New York University
Department of Spanish and Portuguese
V87. 0851
Topics: Culture through Conversation
Spring 2011
Instructor: Carlos Veloso
Phone: 212-998-8778
Office: 19 University Place, Rm. 432
M, W: 3:30 – 4:45
A. Description
V87.0851 is an intermediate to advanced course that utilizes films, the visual arts and essays on culture
and history as means to discuss and analyze the formative elements of Brazilian society, its evolution
and its dilemmas. We will read key pieces by sociologists, historians and critics and compare their
views on issues such as racial and social inequality, violence, cultural heritage, cosmopolitanism and
popular culture to those portrayed by filmmakers and other artists. In spite of the complex themes that
we will address, this course is not a seminar or a lecture course. Its main goal is to encourage students
to react to the materials covered by discussing their content and learning to express informed opinions
in Portuguese. To do so, your instructor will draw heavily on your oral and written input. The goals of
this course are to help you understand the ways in which artists and intellectuals interpret the problems
and positive aspects of Brazilian society--by, for example, exploring its links with its Iberian, African
and other European roots--to stimulate creative thinking and increase your ability to express
sophisticated ideas in oral and written Portuguese.
B. Required Materials
1. Film Series (Individual viewing at Avery Fisher Center or rented)
2. Course Packet
3. Oxford: English-Portuguese, Portuguese-English Dictionary or a good bilingual equivalent,
such as Collins-Gem.
C. Recommended Texts
• Prista, Alexander: Essential Portuguese Grammar. New York: Dover Press
• Tyson-Ward, Sue: Portuguese Verbs & Essentials of Grammar. New York: McGraw Hill
D. Course Work:
Daily Preparation for Class:
PLEASE ALWAYS PREPARE YOUR ASSIGNMENTS BEFORE THE DUE DATE
INDICATED IN THE COURSE CALENDAR.
1. Films, Review (Resenha) and Discussion: We will discuss six films; five of which are available at
Avery Fisher. You should view these films before class and make notes about aspects of the story line,
themes, photography and other pertinent information, such as reference to reviews they received in the
US and Brazil. Your response to these films should contain the following points: a) a summary of the
story; b) a list of characters, central and secondary, and their function in the story; c) a comment on
the narrative techniques such as use of space, color and type of montage (traditional/realistic,
modern/symbolic, experimental/fragmented); d) your interpretation of the possible meanings the film
conveys and e) your personal reaction and opinion. As a conclusion, you should include some criticism
the film has received in the press and explain why you recommend it or not to young viewers such as
yourself. Reviews must be typed, shared with classmates during discussions and turned in to your
instructor at the end of the class for corrections. You should write a piece of about 350 words and cover
all items of the outline given above. Please note that the film viewings and their reviews are an essential
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part of the course and have a significant impact on your final grade. For example if your course grade
is B, but you fail to complete this assignment your grade will automatically be lowered to at least a B-.
2. Readings and Readers’ Responses (Resumo do texto): Most readings are short essays that are,
nonetheless, dense in content and require careful reading. You must read them before class, prepare a
glossary of new words for those texts which are written in Portuguese and a summary that indicates the
ideas which are central to the argument of the author. A set of questions for each reading appears in
Blackboard. It will help you organize your work. Please use a journal notebook to write your summary
of the readings, add a short conclusion with your opinions (points with which you agree or disagree)
and bring it to class on the day of the discussion. You will share your responses and notes with
classmates and your instructor will either collect your journal for correction or verify in class that you
have completed your assignment. It is a good idea to use Essential Grammar as a manual to help you
with grammar and usage. If you have questions about passages of the readings, please bring them to
class for clarification. You should come to class prepared to answer questions posed by the instructor
about the material you have read and to offer your views to the class. Contact the instructor
immediately if you have problems preparing these materials or doing your writing.
3. Exams: There will be two exams during the semester. Typically, the exams will be a review of the
material studied in class and will include passages of previous readings to be analyzed, identified or
compared to other texts, a question about the films and a creative component in which you may be
asked to write a paraphrase of a film discussed in class. Note: Department policy states that no makeups will be given for missed exams. If you miss the exam due to illness, you must provide a note from
the University Health Services in order to take your exam at a later date.
4. Final Project (Projeto final): At the end of the course, you will present an oral project addressing an
aspect of Brazilian culture as described in the course calendar that follows. This final project should be
delivered in the format of a conversation class, i.e., the presenter makes an introductory statement on
the topic, brings a short text or an art piece to be analyzed and proceeds to ask questions and receive
responses from classmates. Your presentation may address passages of an essay, a work of art, an artist
or a film. Attendance at these sections is mandatory and the students who are not presenting on a
given day will also be graded for the quality and quantity of their participation in their classmate’s
project.
5. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory, especially because this is primarily a conversation class in
which participation and input are essential components of the course. If you must miss class due to
illness or family emergency, please limit you absences to two. If you exceed this limit, your absences
will be reflected negatively on your course grade (for example, if your course grade is a B and you have
three or more absences, you will receive a grade of at least a B–).
6. Blackboard: This course has a Web page that contains some grammar explanations, hand-outs and
other internet resources that you can use for independent study and research. Communications between
you, your instructor, the course coordinator and classmates will be done via Bb. To access Bb follow
these steps. With your NYU Home account activated:
1. Login NYU Home (https://home.nyu.edu)
2. Click on ACADEMICS
3. Look for this course’s link under “Current Academic Courses in Blackboard Classes.”
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E. Course Grade
2 Exams
Reader’s Responses (written and oral)
Film Reviews (written and oral)
Final Project (written and oral)
40%
20%
20%
20%
AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON YOUR WRITTEN/ORAL WORK AND PLAGIARISM: It is
mandatory that your written work be yours, and yours only. Plagiarism and other violations of the
University’s policies on academic integrity are serious offenses and carry severe penalties. Depending
on the severity of the offense, plagiarism may result in an F for the course. Minimally, it will result in
an F for the assignment. These sanctions are in accordance with the procedures described in the
Academic Integrity section of the CAS Academic Handbook. Plagiarism includes presenting or
paraphrasing a sentence or a passage of a published work (including material from the Internet) in a
composition, oral presentation, or test answer without quotation marks and acknowledgment of the
source. It also constitutes plagiarism to submit a composition written by someone else or to present in
any other way the work, ideas, or words of someone else without proper attribution. We encourage
students who need help to get a tutor, but it is not permissible to have tutors rewrite/edit assignments.
Please consult with your instructor if you have any doubts about any aspects of these policies.
PLEASE BE MINDFUL OF UNIVERSITY RULES AND AVOID EATING IN CLASS. BE
ALSO KIND AS NOT TO DISRUPT THE CLASS BY ARRIVING LATE--LATE ARRIVALS
WILL ALSO LOWER YOUR CLASS PARTICIPATION GRADE--OR BY LEAVING YOUR
MACHINES TURNED ON.
Spring 2011
Course Calendar
V87.0851 Topics: Culture through Conversation
Week 1: January 24 – 26
M
Apresentação do curso.
Gilberto Freire: O brasileiro entre os outros hispanos. (handout)
W
Continuação: O brasileiro entre outros hispanos por Gilberto Freyre.
Apresentar Resumo 1.
3
Week 2: January 31 – February 3
M
Gilberto Freyre: Portuguese Integration in the Tropics and China Tropical.
Discutir e comparar textos.
W
Silviano Santiago: Intérpretes do Brasil. Sergio Buarque de Holanda e as
Raízes do Brasil.
Apresentar Resumo 2
-------Para a próxima aula:
T: ORFEU NEGRO (Avery Fisher Call # VLD 45, 103 min.)
Week 3: February 7 – 9
M
Orfeu Negro : Parte 1: Idéia central, música, cenário e atuação. Por que o
mito grego é usado no filme? Que mitos sobre a cultura brasileira o filme
ajudou a criar? Há um remake recente do filme. Que sabe sobre esta versão
moderna do filme?
-------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
T: Preparar Resenha do Filme 1 (seguir o esquema em Bb) Ler CP (135,
139-140): crônicas de Manuel Bandeira sobre cinema e sua crítica de
“Orfeu Negro.”
W
Orfeu Negro: Parte 2. Apresentar e entregar sua Resenha.
----------------------------Para a próxima aula:
T: VIDAS SECAS: (Avery Fisher Call # VCA 2104, 105 min.)
Week 4: February 14 – 16
M
Vidas Secas: Parte 1: Tema central e subtemas, imagem e som, personagens.
------------
W
-----------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
T: Preparar Resenha 2.
Vidas Secas: Parte 2.
Apresentar e entregar Resenha 2
Week 5: February 21 – 23
M
Holiday
W
EXAME 1
------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Darcy Ribeiro: O processo civilizatório.
Preparar Resumo 3
4
Week 6: February 28 – March 2
M
Darcy Ribeiro: O processo civilizatório
Resumo 3: Apresentar e entregar.
