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Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages

4 min readjune 7, 2023

A

Alejandra Ramos

A

Alejandra Ramos

Welcome to AP Spanish Literature ✨

AP Spanish Literature shares the spot with AP English Literature for my favorite AP Class. AP Spanish Literature takes you on journeys and different Eras of, well, Spanish Literature. It is basically like the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, except instead of albums, it focuses on different time periods in which literature pieces were made. These different eras include:

  • 🗡️

  • El

  • El siglo XVII

  • La , realista y naturalista 🖤

  • La y el

  • Teatro y 🎭

  • El 💥

  • de Estados Unidos y España

Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages

We will be focusing on in this section, and although it is the shortest one, it has been tested before and establishes an important historical foundation for everything else.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-xFohlEsS8ffS.png?alt=media&token=9d378694-e669-4700-be57-56f96a6125cc

Ronda, Spain. Image courtesy of pxfuel.

Temas

Additionally, it is very important to note that throughout the units, there are going to be different temas, or themes, that the story is about. The temas are very useful to be able to talk about the stories in the free-response questions (FRQs) on the AP Exam. It is also very important to not focus on just the general history of each time period but rather, the history of the time period that revolves around the literature piece. This was something that at first, I would get confused about, but looking at just the historical context of the story helped a lot with remembering the key details of each era! It is usually easier for people (it was for me!) to not group stories by temas but rather, associate the temas with a story as there can be various temas for a single story.

📝 Read: AP Spanish Literature - How Can I Be Prepared for the AP Spanish Literature FRQ?

1.1 Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV — Don Juan Manuel

El Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV, was written by Don Juan Manuel approximately in the year 1335. During this time period, women were considered to not be on the same level of value as men—which is something, although not fair, very important to remember since it will help establish various temas. The temas del curso are "" and "La construcción de genero." These can then be broken down into other sub-temas.

  • is one of them, and you will learn about the different roles of people in marriage and what was socially acceptable—the man being in control. This specific example of will be repeated in other pieces of literature that will later be seen.

  • is another tema, and in this fábula, the power relationship is between the man and the woman—more specifically focusing on how the power is obtained.

  • is very much a Spanish term, and it revolves around men feeling superior to women and being considered more important, and wanting to establish their dominance—whatever it takes. When reading the information on El Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV, you will want to make strong connections between the temas with specific parts of the story. 🖼

1.2 “Romance de la pérdida de Alhama” — Anónimo

is one of the few literature pieces in this class that does not have an author. This is because of the type of literature this is—it is talking about the downfall of a kingdom, which would have been very badly punished with the possibility of death. We will see the repetition of two temas from el Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV in this poem—but they are connected in different ways.

  • can be seen, but through different religions making contact. As you will learn, this is a type of poema in which the narrator will describe how Alhama was lost by its emperor to another one.

  • but rather than through a married couple, they are seen through the win and loss of a war, and who can dominate.

  • El imperialismo, is a new tema that is introduced, although not a full tema for College Board, but is addressed as there is imperialism from one group of people to another, especially from one religion to another or in "conquests."

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-kJwMB1SlI7EJ.png?alt=media&token=45523132-c170-4e23-89a3-1631cdbd74bf

Alhambra Fortress, Granada, Andalucía, Spain. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Navigating the Course

Some things I wish I knew about the course are that you should be able to recognize not just the name of the story, but also the name of the author and the time period. I am usually a crammer for AP Tests, unfortunately, but I would go back time and time again and make flashcards early one quizzing me on the information of a story. Terminos Literarios are also super important to know—which is why I would recommend finding a literary term and associating it with some part of the literary piece you are reading. Finally, always be aware of the type of piece you are reading—whether it is a moraleja, a poema, or a soneto. Lastly, don’t just focus on the literary pieces but also focus on your writing and analysis skills.

This is genuinely the shortest unit so there is not much else to cover but please enjoy the Eras Tour! It is very enjoyable 😊

Key Terms to Review (19)

Boom latinoamericano

: A literary movement that occurred in Latin America during the mid-20th century, characterized by an explosion of internationally acclaimed novels written by Latin American authors. It brought global attention to Latin American literature.

Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV - Don Juan Manuel

: This key term refers to a medieval Spanish literary work written by Don Juan Manuel. It is a collection of moral tales that provide guidance on how to navigate various situations in life.

El machismo

: Machismo refers to the belief in male superiority over women, often leading to discrimination, sexism, and unequal power dynamics between genders. It encompasses attitudes, behaviors, and societal norms that reinforce traditional gender roles.

Escritores contemporáneos

: This term refers to writers who are currently active and producing literature in the present time. They often explore modern themes and use contemporary language and styles in their works.

Generación del 98

: The Generación del 98 refers to a group of Spanish writers and intellectuals who were deeply affected by the loss of Spain's colonies in the Spanish-American War. They expressed their disillusionment with society and explored themes of identity, existentialism, and cultural crisis in their works.

