Miguel de Cervantes is rightfully known as the father of the modern novel, and admired worldwide for his unforgettable Don Quijote. This tutorial will offer the students the opportunity to read another masterpiece by Cervantes, his collection of short prose works collectively titled La novelas ejemplares (The Exemplary Novels). These tales are remarkable for their lively plots and characters, their heightened consciousness of literary tradition, and above all their courageous-and successful-originality of design. The tutorial will generally focus on one tale per week, with the possibility of devoting two weeks to a tale in cases where the narrative requires deeper analysis. Attention will be given to the structure and design of the tales, the literary world that shaped them, and the often unsettling implications of Cervantes' approach to themes such as insanity, woman's honor, man's relationship to Nature and animals, and the role of chance in art and life. Format: tutorial. Requirements: students will meet in pairs with the instructor one hour per week. They will write a 5-page paper in alternate weeks, and comment on their tutorial partner's paper in other weeks. They will be expected to conduct research for each paper (secondary sources will accompany each reading) and to formulate their oral and written arguments with great care. The tutorial is designed to accommodate both Spanish and non-Spanish speakers, paired according to language. Credit for Spanish major given only to students who take the Spanish option. Prerequisites: students in the Spanish side will require permission of instructor, or the appropriate results of the Williams College Placement Test, or evidence of prior College-level work in Spanish literature. All students must have taken at least one 200-level literature course at Williams. Enrollment limit: 10 (expected: 10). Preference given to Spanish and Comparative Literature majors; not open to anyone who has not had a 200-level literature course.