30073 - Literature of the French-Speaking Countries 1 (LM)

Learning outcomes

Students possess in-depth knowledge of the history and development of non-European francophone literatures, a with particular focus on the relationship between literary texts and the historical, artistic and linguistic context. Students know and can deal with practical methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of literary texts.

Course contents

War and Conflict in Francophone Literatures

In this course, basic knowledge about Francophone literatures and postcolonial studies will be shared, leading to a definition of Word Literature. A brief history of Francophone literatures in their diversity will be outlined and the concept of F/francophonie will be discussed and problematised.

As a main theme as well as an approach, the focus will be on war and conflict. Three authors in particular will be examined: Assia Djebar, Ahmadou Kourouma and Kamel Daoud, for an in-depth look at questions of language and narrative in relation to war and conflict, declined in various ways.

Students are asked to actively participate in the class: part of the texts, critical and primary, will be presented half by the teacher and half by the students themselves. They will also be able to present authors and issues not touched by the main thread of the course. These presentations will be assessed and will count towards the final grade.

If the timetable allows us to do it, the last part of the course will be devoted to writing critical reviews, of primary and secondary texts.

 

 

Readings/Bibliography

Testi primari

A. Djebar, L'Amour, la fantasia (qualsiasi edizione)

A. Kourouma, Allah n'est pas obligé (qualsiasi edizione)

K. Daoud, Houris, Paris, Gallimard, 2024

Critica

Jean-Marc Moura, Littératures francophones et théorie postcoloniale, Paris, PUF, se possibile l'ultima edizione

Dominique Combe, Littératures francophones : questions, débats et polémiques, Paris, PUF, 2019, p. 7-23, 37-41

Silvia Albertazzi, La letteratura postcoloniale : dall'Impero alla World Literature, Roma, Carocci, 2013, p. 9-20, 75-81, 96-98

Benoît Denis et Jean-Marie Klinkenberg, La littérature belge: précis d'histoire sociale, Bruxelles, Labor, "Espace Nord", 2005, p. 19-62

Lise Gauvin, D'une langue l'autre. La surconscience linguistique de l’écrivain francophone, dans L'écrivain francophone à la croisée des langues, Paris, Karthala, 2009, <https://shs.cairn.info/l-ecrivain-francophone-a-la-croisee-des-langues--9782865377503-page-5?lang=fr>

Lise Gauvin, Glissements de langues et poétiques romanesques, "Littérature", n. 101, 1996, p. 5-24, <https://www.persee.fr/doc/litt_0047-4800_1996_num_101_1_2391>

Lise Gauvin, Statut de la parole et traversée des langues chez Assia Djebar, "Carnets", n. 7, 2016, <https://journals.openedition.org/carnets/908>

Robert Varga, Dictionnaire et norme dans Allah n'est pas obligé et Quand on refuse on dit non, "Roman 20-50", n. 73, 2022/1, <https://www.cairn.info/revue-roman2050-2022-1-page-99.htm>

BIBLIOGRAFIA IN CORSO DI IMPLEMENTAZIONE

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars; presentations of authors and texts by students; workshop on writing techniques (reviews).

Assessment methods

For attending students:

In-class presentations (not necessarily all of them)
In-class discussions on texts presented either by the lecturer or by fellow students
Review workshop

In conclusion, written exam (open questions) and oral exam (discussion of the whole syllabus)

For non-attending students
Written and oral examination

Teaching tools

Power-point projections, documents uploaded on line.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Chiara Gnocchi