This course explores how the extraordinary disrupts human experience: from 19th-century literary ghosts to contemporary ones in Spain, Mexico, or Argentina. In addition to visual explorations by directors like Erice, del Toro, or Almodóvar, we will also consider precedents such as the mystical visions of Saint Teresa or the distorted perceptions of Don Quixote. We will also delve into myths and chimeras from the Spanish conquest of the Americas (El Dorado, the Fountain of Youth, the Seven Cities of Gold). Through readings, film analyses, and historical texts, we will examine how the supernatural, the imagined, and the visionary act as tools for creators to question identity, memory, and the boundaries of reality. Other authors included in our exploration will be Layla Martínez, Mariana Enríquez, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, Juan Rulfo, Saint Teresa, and Emilia Pardo Bazán. The goal is to understand how these spiritual, psychological, or poetic manifestations reveal deep dimensions of Hispanic culture and offer new perspectives on the relationship between the visible and the invisible.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 14

Prerequisites: Open to students who have completed SPAN 241 or equivalent (AP 5) or by permission of the instructor.

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Spring; Every three years

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Spring