13304 - Francophone Literatures (1)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the program, student will be able to look at the francophonian literature knowing the most important problems concerning the topic. He will know and use the practical methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of a literary text.

Course contents

“Writing between multiple languages-cultures”

The course, which will be introduced by the illustration of the general concepts of Francophonie and francophonie, will analyze the problems of novel writing in French in Francophone literatures of non-European countries where French, European language , is a second language. The focus will be mainly on Francophone literatures of sub-Saharan Africa, analyzing the testimonies of several writers and two novels by two authors (CH Kane and A. Kourouma), which are emblematic from the point of view of the issues that will be addressed during the course.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students:

Cheikh Hamidou Kane, L’aventure ambiguë, Paris, Juillard, 1961

Ahmadou Kourouma, Les soleils des Indépendances, Paris, Seuil, 1970 (Canada, 1969)

Boubacar Boris Diop, « Écris et… tais-toi », in L’Afrique au-delà du miroir, Paris, Philippe Rey. (voir dans "Materiale didattico")

Patrice Nganang, Écrire sans la France, “Africultures”, 21/11/2004 http://www.africultures.com/php/?nav=article&no=3610

Michel Le Bris / Jean Rouaud (dir.), Pour une littérature-monde, Paris, Gallimard, 2007. (choix d’articles - voir dans "Materiale didattico)

Michel Le Bris / Jean Rouaud (dirs.), Je est un autre. Pour une identité-monde, Paris, Gallimard, 2010. (choix d’articles - voir dans "Materiale didattico)

Les francophonies et francographies africaines face à la référence culturelle française, Introduction, Chap. 2: M. Beniamino "Langue, littérature, francographie", chap. 3: “écriture dans l’entre-plusieurs langues-cultures et quête du soi-écrivant en tension”. http://www.dorif.it/ezine/show_issue.php?iss_id=3

Other informations and materials will be provided during the course.

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

- Jacques Chevrier, Littérature africaine: histoire et grands thèmes, Paris, Hatier, 1990.

Teaching methods

Taught classes, with emphasis on dialogue and participation. Seminars on the novels assigned for reading, with students' oral presentation and class discussion.

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

Use of video-projector, power point, original documents in paper form and in audio-visual form.

Office hours

See the website of Cristina Schiavone