Captains, Kings, and Caudillos

The figure of the “strong leader” in the history of both Spain and Latin America had, and still has, a correspondingly strong presence in the literature of those regions. From the Middle Ages to today, the “strong man,” and the occasional “strong woman,” have attracted the attention of writers of poetry, theater, fiction, and the essay. We will study a representative sample of works that feature this figure and will consider their historical and political background. Readings will include the anonymous Poem of the Cid, and works by Lope de Vega, Sarmiento, Azuela, and Vargas Llosa (Not open to students who have taken FYSE 1256).