La construcción de género

: This key term refers to the process through which society assigns roles, behaviors, expectations, and attributes based on one's perceived gender. It involves the social and cultural norms that shape our understanding of masculinity and femininity.

La época medieval

: The term refers to the historical period in Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance, characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and a focus on religion.

Las relaciones de poder

: This term refers to the dynamics of power within a society. It encompasses the distribution of authority, control, and influence among individuals or groups.

Las Relaciones Interpersonales

: "Las relaciones interpersonales" refer to interpersonal relationships between characters within a literary work. These relationships can include friendships, romantic partnerships, family dynamics, conflicts, etc.

Las sociedades en contacto

: Las sociedades en contacto refers to the concept of different societies coming into contact with one another and influencing each other's cultures through interactions such as trade, colonization, migration, or conquest.

Literatura romántica

: Literature that emerged in the late 18th century and early 19th century, characterized by an emphasis on emotion, imagination, and individualism. Romantic literature often explores themes of love, nature, and the supernatural.

Modernismo

: Modernismo is a literary movement that originated in Latin America at the end of the 19th century. It is characterized by its use of rich imagery, musical language, and exploration of exotic themes.

Naturalismo

: El naturalismo es una corriente literaria que se basa en observar y describir objetivamente la naturaleza humana y su entorno, haciendo énfasis en las influencias deterministas.

Poesía del siglo XX

: Poetry of the 20th century, which encompasses various movements and styles that emerged during this time period. It reflects the social, cultural, and political changes of the era.

Realismo

: El realismo es un movimiento literario que busca representar la realidad tal como es, sin adornos ni idealizaciones.

Romance de la pérdida de Alhama

: "Romance de la pérdida de Alhama" is a traditional Spanish ballad that recounts the story of the fall of the city of Alhama to Christian forces during the Reconquista.

Siglo XVI

: This term refers to the 16th century, a time period marked by significant cultural changes such as exploration, religious reformations, and artistic achievements.

Siglo XVIII

: This term refers to the 18th century when Enlightenment ideas spread throughout Europe leading to political revolutions, scientific advancements, and cultural transformations.

Teatro del siglo XX

: Teatro del siglo XX refers to the theater produced during the 20th century, characterized by its experimentation with new forms, themes, and techniques. It reflects the social, political, and cultural changes that occurred during this period.

Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages

4 min readjune 7, 2023

A

Alejandra Ramos

A

Alejandra Ramos

Welcome to AP Spanish Literature ✨

AP Spanish Literature shares the spot with AP English Literature for my favorite AP Class. AP Spanish Literature takes you on journeys and different Eras of, well, Spanish Literature. It is basically like the Taylor Swift Eras Tour, except instead of albums, it focuses on different time periods in which literature pieces were made. These different eras include:

  • 🗡️

  • El

  • El siglo XVII

  • La , realista y naturalista 🖤

  • La y el

  • Teatro y 🎭

  • El 💥

  • de Estados Unidos y España

Unit 1 Overview: The Middle Ages

We will be focusing on in this section, and although it is the shortest one, it has been tested before and establishes an important historical foundation for everything else.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-xFohlEsS8ffS.png?alt=media&token=9d378694-e669-4700-be57-56f96a6125cc

Ronda, Spain. Image courtesy of pxfuel.

Temas

Additionally, it is very important to note that throughout the units, there are going to be different temas, or themes, that the story is about. The temas are very useful to be able to talk about the stories in the free-response questions (FRQs) on the AP Exam. It is also very important to not focus on just the general history of each time period but rather, the history of the time period that revolves around the literature piece. This was something that at first, I would get confused about, but looking at just the historical context of the story helped a lot with remembering the key details of each era! It is usually easier for people (it was for me!) to not group stories by temas but rather, associate the temas with a story as there can be various temas for a single story.

📝 Read: AP Spanish Literature - How Can I Be Prepared for the AP Spanish Literature FRQ?

1.1 Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV — Don Juan Manuel

El Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV, was written by Don Juan Manuel approximately in the year 1335. During this time period, women were considered to not be on the same level of value as men—which is something, although not fair, very important to remember since it will help establish various temas. The temas del curso are "" and "La construcción de genero." These can then be broken down into other sub-temas.

  • is one of them, and you will learn about the different roles of people in marriage and what was socially acceptable—the man being in control. This specific example of will be repeated in other pieces of literature that will later be seen.

  • is another tema, and in this fábula, the power relationship is between the man and the woman—more specifically focusing on how the power is obtained.

  • is very much a Spanish term, and it revolves around men feeling superior to women and being considered more important, and wanting to establish their dominance—whatever it takes. When reading the information on El Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV, you will want to make strong connections between the temas with specific parts of the story. 🖼

1.2 “Romance de la pérdida de Alhama” — Anónimo

is one of the few literature pieces in this class that does not have an author. This is because of the type of literature this is—it is talking about the downfall of a kingdom, which would have been very badly punished with the possibility of death. We will see the repetition of two temas from el Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV in this poem—but they are connected in different ways.

