28606 - French Literature I (First Language) L

Learning outcomes

The student knows and understands the basic elements which characterize literature in the French language, she/he is able to identify them in specific literary texts, and she/he is able to develop independently, at a more advanced level, certain cultural and literary themes which can then be applied to other literary texts.

Course contents

A journey through the history and stories, in search of itself

The course will follow a reading, through texts of the extreme contemporary French and Francophone literature, searching, especially in the genre novel, the bonds that often bind history and individual stories. The course will thus deepen the knowledge in particular of three novels within which the historical events of the twentieth century alongside and will complement the lives of the main characters, in a mutually enriching relationship. So we will see how within the genre of the novel can be addressed collective history events with a constant eye to the effects and consequences that these events may have had, and still have, on the lives of people. Historical research, as we shall see, often goes hand in hand with the individual search of a secret, of a family reality, an explanation that takes into account the evolution of History and related stories.

It will also deepened the ties that individual texts may have had with other languages, such as the cinema.g and cinema.

Readings/Bibliography

Excerpts from the following novels will be read in class (students are required to read the whole novels for the exam):

- Philippe Grimbert, Un secret, Le livre de Poche, 2007.

- Brigitte Giraud, Jour de courage, Paris, Flammarion, 2019 (se dovesse uscire un'edizione economica sarà possibile acquistare quella)

and one of these two books, which will be identified at the beginning of the course:

- Nancy Huston, Lignes de faille, Actes Sud, coll. Babel, 2007.

- Hélène Gestern, Eux sur la photo, Arléa Poche, 2013.

Teaching methods

During the course, only some passages of the novels will be read; the other parts will be individually read by students. Students will participate actively during text analysis.

Assessment methods

Only some excerpts from the required readings will be read in class; the remaining parts will be assigned as individual homework reading. Individual reading will be guided by suggestions and questions made available on the e-learning site Moodle. Textual analysis requires the active participation of students.

Teaching tools

During the course, some power point presentations of the authors and of their historical context will be offered. They will also be available on our e-learning platform, IOL. The analysis of texts will be always enriched with existing literary criticism.

 

Office hours

See the website of Chiara Elefante