Although Spain is commonly viewed as a romantic country, some specialists doubt the very existence of Spanish Romanticism. This paradox can be explained by the observation that romantic sensibility and values have been handed down through the centuries in Spain, permeating its literature from the Celestina and Golden Age drama on through the time of the actual definition of the movement in the mid-nineteenth century, up to the Generation of 1898, the Generation of 1927 and, finally, neoromantic postmodern narrative. Similarly, realism can be defined as a mode of representation of reality and its variations depending on how reality is conceived and defined. Thus, in this course we will study Romanticism and Realism not only as major literary trends of the nineteenth century but also as "small r" romanticism and realism; respectively a worldview and a technique of representation, that are manifested in the art of various times. We will discuss in depth issues such as: (1) the nature of romantic rebellion, (2) how to recognize a romantic hero, (3) the sublime and the romantic struggle with language, (4) marginality and otherness as bases of romantic sensibility, (5) romantic dreams and their dangers, (6) the Realists' vision of bourgeois society, and, (7) realism and the truth. Readings will include novels, short stories, poetry and drama by Larra, Duque de Rivas, Espronceda, Zorrilla, Rosal#a de Castro, Bequer, Galdos, Clarin, Pardo Bazan, Lorca, Cernuda, and Jose Maria Merino. Requirements: active participation in class discussion, two papers, two oral presentations, and final exam. Prerequisite: Spanish 105 or higher.