  • can be seen, but through different religions making contact. As you will learn, this is a type of poema in which the narrator will describe how Alhama was lost by its emperor to another one.

  • but rather than through a married couple, they are seen through the win and loss of a war, and who can dominate.

  • El imperialismo, is a new tema that is introduced, although not a full tema for College Board, but is addressed as there is imperialism from one group of people to another, especially from one religion to another or in "conquests."

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-kJwMB1SlI7EJ.png?alt=media&token=45523132-c170-4e23-89a3-1631cdbd74bf

Alhambra Fortress, Granada, Andalucía, Spain. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Navigating the Course

Some things I wish I knew about the course are that you should be able to recognize not just the name of the story, but also the name of the author and the time period. I am usually a crammer for AP Tests, unfortunately, but I would go back time and time again and make flashcards early one quizzing me on the information of a story. Terminos Literarios are also super important to know—which is why I would recommend finding a literary term and associating it with some part of the literary piece you are reading. Finally, always be aware of the type of piece you are reading—whether it is a moraleja, a poema, or a soneto. Lastly, don’t just focus on the literary pieces but also focus on your writing and analysis skills.

This is genuinely the shortest unit so there is not much else to cover but please enjoy the Eras Tour! It is very enjoyable 😊

Key Terms to Review (19)

Boom latinoamericano

: A literary movement that occurred in Latin America during the mid-20th century, characterized by an explosion of internationally acclaimed novels written by Latin American authors. It brought global attention to Latin American literature.

Conde Lucanor Ejemplo XXXV - Don Juan Manuel

: This key term refers to a medieval Spanish literary work written by Don Juan Manuel. It is a collection of moral tales that provide guidance on how to navigate various situations in life.

El machismo

: Machismo refers to the belief in male superiority over women, often leading to discrimination, sexism, and unequal power dynamics between genders. It encompasses attitudes, behaviors, and societal norms that reinforce traditional gender roles.

Escritores contemporáneos

: This term refers to writers who are currently active and producing literature in the present time. They often explore modern themes and use contemporary language and styles in their works.

Generación del 98

: The Generación del 98 refers to a group of Spanish writers and intellectuals who were deeply affected by the loss of Spain's colonies in the Spanish-American War. They expressed their disillusionment with society and explored themes of identity, existentialism, and cultural crisis in their works.

La construcción de género

: This key term refers to the process through which society assigns roles, behaviors, expectations, and attributes based on one's perceived gender. It involves the social and cultural norms that shape our understanding of masculinity and femininity.

La época medieval

: The term refers to the historical period in Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance, characterized by feudalism, chivalry, and a focus on religion.

Las relaciones de poder

: This term refers to the dynamics of power within a society. It encompasses the distribution of authority, control, and influence among individuals or groups.

Las Relaciones Interpersonales

: "Las relaciones interpersonales" refer to interpersonal relationships between characters within a literary work. These relationships can include friendships, romantic partnerships, family dynamics, conflicts, etc.

Las sociedades en contacto

: Las sociedades en contacto refers to the concept of different societies coming into contact with one another and influencing each other's cultures through interactions such as trade, colonization, migration, or conquest.

Literatura romántica

: Literature that emerged in the late 18th century and early 19th century, characterized by an emphasis on emotion, imagination, and individualism. Romantic literature often explores themes of love, nature, and the supernatural.

Modernismo

: Modernismo is a literary movement that originated in Latin America at the end of the 19th century. It is characterized by its use of rich imagery, musical language, and exploration of exotic themes.

Naturalismo

: El naturalismo es una corriente literaria que se basa en observar y describir objetivamente la naturaleza humana y su entorno, haciendo énfasis en las influencias deterministas.

Poesía del siglo XX

: Poetry of the 20th century, which encompasses various movements and styles that emerged during this time period. It reflects the social, cultural, and political changes of the era.

Realismo

: El realismo es un movimiento literario que busca representar la realidad tal como es, sin adornos ni idealizaciones.

Romance de la pérdida de Alhama

: "Romance de la pérdida de Alhama" is a traditional Spanish ballad that recounts the story of the fall of the city of Alhama to Christian forces during the Reconquista.

Siglo XVI

: This term refers to the 16th century, a time period marked by significant cultural changes such as exploration, religious reformations, and artistic achievements.

Siglo XVIII

: This term refers to the 18th century when Enlightenment ideas spread throughout Europe leading to political revolutions, scientific advancements, and cultural transformations.

Teatro del siglo XX

: Teatro del siglo XX refers to the theater produced during the 20th century, characterized by its experimentation with new forms, themes, and techniques. It reflects the social, political, and cultural changes that occurred during this period.


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.