Spring 2008
FR 381M • CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE
| Unique | Days | Time | Location | Instructor |
| 37050 |
TTh |
2:00 PM-3:30 PM |
HRH 2.106C |
LAGARDE |
Course Description
This course is divided in two parts, answering two questions: What is literary criticism? How to write criticism? First, we survey some of the most important critical approaches, including historical, genetic, thematic, structural, sociocritical, psychoanalytical, and textual ones. The midterm exam is a written test on the critical approaches studied. Second, we study one particular French piece and "all" the valuable criticism surrounding it. This piece must be short, such as Les Lettres portugaises, or Un Coeur simple, or Cahier d'un retour au pays natal. We may chose it collectively. The final paper is a critical essay on the piece studied.
Grading Policy
Mid-term exam, 30%; Paper, 50%; class work, 20%. Readings, lectures, class work will be mostly in French. Students are asked to write their paper in their non-native language.
Texts
(to be confirmed)
Toursel, Nadine & Vassevière, Jacques, Littérature: textes théoriques et critiques, Paris: Armand Colin, 2007. ISBN : 2200352964
A packet will be made available for the second part.
