Department of Spanish and Portuguese
Paper Pg 2
Introduction to Lusophone literature
(Please note that this paper, subject to relevant University approval, will be available for the last time in Tripos 2012. Please see below*)
*Please note that, subject to relevant University approval, and as it has happened in other MML languages in recent years, from Michaelmas 2012 (for Tripos 2013), the current Pg1 and Pg2 papers will merge into a new Pg1 paper entitled Introduction to the Language, Literatures and Cultures of the Portuguese-speaking World. For information on the new paper Pg1, please click here.
Lecture timetable for 2011-12This paper is designed to give an introduction to major literary texts written in Portuguese in various countries where the official language is Portuguese, including Portugal itself, Brazil, and African countries such as Mozambique and Angola. Texts will be studied against a background of historical and literary developments and from a variety of critical and theoretical approaches. They will include the genres of the short story, novel, and poetry, and will concentrate on twentieth-century material, although some earlier texts may be covered. One artist is also included.
The course will be taught through a combination of lectures and supervisions, and will be divided into three sections (Portugal, Brazil and Africa).
Within the department we have a policy for the supervision work for scheduled papers, namely:
- that lectures provide background information for work being done in detail with supervisors
- that students should normally do detailed work on at least six of the texts
- that these texts should be drawn evenly from each of the three sections. We believe that you should attend the lectures on all of the set texts, for two reasons: so you can have a good overview of some of the best texts written in Portuguese, and so that you will have a basis for choosing with your supervisor which texts you will work on in detail.
The examination paper for Pg 2 has three sections (and you should consult reference copies of previous examination papers in the MML library to see the scope of questions asked). In the examination you are asked to answer three questions, from at least two sections. But it is expected that you will have worked on at least twice this number. You will have done preparation for the paper skimpily and unproductively if you try to limit yourself simply to the minimum number of texts eventually required in the examination.
You will also see that in each section there may be the option of doing a more general question that will allow you to relate texts to one another - thus extending ideas that you will undoubtedly have met in the course of supervision work. You may be asked to reflect on the development in different authors of ideas relating to nationalism, sexual politics, religion, death, and a variety of other topics.
Second year students choosing this paper have the option of replacing the examination by the presentation of a portfolio of 6 essays written during the year. Please refer to the relevant PIB page for further information on the portfolio of essays.
Texts and authors/artist
Portugal
- Fernando Pessoa: Mensagem and selected heteronymic poetry
- Eça de Queirós: O Crime do Padre Amaro
- Paula Rego: paintings, pastels, prints and lithographs from 1960 to the present
- Hélia Correia, 'Fascinação' (short story)
- Alexandre Herculano, 'A Dama Pé de Cabra' (short story) (N.B. Hélia Correia's 'Fascinação' and Herculano's 'A Dama Pé de Cabra' are available together in a volume by Ed. Relógio de Água, Lisbon, 2004)
Brazil
- Manuel Bandeira, Antologia Poética
- Graciliano Ramos, Vidas Secas
Lusophone Africa
- Luís Bernardo Honwana: Nós Matámos o Cão-Tinhoso
- José Eduardo Agualusa, Nação Crioula
A full Reading List for this paper is available
online
