FRENCH 341
Panorama of the French Novel
Please note: this is archived course information from 2019 for FRENCH 341.
Description
This course is aimed at students with an upper intermediate level of French.
Since a Frenchwoman wrote what is widely regarded as one of the earliest and greatest modern novels in 1678, the genre of the novel has both reflected and shaped French cultural and social history. This course examines desire in fiction at key moments in French history – from Henri II’s royal court in La Princesse de Clèves; to the Naturalism of the Belle Époque in Bel-Ami; to the experimental “New Novel” of the turbulent mid-twentieth century (Djinn); and to the contemporary postmodern novel, Biographie de la faim. All these novels challenge and transform existing literary conventions, just as they offer us invaluable insights into French society through their close engagement with the theme of desire.
- develop critical reading skills, in French
- consolidate both oral and written French skills, particularly through discussions in tutorials and through the writing of essays
- acquire the basic terminology of French literary criticism as applicable to the novel
- to explain and contextualize different forms of the novel in French
- to develop analytical skills as they pertain to the study of literary form and meaning
- to expose writing as a tool for social commentary
- to develop research skills.
Assessment
Coursework + exam
Availability 2019
Not taught in 2019
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator(s) Dr Trudy Agar
Reading/Texts
- Madame de la Fayette. La Princesse de Clèves. (Extracts). Download here : http://bibliothequenumerique.tv5monde.com/livre/83/La-Princesse-de-Cleves (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (extraits)
- Guy de Maupassant. Bel-Ami. Download here : http://bibliothequenumerique.tv5monde.com/livre/112/Bel-Ami (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
- Alain Robbe-Grillet. Djinn. Paris: Minuit, 1970. (some copies will be available to borrow; check with the course convenor).
- Amélie Nothomb. Biographie de la faim. Paris: Librairie Générale Française, 2006. (Students must obtain their own copy).
Films:
Assessment
Coursework + exam
Points
FRENCH 341: 15 points
Prerequisites
FRENCH 304
Restrictions
FRENCH 741