. Development of Spanish poetry from the outbreak of the Civil War to the present. Works by such major figures as Miguel Hernández, Vicente Aleixandre, Blas de Otero, Claudio Rodríguez, Leopoldo Panero, and Gloria Fuertes. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Fletcher
191, 192 Special Topics. (Conducted in Spanish.) Courses on various topics in Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization. Topics may include Don Juan; Latin American women writers; testimonial literature of Latin America; and others. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Members of the department
193, 194 Independent Study. (Conducted in Spanish.) Guided individual study of an approved topic in Spanish peninsular or Latin American literature or civilization. Variable credit. No more than one credit in Independent Study may be counted toward the major. Prerequisites: one 100-level literature course and consent. Members of the department
199AT Honors Thesis. Open to qualified students. Variable credit. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, and consent. Fall. Members of the department
199BT Honors Thesis. Open to qualified students. Variable credit. Prerequisites:
Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, and consent. Spring. Members of the department
Tufts-in-Madrid Program
(See Tufts Programs Abroad for description.)
Preparation equivalent to completion of Spanish 21 and 22 is prerequisite to the program; completion of Spanish 31 or 34 and 32 or 35 is highly recommended. Students are registered in the Autonomous University of Madrid and take most of their courses in the university. Courses are also offered within the Tufts-in-Madrid program.
For more information concerning the Tufts-in-Madrid Program, write to the Department of
Romance Languages or to the Office of Tufts Programs Abroad.
Tufts-in-Chile Program
(See Tufts Programs Abroad for description.)
Preparation equivalent to completion of Spanish 21 and 22 is prerequisite to the program; completion of Spanish 31 or 34 and 32 or 35 is highly recommended. Students are registered in the University of Chile in Santiago and take most of their courses in the university.
For more information concerning the Tufts-in-Chile Program, write to the Department of
Romance Languages or to the Office of Tufts Programs Abroad.
Courses Taught in English
French and Francophone Literature and Civilization
French 41 Development of French Society as Seen through Comedy and Satire. The evolution of French society as seen through the comic and satirical writings of Rabelais, Molière, Voltaire, Feydeau, Jarry, and Ionesco. Emphasis on comedy as catharsis and as an instrument for social change. Members of the department
French 42 The Belle Epoque. A study of literature, the arts, and their interrelationships in turn-of-the-century France, 1880-1914, as they evolve from Naturalism and Impressionism to Modernism. Major figures include the writers Huysmans, Proust, Gide, and Apollinaire, Post-Impressionist and Cubist painters, the composers Debussy and Satie, and the Ballet Russe. Soos
French 43 Modern French Fiction until the Midcentury. Major authors and intellectual currents up to 1950. Substantial attention to works of Proust and Gide; remaining time devoted to such writers as Martin du Gard, Mauriac, Bernanos, Montherlant, Giono, and the beginnings of the New Novel.
French 44 Malraux, Sartre, Camus. The emergence of philosophical literature in France between the mid-thirties and late fifties. Trends common to these three authors as well as divergencies and conflicts. Attention to the literary achievement and philosophical problems of the works studied. Texts selected from the earlier writings of Malraux and Sartre and from the full range of Camus's production.
French 51 Women Writers of Modern France. Examination of the situation and roles of women in France as reflected in their use of language and literary forms. Feminist writings and feminist criticism analyzed and discussed. Readings in translation from the works of George Sand, Colette, Simone de Beauvoir, Hélène Cixous, Marguerite Duras, and others. Naginski
French 61 African Theatre. Contemporary works by dramatists from French- and English-speaking Africa and Antilles. Writers known in the West, such as Nigeria's Wole Soyinka and South Africa's Athol Fugard, and their less-recognized counterparts from Cameroun, Ghana, and Martinique. Problems associated with polygamy, neocolonialism, protest, bride-price, civil corruption, and dictatorship are debated in the plays. Smith
French 62 Masterpieces of Caribbean Literature. Representative currents of thought and expression in Caribbean literature, with emphasis on Francophone writers. Authors include Aimé Césaire, Saint-John Perse, Jacques Roumain, Simone Schwarz-Bart, Maryse Condé, Edouard Glissant, Joseph Zobel, and Derek Walcott. Smith
French 63 French African Literature. Introduction to the cultural contexts and major literary genres of French-speaking Africa with emphasis on the themes of Negritude and racial difference, tradition and modernity, acculturation and authenticity in works of authors such as Senghor, Kourouma, Niane, Memmi, Djebar, Feraoun, Mudimbe, Dadié, Tchicaya U'Tam'Si, and Birago Diop. Note: Students may not receive credit for both French 48 and 179. Smith
