From an initial visit to Spain in 1923 to a final one in 1959, the people, culture, and politics of Spain inspired Ernest Hemingway and formed the basis for several of his most important texts. This course focuses on Hemingway’s encounter with Europe and Spain as represented in The First Forty-Nine Stories, A Moveable Feast, The Sun Also Rises, Death in the Afternoon, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Through reading, lecture and class discussion, we will first examine the writer’s apprentice years in Paris and the development of his unique style. We will then turn our attention to the various elements of Spanish culture and society that drew Hemingway to what was, at the time, one of the more conservative and provincial countries in Western Europe. We will also examine his position with respect to this fascination—the fact that he was an American in Spain and Europe, an observer and adventurer from the “new world” in search of stories and meaning in the “old world.” As our reading progresses, we will also focus on the political, psychological, and social issues that lie beneath the surface of Hemingway’s writing. Course includes a day trip to the Guadarrama mountains near Madrid to visit the setting of For Whom the Bell Tolls and an evening excursion to the bullfights at the Plaza de Toros in Madrid. Enrollment is limited.
Course-related fee: A fee will be billed from Syracuse to cover the costs of required trips and entry fees (2019-20 fee = $90).
Department: English and Textual Studies
Location: Madrid
Semesters: Fall, Spring
Credits: 3