Introduction

Hello everyone,


I'm Chanya Chawla and I'm in my final year of undergraduate (hoping to graduate in April!). I'm pursuing an Economics Honors with a minor in International Relations. I’m currently working on my thesis as well as I explore the relationship between monetary policy and wealth inequality. I’m also currently in the process of applying for Master's (in Economics) Programs so it’s definitely a busy (nonetheless exciting) time for me. Other than that, I’m originally from India and moved here in grade 7- certainly grateful for being able to grow up in two countries.


Needless to say, I've barely done any reading since the first year (except for the occasional poli class). I've been procrastinating on my literature requirements for the longest time so here I am doing two lit requirements this term. That said, while I'm super excited to be taking this course, I'm also just as scared (if not more). Fun fact: I hopped between 10 different literature classes before finally deciding on this one. I’m grateful for the contract-based grading system as well as the engaging and “fun” environment of this class. Talking about Hopscotch in class yesterday brought back childhood memories; we used to call it “Steppu” growing up.



While I have a few Latin American friends and love football (sorry Professor I hate to disagree but Messi is and will always be a legend), I don’t know much about Latin America. I did take Spanish in high school for a little over 2 years, but since I was simultaneously taking French/German, I remember little to nothing now; my overly ambitious attempt to learn all these languages at the same time certainly backfired lmao). Regardless, I’m very excited to be taking this class because I’m sure learning more about a new culture through literature will open up new perspectives for me.


In terms of the first lecture, I loved the emphasis on the distinction between literature and life. We’re so often focused on making parallels between literature and life, which while important and nice at times, can often take away from the literature and make it “overwhelming.” I also enjoyed the brief discussion on the theme. In all honesty, I don't know anything about Latin literature so its association with magical realism was a new finding for me. But, as discussed in the lecture, associating an entire body of diverse literature with one word doesn’t do it justice. That said, I certainly look forward to seeing the elements of magic realism in Latin American literature, all while exploring the diversity of themes and other ideas it has to offer.


Discussion Question:

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Latin America?