--------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Brasil/África, como se o mar fosse mentira.
Glória Moura: “Quilombos contemporâneos no Brasil.”
W
------------
Glória Moura: “Quilombos contemporâneos no Brasil.”
Discustir e comentar
--------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
ATLÂNTICO NEGRO (Avery Fisher # VCA 10879, 55 min)
Week 7: March 7 – 9
M
Atlântico Negro
Discutir e comentar conexões com “Quilombos contemporâneos”
-------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Gilberto Velho e outros: Continuidade e mudança no Brasil e em Portugal.
Preparar Resumo 4
W
Gilberto Velho: Continuidade e mudança no Brasil e em Portugal
Apresentar e entregar Resumo 4.
------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
CENTRAL DO BRASIL (Avery Fisher # DVD 14750, 113 min.)
Week 8: March 14 – 20
SPRING RECESS
Week 9: March 21 – 23
M
Central do Brasil. Parte 1: Tema e subtemas, personagens, gênero, locação.
cenas, resenhas recebidas no Brasil e exterior.
----------------------------------------Preparar Resenha 3.
Comparar com Vida Secas.
W
Central do Brasil. Parte 2
-------Apresentar e entregar Resenha 3.
-------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Manuel Bandeira: Crônicas sobre Portinari, Guignard e Goeldi.
Escolher um artista e um de seus quadros.
5
Week 10: March 28 – 30
M
Manuel Bandeira: Crônicas sobre Portinari, Guignard e Goeldi .
Discussão dos textos. Apresentar o artista e quadro que escolheu.
W
--------
EXAME 2
------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Manuel Bandeira: “Djanira, pobreza feliz.”
Pesquisar a vida e obra de Anita Malfatti ou de Tarsila do Amaral
Week 11: April 4 – 7
M
Internet: A arte das pintoras brasileiras, Djanira , Anita Malfatti e Tarsila do
Amaral.
Discutir e comparar a formação e estilo destas artistas
---------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Pesquisar sobre a arte de Paula Rego
W
Internet: Paula Rego e a vanguarda portuguesa.
Características da arte abstrata portuguesa da abstração em Paula Rego.
Como se compara à Malfatti ou à artistas brasileiros?
----------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Italo Moriconi: “Brazil 1956 x 2006”
Preparar uma mini-história da vida cultural brasileira segundo Moriconi.
Week 12: April 11 – 13
M
Italo Moriconi: “Brazil 1956 x 2006”
Discusão e crítica: erros e acertos do texto.
---------------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
O DIA EM QUE MEUS PAIS SAIRAM DE CASA. (rent your copy).
Preparar Resenha 4.
W
O dia que meus pais saíram de casa.
Apresentar e entregar Resenha 4.
Discussão: O multiculturalimo ou melting pot brasileiro.
--------------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Arquitetura: Oscar Niemeyer no mundo.
Escolher uma obra de Niemeyer fora do Brasil.
6
Week 13: April 18 – 20
M
Internet. Arquitetura e cosmopolitismo: Oscar Niemeyer no Brasil.
Apresentar uma obra de Niemeyer fora do Brasil.
--------------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
O ESTOMÂGO (2007)
Trazer uma resenha de um crítico brasileiro (ou norte-americano).
W
--------
Filme em classe: Estômago.
----------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
O manifesto antropófago
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto_Antropófago
Ver também links: Modernismo brasileiro, Manifesto Antropofágico,
Manifesto da Poesia Pau-brasil.
Ler resenhas do filme: Como era gostoso meu francês de Nélson Pereira
dos Santos.
Week 14: April 25 – 27
M
Filme em classe: Estômago (conclusão).
Simbólico ou realista? Paródia ou comentário social? Tragi-cômico ou sentimental?
Conexões com a tradição do “banquete” à brasleira?
----------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Alejandro Frigerio: A alegria é somente brasileira .
Preparar Resumo 5
W
Alejandro Frigerio: A alegria é somente brasileira.
Apresentar e entregar Resumo 5.
Discutir: Imagens do Brasil fora do Brasil.
Week 15: May 2 – 5
M
Internet: O Museu do Imigrante e o Museu da Língua Portuguesa em São Paulo.
------------------------------------------------Para a próxima aula:
Preparar projeto oral.
W
Projeto Oral:
Grupo 1: Cultura popular brasileira
Grupo 2: A comunidade brasileira (sua arte e história) nos Estados Unidos
Week 16: May 9
M
Projeto Oral:
Grupo 3: Relações Brasil/Estados Unidos
Conclusão
7
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