Course syllabus

Semester 2, 2017

French 379 Special Topic: Reading French Literature

1) Lecturer and Course Convener

Dr Trudy Agar

t.agar@auckland.ac.nz

Office hour: Mon 1-2, Arts 2, room 506

2) Course Delivery Format

1 2-hour lecture and 1 hour of tutorial

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

3) Language:   Taught and assessed in French. 

4) Description

This course will introduce students to the study of French literature, using texts from the Sixteenth Century to the Twentieth Century. The course will focus on the twin themes of love and death, as these are addressed over time by different writers in different genres. We will read the folk tale La Belle et la bête and examine how the story was retold by Jean Cocteau in his 1946 film (and what Disney then did with the same story). The second half of the course will provide an overview of how selected poets and a playwright wrote against fascism during and after World War Two.

5) Course Objectives

The course will introduce students to some linguistic and rhetorical skills required to study French verse, and provide knowledge and understanding of some of the key terms required to analyse French literary texts. It will provide a broad overview of French literary history through the study of texts from different periods. It will train students in essay-writing skills in French.

6) Prescribed Texts                 

• Madame Leprince de Beaumont, La Belle et la Bête (available on Canvas)
• Eugène Ionesco, La Leçon (to be purchased by students).
• Other material will be provided on Canvas.

7) Workload

The University of Auckland's expectation regarding 15-point courses is that students spend an average of 10 hours per week on the course. Students manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Students attend two hours of lectures each week and participate in a one-hour tutorial from week 2 of semester. This leaves seven hours per week outside the classroom to prepare for tutorials, assignments and the exam.

8) Deadlines and Submission of Coursework

Deadlines for coursework are non-negotiable. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you will be required to provide a doctor's certificate before the assignment is due. All late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised one mark per day late. Please consult the School of Cultures, Languages and Linguistics’ guidelines on assessment, available on Canvas: “CLL Assignments Policy:  Extensions, Deadlines and Penalties”. For full University policy on missed tests/exams and on compassionate consideration, please refer to The University of Auckland 2017 Calendar (http://www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz).

9) Assessment: