30073 - LETTERATURE FRANCOFONE 1 (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students possess an in-depth knowledge of the history and development of Francophone literatures beyond Europe, with particular attention to the ways in which literary texts emerge and interact within specific historical and linguistic contexts. They are able to situate literary discourse both within the framework of Francophonie and within the broader, plurilingual context of World Literature. They are familiar with the methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of literary texts, especially in postcolonial and decolonial contexts.

Course contents

PLEASE NOTE: Students may take Francophone Literatures I or II (the course is shared/cross-listed), depending on their study plan. The syllabus and class schedule are the same for both courses.

Following a general introduction to the contemporary Francophone world and to the historical, geopolitical, and literary issues surrounding the notions of “F/francophonie” and “Francophone literature(s),” the course will explore, through epistolary writing, a selection of voices, experiences, and perspectives that characterize twentieth- and twenty-first-century French-language literatures.

The course will focus on four authors and different forms of epistolary writing. It will examine the exchange between Canadian writer Nancy Huston and Algerian writer Leïla Sebbar in Lettres parisiennes. Histoires d’exil, as well as the correspondence between Marguerite Yourcenar and Argentine writer and translator Silvia Baron Supervielle, collected in Une reconstitution passionnelle. Correspondance 1980-1987. These real-life correspondences will be studied alongside two epistolary novels: Une si longue lettre by Senegalese writer Mariama Bâ and Lettres chinoises by Chinese-born writer Ying Chen.

Coming from different geographical and cultural backgrounds, these authors choose French as a language of literary expression and as a space in which to engage with shared issues, explored through different perspectives and aesthetic approaches: exile and migration, the relationship with language and otherness, the construction of identity, memory, the female condition, and the contradictions of both their societies of origin and host societies. Particular attention will be paid to women’s life writing and to the relationship between writing, engagement, and the role of women in processes of social and cultural change.

Epistolary writing will be studied both in terms of its literary features and as a means of establishing relationships between individuals, languages, cultures, and distant spaces. Particular attention will be devoted to its narrative and informative, emotional, argumentative, and satirical functions, as well as to its dual addressee: the recipient of the letter and the reader. The deferred nature of epistolary exchange will also provide an opportunity to examine the ways in which writing connects geographical, temporal, and cultural distances.

The comparative reading of the works will draw on key concepts from Francophone and postcolonial studies, including “otherness,” “identity,” “cultural field,” “engagement,” “hybridity,” and “transculturation.” The texts will thus be considered in relation to their respective contexts of production and circulation, highlighting both their common features and their specificities, while exploring the multiple forms of belonging and border-crossing that shape the contemporary Francophone world.

Readings/Bibliography

Primary Texts

• BÂ, Mariama, Une si longue lettre, Dakar, Les Nouvelles Éditions Africaines, 1979.
• CHENG, Ying, Lettres chinoises : roman, Paris, Actes Sud, 1998.
• HUSTON, Nancy and Leïla SEBBAR, Lettres parisiennes : histoires d’exil, Paris, Éditions J’ai lu, 2006.
• YOURCENAR, Marguerite and Silvia BARON SUPERVIELLE, Une reconstitution passionnelle : correspondance 1980-1987, ed. Achmy Halley, Paris, Gallimard, 2009.

Critical Bibliography

• BENIAMINO, Michel and Lise GAUVIN (eds.), Vocabulaire des études francophones : les concepts de base, Limoges, PULIM, 2005.
• COMBE, Dominique, Littératures francophones : questions, débats, polémiques, Paris, PUF, 2019.
• NDIAYE, Christiane, Introduction aux littératures francophones : Afrique, Caraïbe, Maghreb, Montréal, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, 2004.
• RICE, Alison, “Francophonies,” in Delphine Naudier, Florence de Chalonge and Martine Reid (eds.), 19e-21e siècle. Francophonies, Paris, Gallimard, 2020, pp. 475–519.

Teaching methods

The course adopts a participatory and inclusive teaching methodology, combining the acquisition of historical and literary knowledge with the development of critical and interpretative skills. Lectures providing an introduction to the contemporary Francophone world, epistolary writing, and the main theoretical and methodological approaches will be complemented by shared reading and textual analysis, as well as opportunities for discussion and exchange between students and the instructor.

Particular emphasis will be placed on active learning through individual and group activities, cooperative learning, case studies, discovery-based learning and, where appropriate, flipped-classroom activities. Interactive digital tools, such as Wooclap, will be used to encourage participation and to monitor students’ understanding throughout the course.

Comparative analysis of the works will also be used to develop students’ ability to establish connections between different texts, contexts, and perspectives, encouraging independent reflection on issues of identity, memory, postcolonialism, and gender. The overall approach aims to make the classroom a space for reading, discussion, and exchange, valuing students’ active participation while fostering both the pleasure of reading and engagement with diverse literary and cultural contexts.

Assessment methods

Assessment will consist of an oral examination in French, designed to assess students’ knowledge of the course content and their ability to analyse and interpret the texts and critical concepts discussed during the course.

Teaching materials used during the course (PowerPoint presentations, excerpts from the works, analysis and interpretation exercises, bibliography, and critical sources) will be made available on Moodle and will form an integral part of the examination syllabus for all students. During classes, excerpts from the works will be read and analysed with the support of critical sources; the sections of the critical texts to be prepared for the examination will also be indicated.

Attending students
In addition to studying the materials available on Moodle, students will be required to read two literary texts of their choice in their entirety from the following: Lettres parisiennes. Histoires d’exil, Une reconstitution passionnelle. Correspondance 1980-1987, Une si longue lettre, and Lettres chinoises. By prior agreement with the instructor, students may also undertake an individual or group project (for example, a PowerPoint presentation, podcast, video, or other project related to the course syllabus), which may contribute to the final assessment. 

NON-attending students

In addition to studying the materials available on Moodle and reading two literary texts of their choice from those listed above in their entirety, non-attending students are required to study the entire volume by Dominique Combe, Littératures francophones : questions, débats et polémiques, PUF, 2019.

Assessment criteria
The same assessment criteria apply to both attending and non-attending students. Assessment will take into account students’ ability to independently analyse literary texts, documents, and critical sources; develop clear, rigorous, and independent critical arguments and judgements; establish relevant connections between works, authors, texts, and cultural contexts; demonstrate a sound command of the course content and critical concepts; and present and discuss their ideas coherently, accurately, and appropriately in French.

Teaching tools

For any questions or further information, students are invited to contact the course instructor at francesca.dainese3@unibo.it. The course will take place during the first semester; the syllabus may be subject to change.

 

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) or temporary or permanent disabilities: students are encouraged to contact the relevant University service (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it) and the course instructor as early as possible in order to identify together the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the examination. Any requests for accommodations must be submitted no later than 15 days before the examination date by emailing the instructor and copying disabilita@unibo.it (for students with disabilities) or dsa@unibo.it  (for students with SLDs).

Office hours

See the website of Francesca Dainese