Course syllabus

 

arts-logo.png

FRENCH 341: Panorama of the French Novel

SEMESTER 2, 2018

15 points

 

Course convenor :

Dr Trudy Agar : t.agar@auckland.ac.nz (drop-in hour: Mon 4-5pm or by appointment, Arts 2-506).

 

Course delivery format:

3 hours of classes, delivered as lectures and task-based peer activities.

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

 

Course Description:              

Since a Frenchwoman wrote what is widely regarded as one of the earliest and greatest modern novels in 1678, the genre of the novel has both reflected and shaped French cultural and social history. This course examines desire in fiction at key moments in French history – from Henri II’s royal court in La Princesse de Clèves; to the Naturalism of the Belle Époque in Bel-Ami; to the experimental “New Novel” of the turbulent mid-twentieth century (Djinn); and to the contemporary postmodern novel, Biographie de la faim. All these novels challenge and transform existing literary conventions, just as they offer us invaluable insights into French society through their close engagement with the theme of desire.

Guided readings will assist to develop students’ reading skills in French, while comparative studies of film versions of the two earlier novels will help with comprehension and reveal the different ways in which these stories have been read across time and place. Desire written by both male and female authors will allow us to examine gendered perspectives of desire and the obstacles it meets at various times in French history.

 

Course Objectives:

This course is aimed at students with an upper intermediate level of French.

It will give students the opportunity to explore the works of critically acclaimed French writers, whilst practising and improving their French through the reading, analysis and discussion of selected novels. In particular, students will:

  • develop critical reading skills, in French
  • consolidate both oral and written French skills, particularly through discussions in tutorials and through the writing of essays
  • acquire the basic terminology of French literary criticism as applicable to the novel
  • to explain and contextualize different forms of the novel in French
  • to develop analytical skills as they pertain to the study of literary form and meaning
  • to expose writing as a tool for social commentary
  • to develop research skills.

 

Prescribed Texts :

  1. Madame de la Fayette. La Princesse de Clèves. (Extracts). Download here : http://bibliothequenumerique.tv5monde.com/livre/83/La-Princesse-de-Cleves (extraits)
  2. Guy de Maupassant. Bel-Ami. Download here : http://bibliothequenumerique.tv5monde.com/livre/112/Bel-Ami
  3. Alain Robbe-Grillet. Djinn. Paris: Minuit, 1970. (some copies will be available to borrow; check with the course convenor).
  4. Amélie Nothomb. Biographie de la faim. Paris: Librairie Générale Française, 2006. (Students must obtain their own copy).

Films

Delannoy, Jean (dir.) La Princesse de Clèves, 1961. 

 

Assessment

Guided essay (800 words in French) 15%
Research essay (1,750 words in French) 30%
In-class test

15%

Tutorial contributions 10%
Final written exam (2 hours) 30%

 

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.

Course summary:

Date Details Due