l Do you feel you need to understand

Latin American Literature History and Background

Latin America l l Latin is the base language of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and

Latin America is a geographic location l Every nation from Mexico to the tip

Four Main Population Groups Indian (Native American) White Mixed Heritage Black Mestizo= Indian and

Latin America l INTERESTING FACT: – People from Latin America are all Latin, but

Use of Metaphor l l Like texts of other nations, Latin American stories use

Metaphor & Theme l Metaphors help build theme of a story. 3. Define theme.

Latin American Literature: Common Topics v Like many cultures, Latin American stories revolve around

Common Themes: l l l Family and relationship loyalties Poverty Gender Roles Social Protest

Poverty l Poverty is largely an issue because of the desperate situations in which

Gender Roles l Traditionally, older customs and cultural traditions prevail. Women were expected to

Political: social protest and exploitation l l l Many Latin American countries have gone

Religion: Catholicism Many Latin American countries have large Catholic populations. l 5. Describe the

The Boom (Starting in late 1950‘s) • a huge BOOM in number of important

Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Columbia)_- Nobel Prize Winner

Magical Realism Dreams, Magic, Unexpected, Magical Realism Everyday Reality (Regular & Life Supernatural Events)

Conclusion l Latin American literature is rich with culture and social commentary. – Themes

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l Do you feel you need to understand the background of an author in order to fully understand his/her work? Why or why not? **There will be a quiz THIS week on today’s notes

Latin American Literature History and Background

Latin America l l Latin is the base language of Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and French For example, in Spanish the word for cave is “cueva, ” in Portuguese “cova, ” Italian “cava. ” Now you can describe that in 4 languages!

Latin America is a geographic location l Every nation from Mexico to the tip of South America is considered “Latin America” l Approx. 21 countries l

Four Main Population Groups Indian (Native American) White Mixed Heritage Black Mestizo= Indian and White Mulatto= Black and White

Latin America l INTERESTING FACT: – People from Latin America are all Latin, but not all Hispanic – For example, Brazilians speak Portuguese, making them Latin not Hispanic.

Languages

Use of Metaphor l l Like texts of other nations, Latin American stories use many metaphors Metaphor is the master trope/device. 1. Define metaphor. 2. Create an example of a metaphor?

Metaphor & Theme l Metaphors help build theme of a story. 3. Define theme. 4. List an example of a theme from something you’ve read/watched?

Latin American Literature: Common Topics v Like many cultures, Latin American stories revolve around universal themes and explore interpersonal relationships. v Roots v Oral in legends and myths tradition v Often, Latin American stories have religious or political content.

Common Themes: l l l Family and relationship loyalties Poverty Gender Roles Social Protest & Exploitation Religion Magical Realism

Family l Family is considered one's strongest bond and loyalty

Poverty l Poverty is largely an issue because of the desperate situations in which many Latin American countries find themselves.

Gender Roles l Traditionally, older customs and cultural traditions prevail. Women were expected to be obedient and uphold the family honor.

Political: social protest and exploitation l l l Many Latin American countries have gone through periods of social unrest. Cuba = communism Dominican Republic = dictatorship

Religion: Catholicism Many Latin American countries have large Catholic populations. l 5. Describe the Catholic iconography in this painting.

The Boom (Starting in late 1950‘s) • a huge BOOM in number of important novels produced • Used literary invention in narratives to express cultural heritage • Experimented with language and structure, often injecting fantasy and fragmenting time and space

Gabriel Garcia Márquez (Columbia)_- Nobel Prize Winner

Magical Realism Dreams, Magic, Unexpected, Magical Realism Everyday Reality (Regular & Life Supernatural Events)

Conclusion l Latin American literature is rich with culture and social commentary. – Themes are based on life experiences l We will use the term “Latin Americans”