In this course we will focus on small but significant historical, cultural, and literary images of Portugal, Brazil, and Mozambique. The starting point will be three novels. Portugal of the 18th century appears in Memorial do convento (1982) by Nobel-laureate José Saramago. Memórias póstumas de Brás Cubas (1881) by major Brazilian novelist Machado de Assis, describes upper-class families' lives and customs in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro. Mia Couto's Terra sonâmbula (1992) takes place in Mozambique during the civil war (1976-1992). Each of these works incorporates historical events and interprets them in a particular way. Each making use of magic realism as an alternative form of objectivity. The results are complex images of each country that may be read as national allegories. (PGSE 0202 or PGSE 0211 or equivalent) 3 hrs. lect./disc.