Self-referential novels and films unmask the conventions of literary and cinematic invention, openly scrutinizing their narrative and linguistic identity. The authors and directors of these (anti)fictions overtly thematize language and referentiality, techniques of artistic creation, and the complex relationship between fiction and reality. Our study of the theory and practice of metafiction emphasizes fictional creation (the world of the writer) and reader reception (the world of the reader) while considering recurring stylistic trends including parody and interior duplication. Does this self-conscious awareness signify a radical attack upon realism or a revolutionary continuation of social-realist tradition? May be applied to the Visual Cultures or Narrative/Essay requirement for the major in Hispanic Studies. Course taught in Spanish. Satisfies the 400 level requirement for the Hispanic Studies minor.
Hispanic Studies 341, 342, 343, or 344; or consent of instructor.