French 75 Classics of French Cinema. Survey of characteristic styles in French cinema since 1930. The poetic imagination of Cocteau, the classicism of Renoir, the ironic romanticism of Truffaut, and the revolutionary spirit of Godard presented in their cultural and aesthetic context. The documentary aspects of film and the techniques and art of cinematic narrative. Films shown with English subtitles. Prerequisite: sophomore standing. Lane
Italian Literature and Civilization
Italian 41 Italian Civilization, 1200 to 1600. Survey of major trends and characteristics of Italian civilization from the thirteenth through sixteenth century. Italian history from the high Middle Ages to the Renaissance, Italian art from the Gothic through the pre-baroque, selections from Italian prose and poetry, and Italian music from the Gregorian chant to Venetian choral compositions. Readings in English translation. No prerequisites. Members of the department
Italian 42 Italian Civilization, 1600 to the Present. Survey of Italian civilization since the seventeenth century. Major changes in Italian society, Italian art from the baroque to futurism, Italian literature from Galileo to Pirandello, opera and instrumental works, and Italian cinema. Readings in English translation. No prerequisites. Members of the department
Italian 51 Dante's Inferno. An intensive study of Dante's Inferno, read in English translation with facing Italian text. No prerequisites. Pollina
Italian 52 Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso. An intensive study of Dante's Purgatorio and Paradiso, read in English translation with facing Italian text. No prerequisites. Pollina
Italian 55 The Rinascimento. Major writers of the Italian Renaissance--Petrarca, Boccaccio, Castiglione, Ariosto, Machiavelli, Tasso, Cellini, and Michelangelo--studied in English translation. No prerequisites. Pollina
Italian 75 Italian Film. Survey of Italian film from World War II to the present. The rise of neorealism in films by Rossellini and Visconti, the transitional crisis of the 1950s exemplified by Fellini, and the introspective fantasy in Antonioni's and Fellini's middle periods. The increasing narrative complexity of Italian film in the context of cultural change. Films shown with English subtitles. No prerequisites. Members of the department
Modern Languages (Linguistics)
163 Applied Linguistics for Modern Foreign Languages. The nature of language, difference between the spoken and written language, contrastive analysis of English phonology and morphology. Linguistics and style. Readings in psycholinguistics. Prerequisites: two semester courses in French, Spanish, German, or Russian above the 4 or 6 level.
182 Introduction to General Linguistics. Linguistic analysis, both descriptive
(synchronic) and historical (diachronic), in phonology, morphology, and syntax; a
historical survey of the development of the major linguistic concepts and some important
current trends.
Spanish Peninsular and Latin American Literature and Civilization
Spanish 30 Civilization of Muslim Spain. A historical outline of the Islamic culture of Spain, 711-1492. Readings in Islamic law and Islamic mysticism, poetry (translated from Arabic), and philosophical works from Spain. A few parallel Jewish works of poetry (translated from Hebrew), philosophy, and mysticism from Spain. Films on art and architecture; a session on music. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 30 and 130. Fletcher
Spanish 40 Spanish Civilization. Spanish cultural history as reflected in essays, novels, newspapers, music, and films. Topics include the Spain of the three religions, the Golden Age of Imperial Spain, Spanish women and men in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the Spanish Civil War, and the contemporary picture. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 40 and 140. Fletcher
Spanish 50 Latin American Civilization. Examination of the main patterns shaping Latin American civilization and culture at the start of the new millennium. Particular emphasis placed on issues of ethnicity and hegemony as definers not only of all major historical processes of the Latin American past, but also of the main challenges of its present and future. Readings encompass both canonical works as well as cultural production generated from the margins. Prerequisites: Spanish 31 or 34, and 32 or 35, or consent. Students may not receive credit for both Spanish 50 and 150. Kaiser-Lenoir
Spanish 73 Contemporary Latin American Fiction in English. Works by major Latin
American writers today, including Borges, Carpentier, Rulfo, Bioy Casares, García
Márquez, Vargas Llosa, Cabrera Infante, and Manuel Puig. Topics include fantastic
literature and the Latin American reality, and language as the protagonist of the New
Novel. Members of the department
World Literature
World Literature 150 Literature of Chaos. The voyage through the spiritual and
political chaos into the twentieth century has produced a literature that speaks of an
irrational man in an irrational world. The theme of chaos as expressed in Lewis Carroll's Alice
in Wonderland and in works by Dostoevsky, Thomas Mann, Camus, Malraux, Unamuno, and
Borges. Alonso