29065 - European Francophone Literatures (1) (2nd cycle)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student understands the importance of Francophone literature in European tradition and the dialectic with European tradition on the part of Francophone literatures worldwide. The student commands an identitarian view of each of the literatures surveyed and an anthropological view of the elements that the various cultural zones in which Francophone literatures are present have in common.

Course contents

Title : Europe, War, and the Gaze Towards the Other

Europe was swept by numerous wars in the 20th century. Did they change the way we view one another? This course explores a selection of works that highlight wounds of the soul. Two 21st-century works will allow us to see whether that perspective has changed today.

Readings/Bibliography

Maurice Maeterlinck, Le Bourgmestre de Stilmonde, 1917

Vercors, Le Silence de la mer, 1941

Agotha Kristoff, L'analphabète, 1956 (2004)

Marguerite Duras, La douleur, 1985

Claire Fourier, Les silences de la guerre, 2011

David Diop, Frère d'ame, 2018

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons for the historical framework; cooperative learning by making students active and having them communicate with each other.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be based on an oral examination covering the material presented during the lessons. Students will be evaluated on their critical and methodological skills and are expected to offer their own analysis of the works. It is essential for students to demonstrate their ability to read and analyze a text by relating it to the issues and theoretical texts discussed in class. A broad perspective on the subject matter, combined with precise textual analysis and a good command of the French language, will be highly valued. A superficial or repetitive understanding of the work, or a lack of linguistic accuracy, will result in an average grade. Significant gaps in knowledge and poor language skills will lead to a failing grade.

Teaching tools

In addition to the now classic tools to support teaching (ppt), support for analysis linked to Sketch Engine or Ant-Conc will also be proposed.

Office hours

See the website of Anna Soncini