François P Lagarde

The general political history of France, from the nation's inception to its current existence as part of the European Community.

Prerequisite: French 320E.

May be counted toward the global cultures flag requirement.

François Lagarde

FR390K: 17^th Century

Spring 2013

French Classicism

In France, Classicism is a modern concept (post-French Revolution), that applies to literature and philosophy, music and the arts, or economics and sciences, in reference to several countries and periods (from Antiquity to 20^th century fashion). We will concentrate on French Classicism as it flourished in and around the 17^th century. This Classicism, as “opposed” to Baroque, Mannerism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism or Modernism, has been defined and redefined, championed and refuted, force-taught, misunderstood, and deconstructed extensively. It is still necessary to examine its matter, its ideology and its poetics in order to understand French literary history. “Classic” concepts such as imitation, reason, mediocritas, vraisemblance, bienséance, naturel or honnêteté were developed by French humanists from the 16^th and the 17^th centuries.

The course will be in two parts: the first one will consist in an introduction to the full century, with readings of excerpts. Special attention to “les ouvriers du classicisme”, Vaugelas, Guez de Balzac, Bouhours, Chapelain, l'abbé d'Aubignac and Boileau.

This section will close with a comprehensive exam (25%).

The second part will focus on five “classical” works which we will study in full, and in depth:

- Corneille, Horace

- Racine, Britannicus

- Pascal, Les Provinciales

- La Rochefoucauld, Les Maximes

- Mme de Lafayette, La Princesse de Clèves

This section will close with an exam (25%) and an essay (50%).

All lectures, class work, and readings in French. Exams and essay in French or English.

An introduction to the francophone world outside of France, from historical, geographical, and cultural perspectives. Particular focus on Quebec, the United States, the Caribbean (Haïti, Martinique and Guadeloupe), the Maghreb, Africa (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Rwanda, Madagascar,  Reunion), and the Pacific. Readings from literature and newspapers (e. g. Le Monde).

Readings, class work, and assignments in French.

A packet will have to be purchased.

Grading Policy

Grade based on participation, quizzes, one midterm exam, and one final paper.

FRENCH TRAVEL LITERATURE

 An introduction to French/francophone travel literature (FTL), with concentration on 19^th and 20^th centuries, and with emphasis on literature. FTL is found in many forms: travel logs, letters, reportages, witness accounts, essays, even novels. It includes travels to “the ends” of the world as well as to the author’s own backyard. From pre-colonial to colonial and post-colonial times, FTL comes with its own set of formal and philosophical problems, which we will consider. We will survey and close-read short excerpts at the same time. We may revisit Said’s Orientalism and its critical aftermath. Ideally, we will read Bouvier’s L’usage du monde, a contemporary classic of FTL, in its entirety.

Excerpts (tentative list)

Alphonse de Chateaubriand, Itinéraire de Paris à Jérusalem, 1811

Stendhal, Mémoires d’un touriste, 1837

Victor Hugo, Le Rhin: Lettres à un ami, 1842

Astolphe de Custine, La Russie en 1839, 1843

Gustave Flaubert; Maxime Du Camp, Par les champs et par les grèves, 1847

Gérard de Nerval, Le Voyage en Orient, 1851

Pierre Loti, Fantôme d'Orient, 1892

Isabelle Eberhardt, Mes Journaliers, 1923

André Gide, Voyage au Congo,1927

Albert Londres, Terre d'ébène, 1929

Charles-Albert Cingria, Pendeloques alpestres, 1929

Victor Segalen, Equipée, 1929

Michel Leiris, L’Afrique fantôme, 1934

Simone de Beauvoir, L’Amérique au jour le jour, 1947

Claude Lévi-Strauss, Tristes tropiques, 1955

In full:

Nicolas Bouvier, L’usage du monde, 1963

An advanced study of French grammar and vocabulary with emphasis on registers, faux amis, homonyms, synonyms, paronyms, prepositions and other instances where English language pattern can easily provoke errors in French. Exercises in translation and composition.

Grade: quizzes/assignments/participation 40%; 3 exams (home or class) 60%

Prerequisites   FR 320E AND FR 322E

Texts Using French: A Guide to Contemporary Usage R. E. Batchelor, M. H. Offord Cambridge University Press, 2000 ISBN-13: 9780521645935 | ISBN-10: 052164593X

The course will a) introduce participants to French Classical literature (17th century); b) concentrate on comedy (publics, authors, actors, and plays; emphasis on Molière; some minores)

Grade: one presentation (20%); one exam (30%); one term paper (50%)

Corneille, L'Illusion comique, Le Menteur

Racine, Les Plaideurs

Molière, Les Précieuses ridicules, L'Impromptu de Versailles, Le Misanthrope, Dom Juan, Les Femme savantes

Boileau, Art Poétique

La Bruyère, Caractères

Scarron, Le Roman comique

Florent Dancourt, Le Chevalier à la mode

Catherine Durand, Comédies et Proverbes

This course is taught in French

An introduction to the francophone world outside of France from historical, geographical, and cultural perspectives. Particular focus on France, Canada, the United States, the French Caribbean, the Maghreb, and Africa (Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, rwanda, Mdagascar, Reunion).

Grading Policy

Readings, Lectures, class work and assignments in French.

Texts

A packet to be purchased.