B6984 - FRENCH LITERATURE

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the student is familiar with the basic elements of the literary culture of French-speaking countries; he/she is able to identify them in specific literary texts; he/she is able to independently elaborate further knowledge and cultural-literary skills at a higher level and apply them to other specific literary texts.

Course contents

This course proposes to analyse the representations of consumer society in French literature between the 1960s and the 2020s. From the first warning signals of the 1960s to the surrender of the 2020s, passing through the cries of revolt of the 1970s and 1980s, we will analyse the evolution of this representation by dwelling at length on the historical and cultural context that encompasses this production and that highlights essential aspects of today's French culture.


A comparative analysis will also allow us to compare French and French-speaking production and get an overview of the situation.

Readings/Bibliography

Students are not required to buy a copy of each text before the start of the lectures. Directions on which works to read will be given at the beginning of the course.


Only the reading of Les choses by Pérec is recommended before the start of the course.

 

• Georges Pérec, Les choses : une histoire des années 60 ; suivi de Conférence à Warwik, Paris, 10/18, 2005 (1965).
• Simone de Beauvoir, Les belles images, Paris, Gallimard, 1972(1966).
• J. M. Le Clézio, Les géants, Paris, Gallimard, 1973.
• Annie Ernaux, Regarde les lumières mon amour, Paris, Gallimard, 2016 (2014).
• A work of your choice of Michel Houellebecq between those two: Les particules élémentaires, Sérotonine.
• Gauz, Debout-payé, Paris, Le nouvel Attila, 2014.

Teaching methods

-In-class reading and analysis of several excerpts from the proposed works, introduction of some basic concepts of literary analysis.


- Detailed analysis of the historical and cultural context of literary production between 1960 and 2020.


- Introduction of the concept of the sociology of literature and the tools that this method makes available to the reader in the analysis and understanding of literary works.

Assessment methods

This course will conclude with an oral-only examination in which the student will bring a book of his or her choice and propose an analysis based on the concepts seen in class. It will of course be strongly recommended that he/she share his/her personal view of the work.

30L: special interest shown for the topic and excellent critical skills and knowledge of the French Language

30 excellent critical skills and knowledge of the French language.

29 above average critical skills knowledge of the French language.

28: above average critical skills and good knowledge of the French language.

27: Sound critical skills and good knowledge of the French language.

26: Generally sound critical skills and relatively good knowledge of the French language

25: Generally adequate critical skills but with no particular capacity of personal thought. Adequate knowledge of the French language,

24: Adequate critical skills but with no particular capacity of personal thought. Sufficient knowledge of the French language

from 18 to 23 : Sufficient critical skills and sufficient knowledge of the French language.

under 18: Poor critical skills, incomplete reading of assigned texts, little knowledge of the French language.

Office hours

See the website of Walter Julien Alberisio