Cien años de identidad: Introducción a la literatura latinoamericana del siglo XX [One Hundred Years of Identity: Introduction to Twentieth-Century Latin American Literature] is an advanced Spanish textbook and Latin American literature anthology, guiding students through the critical analysis of fourteen literary and filmic texts published between 1889 and 1995, including works from Jorge Luis Borges, Isabel Allende, and Gabriel García Márquez that represent some of the seminal works of Latin America. The textbook is designed to introduce students to the richness of twentieth-century Latin American literature and culture while building their skills in textual analysis through an examination of the theme of identity. The featured texts examine the complex and multifaceted topic of identity as the authors and protagonists struggle to understand themselves, determine their relationship to the world and others, and give meaning and significance to their existence. The textbook guides students step-by-step through critical analysis by presenting a range of tools and progressing from simple to more complex exercises and activities throughout the book. It is divided into four units based on various types of identity formation: (1) racial, ethnic, gender, and class identity; (2) existential(ist) identity; (3) temporal and spatial identity; (4) political and sexual identity. Serving as both a Latin American literature anthology and an upper-level Spanish textbook, Cien años de identidad aims to hone reading and interpretive strategies while also improving Spanish vocabulary and comprehension, oral and written communication, and cultural competency.
Features:
•Complete unabridged works from the following authors: Isabel Allende, Jorge Luis Borges, Rosario Castellanos, Julio Cortázar, Rubén Darío, Carlos Fuentes, Gabriel García Márquez, José Martí, Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Sergio Vodanovic
•Complete pedagogy included for the novel El beso de la mujer araña by Manuel Puig and the film Fresa y chocolate by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea and Juan Carlos Tabío, although these two works are not anthologized in the textbook
•Additional cultural contexts and author biographies for each text, as well as appropriate glosses and numbered lines for easy reference in class discussions
•Four end-of-unit chapters focused on comparative literature strategies that are designed to coach students on how to compare authors and texts across common themes and further improve critical analysis strategies
•Seventeen post-reading quizzes or homework assignments as well as a final examination, available to instructors only through the publisher's website
Table of Contents:
Prefacio: Instrucciones para profesores y alumnos
Agradecimientos
Unidad 1: Identidad de raza, etnicidad, género y clase
Capítulo 1 "La muñeca negra" de José Martí (1889, Cuba)
Capítulo 2 El delantal blanco de Sergio Vodanovic (1956, Chile)
Capítulo 3 "Dos palabras" de Isabel Allende (1989, Chile)
Capítulo 4 "La historia de mi cuerpo" de Judith Ortiz Cofer (1993, Puerto Rico y EE.UU.)
Capítulo 5 Comparaciones finales de la Unidad 1
Unidad 2: Identidad existencial(ista)
Capítulo 6 "Lo fatal" de Rubén Darío (1905, Nicaragua)
Capítulo 7 "Las ruinas circulares" de Jorge Luis Borges (1940, Argentina)
Capítulo 8 "Axolotl" de Julio Cortázar (1952, Argentina)
Capítulo 9 "Un señor muy viejo con unas alas enormes" de Gabriel García Márquez (1968, Columbia)
Capítulo 10 Comparaciones finales de la Unidad 2
Unidad 3: Identidad temporal y espacial
Capítulo 11 "El Sur" de Jroge Luis Borges (1953, Argentina)
Capítulo 12 "La noche boca arriba" de Julio Cortazar (1956, Argentina)
Capítulo 13 Aura de Carlos Fuentes (1962, México)
Capítulo 14 Comparaciones finales de la Unidad 3
Unidad 4: Identidad política y sexual
Capítulo 15 "Kinsey report" de Rosario Castellanos (1972, México)
Capítulo 16 El beso de la mujer araña de Manuel Puig (1976, Argentina)
Capítulo 17 Fresa y chocolate de Tomás Gutiérrez Alea y Juan Carlos Tabío (1993, Cuba)
Capítulo 18 Comparaciones finales de la Unidad 4
Obras citadas
Créditos
About the Author :
Kelly Comfort is associate professor of Spanish at Georgia Tech, where she teaches courses in Spanish conversation, Latin American literature, and in Spanish service-learning. She has published two books with Palgrave Macmillan on literary topics. She is director of the Serve-Learn-Sustain in Spain Program and co-director of the Spain: Language for Business and Technology Program in Granada and leads internships in Atlanta's Latino community.
Review :
Cien años de identidad: Introducción a la literatura latinoamericana del siglo XX is a smartly-designed advanced-level textbook, which introduces students to major works by important Latin American writers and provides diverse types of learners with an array of interpretive tools to analyze these and other challenging literary texts. The book's well-thought-out design and plethora of skill-building activities help demystify the process of literary analysis and stimulate reading, writing, speaking and critical thinking skills in Spanish.
--Gail Bulman, Syracuse University
Cien años de identidad will appeal to college students in search of their own identity. While speaking their language, the volume also introduces students to more sophisticated secondary sources. This rare, salutary feature is but one among a plethora of thoughtful, well-sequenced classroom activities. An asset for advanced Spanish courses or for a standalone introductory literature course, Comfort's collection is an instructor's dream.
--Héctor Hoyos, Stanford University, author of Beyond Bolaño: The Global Latin American Novel (2015)
