Although Rosario Castellanos (1925-1974) is recognized as one of Mexico’s most important
writers, she did not live to see the impact of her contributions to the feminist revolution of the
latter half of the twentieth century, participate in the first Conferencia Mundial de la Mujer that
took place in 1975 in Mexico City, or in the recent Encuentro Internacional de Mujeres que
Luchan organized by the Zapatista women in Chiapas, Mexico, where she spent her early years,
and where her Indigenista works take place.

Castellanos died in Tel Aviv in 1974 while serving as Mexican ambassador to Israel. She died at
the height of her career shortly after being recognized as one of the most important writers of
her generation. Her poems, plays, novels, essays, and editorials follow the twin threads of
oppression of indigenous people, particularly women, and of Mexican women.

In this course we will study the works of Rosario Castellanos for their poignancy and exquisite
lyricism, and as an avenue for interrogating gender, race, class, aesthetics, power, and myths of
the nation. Explicit support for student’s linguistic development will be integrated and will
depend on the needs of the class. Low-intermediate level. In Spanish.

Corequisites: attendance at two Language Series events.