13326 - French Literature III

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to read a literary text in French, both in textual and intertextual mode, with the necessary references to the history of French literature in relation to European literature. They will sharpen, as much as possible, their stylistic competences within their linguistic competences. They will use French as a language of communication.

Course contents

The course will include a general introduction to Renaissance, Baroque and Classicism, and will then focus on the representation of violence in XVI^th and XVII^th century French literature.

Readings/Bibliography

Literary History of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries:

Lionello SOZZI (ed.), Storia europea della letteratura francese. Dalle origini al Seicento, Torino, Einaudi, 2013 (only chapters concerning XVIth and XVIIth century literature).

or

Daniel MÉNAGER, Introduction à la vie littéraire du XVI^e siècle, Paris, Nathan, 2001 and Jean-Claude TOURNAND, Introduction à la vie littéraire du XVII^e siècle, Paris, Dunod, 1997.

or

Jean-Yves TADIÉ (ed.), La littérature française: dynamique et histoire. Tome I, Paris, Gallimard, 2007, pp. 233-691.

 

Readings (available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4, and uploaded in IOL, except the last one):

François Rabelais, Gangantua: chap. XXV, Comment un moine de Seuillé sauva le clos de l’abbaye du sac des ennemis (edition at your choice).

Jean de Léry, Histoire d’un voyage faict en la terre du Brésil (1578), ed. F. Lestringant, Paris, Le livre de Poche, 1994, pp. 354-377, 571-595: chap. XV, Comment les Americains traitent leurs prisonniers pris en guerre, et les cérémonies qu’ils observent tant à les tuer qu’à les manger; chap. XV^bis, Des cruautés exercées par les Turcs, et autres peuples: et nommément par les Espagnols, beaucoup plus barbares que les sauvages mêmes.

Michel de Montaigne, Essais: book I, chap. 31, Des cannibales; book III, chap. 6, Des coches (edition at your choice).

Agrippa d’Aubigné, Les Tragiques, ed. F. Lestringant, Paris, Gallimard, 1995, passages analyzed during classes.

François de Rosset, Les Histoire Mémorables et tragiques de ce temps (1619), ed. A. De Vaucher Gravili, Paris, Le livre de poche, 1994, pp. 318-337,462-480: Histoire XIV, De la cruelle vengeance exercée par une damoiselle sur la personne du meurtrier de celui qu’elle aimait; Histoire XXII, Des barbaries étranges et inouïes d’une mère dénaturée.

Jean Racine, Phèdre (edition at your choice)

Monografic Part

Texts analized during classes and 8 of these articles/chapters of books available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4, and uploaded in IOL:

Arnold Hauser, Il barocco nelle corti cattoliche, in Storia sociale dell'arte, Torino, Einaudi, 1982, pp. 468-491.

Erich Auerbach, Le faux dévot, in Mimésis. La représentation du réel dans la littérature occidentale, Paris, Gallimard, 1984, pp. 365-394.

Jan Miernowski, La poétique du massacre de Rabelais à Racine, in «Etudes Rabelaisiennes», t. XLVI, 2008, pp. 7-36.

Frank Lestringant, Sous le signe de l’épée. L’histoire morale du Brésil d’après les chapitres XIV à XVI de l’“Histoire d’un voyage”, dans Id., Jean de Léry ou l’invention du sauvage. Essai sur l’”Histoire d’un voyage faict en la terre du Bresil”, Paris, Garnier, 2016, pp. 175-190.

Frank Lestringant, Un cannibale qui crache, in Id., Le cannibale. Grandeur et décadence, Paris, Perrin, 1994, pp. 163-189.

Mathilde Bernard, Les récits de massacre: quelle théâtralité pour quelle propagande?, in «Littératures classiques», 2010/3, n. 73, pp. 255-263.

Bruna Conconi, Quand un fragment d’histoire devient poésie: d’Aubigné, Sancerre et le jeu des sources, in «Revue d’histoire du protestantisme», tome II, juillet-septembre 2017, pp. 317-337.

Sergio Poli, Violence et mythe dans l’histoire tragique: un exemple de François de Rosset, in Violence et fiction jusqu’à la Révolution, Tübingen, G. Narr, 1995, pp. 55-62.

Eglal Henein, Le cœur mangé ... ruminé, in Violence et fiction jusqu’à la Révolution, Tübingen, G. Narr, 1995, pp. 77-88.

Daniela Dalla Valle, Ippolito e i mostri: una possibile lettura della “Phèdre”di Racine , in Studi di storia della civiltà letteraria francese. Mélanges offerts à Lionello Sozzi, Paris, Champion, 1996, t. I, pp. 431-445.

Non-attending students will prepare the final exam following the previous bibliography with the support of these additional readings:

• Antologia cronologica della letteratura francese. Il Cinquecento, Milano, LED, 1996:

François Rabelais, Pantagruel

Hélisenne de Crenne, Les angoysses douloureuses

Herberay des Essarts, Le premier livre d’Amadis de Gaule

Maurice Scève, Delie, object de plus haulte vertu

Jacques Amyot, L’Histoire Æthiopique de Heliodorus

Joachim Du Bellay, La Deffence et Illustration de la Langue française

Joachim Du Bellay, L’Olive

Pierre de Ronsard, Nouvelle Continuation des Amours

Joachim Du Bellay, Divers Jeux Rustiques

Marguerite de Navarre, Heptameron des Nouvelles

Pierre Boaistuau, Histoires tragiques

Pierre de Ronsard, La Franciade

Agrippa d’Aubigné, Les Tragiques

Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, Les Essais

Robert Garnier, Les Juifves

• Antologia cronologica della letteratura francese. Il Seicento, Milano, LED, 1997:

Honoré d’Urfé, Astrée

Pierre Corneille, Le Cid

Madeleine de Scudérie, Clélie, histoire romaine

Blaise Pascal, Les Provinciales

Paul Scarron, Roman comique

Molière, Les précieuses ridicules

Antoine Furetière, Le Roman bourgeois

Molière, Le Misanthrope

Jean Racine, Andromaque

Boileau, Art poétique

Jean Racine, Phèdre

Madame de Lafayette, La Princesse de Clèves

Bernard de Fontenelles, Histoire des Oracles

Charles Perrault, Le siècle de Louis le Grand

Jean de La Bruyère, Les Caractères

Teaching methods

Frontal lectures; participation is nevertheless highly encouraged.

Assessment methods

The exam consists in an oral interview during which the methodological and critical skills acquired by the student will be evaluated . The student will be invited to discuss the texts covered during the course and to move within the sources and bibliographical material in order to be able to identify in them the useful information. The achievement of an organic vision of the issues addressed during the classes and their critical use, which demonstrate ownership of a mastery of expression and specific language, will be assessed with marks of excellence (28-30). Mechanical and / or mnemonic knowledge of matter, synthesis and analysis of non-articulating and / or correct language but not always appropriate will lead to discrete assessments (23-27); training gaps and / or inappropriate language - although in a context of minimal knowledge of the material - will lead to votes that will not exceed the sufficiency (18-22). Training gaps, inappropriate language, lack of guidance within the reference materials offered during the course will lead to failed assessments.

Teaching tools

Texts analized during classes will be available at Mastercopy, via Cartoleria 4, and uploaded in IOL.

Office hours

See the website of Bruna Conconi