Introducing the Novel (271-0-20)
Topic
Genre & Gender
Instructors
Tyler Lee Blakeney
Meeting Info
Kresge Centennial Hall 4-410: Tues, Thurs 2:00PM - 3:20PM
Overview of class
Novels, with their emphasis on domestic life and individual psychology, have historically been considered a "feminine" form whose readership is largely made up of women, and yet the canon of major French novels is largely defined by male authors, often writing about women characters. Women authors often have to publish under a man's name and find their work dismissed as overly sentimental. In this course, we will examine a canon of novels written by women authors across the modern period. We will ask questions like: What defines a novel? (Certain formal features? Specific content?) What is the relationship between genre and gender? What aspects of the history of the novel do narratives of the novel's modernity as a rejection of realism exclude? Do novels reinforce normative and hegemonic social forms (gendered, sexual, national, racial) or contest them? Authors studied include Sand, Colette, Diome, and Sebbar. Discussion and assignments in French.
Learning Objectives
The course seeks to introduce students to the study and analysis of the modern novel in France. Students will learn to write close readings and longer analytical essays in French about novels. They will practice expressing their viewpoint through spoken French in class discussions. They will also be introduced to how socio-political questions like gender and race might interact with their formal discussions of texts.
Class Materials (Required)
Sand, La Petite Fadette (ISBN: 9782081382688)
Colette, Claudine s'en va (ISBN: 9782253010906)
Diome, Le Ventre de lAtlantique (ISBN: 9782253109075)
Sebbar, La Seine Etait Rouge (ISBN 9782742785575)
Class Attributes
Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area
Global Perspectives on Power, Justice, and Equity
Enrollment Requirements
Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: Students must have completed FRENCH 210-0 or FRENCH 211-0. Other students may register with instructor permission.