By Lucas Murphy
The Associate Dean of Endicott College at CIS University and Literature professor Dr. Andrew Bennett and Academic Dean, Francisco Ubierna, will offer a new literary course for students who would like to study the life and work of Hemingway in Spain. Professor Bennett, who will be teaching the course next term in spring, got his PhD in Literature in 2013 at the University of Texas, and is currently teaching Introduction to Literary Studies at CIS University.
In this new course, students will be expected to delve into the life of the 1954 Nobel Prize winner for literature, Ernest Hemingway, who inspired other authors through his unique, concise, and vigorous writing style. Hemingway was born in Chicago, in 1899, and took his own life in Idaho, in 1961. Hemingway was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist, who lived in Spain, France, Cuba, as well as many other places, gaining cultural perspectives all over the world.
Bennett labeled Hemingway as “an interesting figure for many reasons, but one of those is his expatriate and international identity.” During Hemingway’s experience in Europe as an American abroad, he felt like an “outsider who wanted to be an insider,” which contributed to a huge part of his story and writing, Bennett added.
The course will mainly be focused on Hemingway’s experience in Spain, the country that influenced and inspired him to write many of his well-known novels. In the 1920s, while traveling, Hemingway became very fond of bullfighting, which resulted in his work The Sun Also Rises (1923), introducing people outside of Europe to the Spanish sport. Furthermore, his experience in the Spanish Civil War prompted him to write the war and peace novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), one of his most successful books. In this story, Hemingway depicts the cruelty and inhumanity caused by the conflict.
Hemingway wanted to be regarded as knowledgeable and an expert, so he worked hard and exposed himself to as much as he could. His love for travel and new experiences shaped him into the international character he became.
What can students learn and gain from partaking in the Hemingway course? First of all, the course will contribute toward their “journal education credit,” meaning it will fulfill general designation for literary perspectives and writing. Professor Bennett explained that Hemingway valued experience, had a “zest and lust for life,” and liked getting out of his comfort zone. By studying his life and work, students will absorb his perception of trying new things, accepting uncertainty, and his existential views. Students will also indulge in outdoor activities, such as the Hemingway hike at Peñalara National Park, where For Whom the Bell Tolls story was set, as well as visiting locations he enjoyed, and even the option to view a bullfighting spectacle. What an engaging and compelling way to achieve extra credit and experience!.
Endicott and second-year student at CIS University, Laura Peñaloza, has already signed up for the course. She hopes to acquire more wisdom about the well-acclaimed author, who she has already read a couple of times in Literary Studies, and is captivated by his unique writing style. In her opinion, doing class trips is a great way to become closer with classmates as well as to connect with the literary stories on a deeper level.
Would you be interested in joining the program? If so, email Andrew Bennett at [email protected] to sign up for the Hemingway course.
