Reading & Composition

Writing strategies and expectations vary among cultures. English writers, for instance, may discover that their concise and clear expression can sound naïve to Spanish ears, or that their use of irony and witticisms can be taken as a sign of levity. Conversely, Spanish writers may find that their thoughtful attempts at emphasizing an idea are seen by English readers as unnecessary repetitions, or that a general reflection, intended to highlight the argument’s complexity, is felt instead as a digression. Spanish readers may ask themselves if it is worthwhile to read the whole essay when its author has already revealed all the results at the beginning. And why do sentences in English need to be so short and paragraphs so long? And when did using the passive voice become an unforgivable sin? This class will encourage students to ask these and similar questions, and to use them as incentives to become more conscious of academic-writing conventions.

After analyzing some essays by French Renaissance writer Michel de Montaigne, who is considered the father of the genre, we will read a series of representative texts in the English and Spanish traditions, and we will pay special attention to the central role the essay acquired in the definition of a Spanish-American cultural identity. This comparative historical overview will help us see that writing requirements are not universally valid principles. Instead, we will consider some of the historical and social conditions in which they took shape, and we will treat them as strategies that we can choose to use in order to convey and test our ideas in specific contexts.

The course satisfies the second half of UC Berkeley’s Reading and Composition requirement. It is a reading- and writing-intensive course in which you will use your comparative interpretations of the texts as the basis for your writing and research exercises. You will have the opportunity to further develop your critical-thinking and composition skills as you gain practice in the different stages of the academic writing process. Starting with in-class writing exercises, drafts, and revisions, you will gradually work towards the completion of a final research paper.