30073 - Literature of the French-Speaking Countries 1 (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students possess in-depth knowledge of the history and development of non-European francophone literatures, a with particular focus on the relationship between literary texts and the historical, artistic and linguistic context. Students know and can deal with practical methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.

Course contents

From Francophone Literatures to World Literature. Conflict in language and narrative

This course will provide a basic knowledge about Francophone literatures and postcolonial studies, leading at the end of the course to a definition of Word Literature. A brief history of Francophone literatures in their diversity will be outlined, and the concept of F/francophone will be discussed and problematized.
We will then focus on three authors in particular: Assia Djebar, Kamel Daoud and Ahmadou Kourouma, for an in-depth look at issues related to language and narrative as they relate to conflict.
Students are asked to actively participate in class: part of the texts will be presented by the students themselves. They may also present authors and issues not touched by the main thread of the course. These presentations will be assessed and will contribute to the final grade.
The last part of the course will be devoted to writing, and in particular to writing critical reviews, of primary and secondary texts.

Readings/Bibliography

BIBLIOGRAFIA PROVVISORIA, COMUNE A TUTTI

Testi primari

A. Djebar, La Disparition de la langue française (qualsiasi edizione)

A. Kourouma, Allah n'est pas obligé (qualsiasi edizione)

K. Daoud, Meursault, contre-enquête (qualsiasi edizione)

Critica

MANUALE: Christine Ndiaye, Introduction aux littératures francophones. Afrique · Caraïbe · Maghreb, Montréal, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 2004
Disponible en full text en ligne: https://books.openedition.org/pum/10652

Jean-Marc Moura, Littératures francophones et théorie postcoloniale, Paris, PUF, se possibile l'ultima edizione

Dominique Combe, Littératures francophones : questions, débats et polémiques, Paris, PUF, 2019, p. 7-23, 37-41

Edward Said, Cultura e imperialismo: letteratura e consenso nel progetto coloniale dell'Occidente, Roma, Gamberetti, 1998, p. 7-20, 29-40, 87-105, 195-212

Silvia Albertazzi, La letteratura postcoloniale : dall'Impero alla World Literature, Roma, Carocci, 2013, p. 9-20, 75-81, 96-98

Benoît Denis et Jean-Marie Klinkenberg, La littérature belge: précis d'histoire sociale, Bruxelles, Labor, "Espace Nord", 2005, p. 19-62

Lise Gauvin, D'une langue l'autre. La surconscience linguistique de l’écrivain francophone, dans L'écrivain francophone à la croisée des langues, Paris, Karthala, 2009, <https://shs.cairn.info/l-ecrivain-francophone-a-la-croisee-des-langues--9782865377503-page-5?lang=fr>

Lise Gauvin, Glissements de langues et poétiques romanesques, "Littérature", n. 101, 1996, p. 5-24, <https://www.persee.fr/doc/litt_0047-4800_1996_num_101_1_2391>

Lise Gauvin, Statut de la parole et traversée des langues chez Assia Djebar, "Carnets", n. 7, 2016, <https://journals.openedition.org/carnets/908>

Robert Varga, Dictionnaire et norme dans Allah n'est pas obligé et Quand on refuse on dit non, "Roman 20-50", n. 73, 2022/1, <https://www.cairn.info/revue-roman2050-2022-1-page-99.htm>

Maria Chiara Gnocchi, Daoud entre Camus et Rushdie: intentions et implications de Meursault, contre-enquête, in Laura Brignoli (a cura di), Interartes. Diegesi migranti, Sesto San Giovanni, Mimesis, 2019, p. 97-116

Maria Chiara Gnocchi, La vendredinnade (im)possible de Kamel Daoud, "Revue italienne d'études françaises", n. 12, 2002, <https://journals.openedition.org/rief/9747>

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars; presentations of authors and texts by students; workshop on writing techniques (reviews).

Assessment methods

For attending students:

In-class presentations (not necessarily all of them)
In-class discussions on texts presented either by the lecturer or by fellow students
Review workshop

In conclusion, written exam (open questions) and oral exam (discussion of the whole syllabus)

For non-attending students
Written and oral examination

Teaching tools

Power-point projections, documents uploaded on line.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Chiara Gnocchi