Reading Literatures in French (210-0-20)

Topic

Les Formes Du Mal

Instructors

Cynthia Nazarian
847/491-8270
1860 S. Campus Drive, Crowe Hall #2-137

Meeting Info

Kresge Centennial Hall 3-410: Tues, Thurs 12:30PM - 1:50PM

Overview of class

This course explores representations of "le mal" in French literature from the Middle Ages to the present. The word "mal", in its complexity and breadth, can signify evil, wrong, damage, pain, disease, angst, etc. Looking across multiple genres including poetry, prose, drama, and the graphic novel, we will discuss the origins of evils and ills, their moral boundaries as well as the multiple forms of their representation. How can bad or frightening characters by appealing? What is the function of pain or illness in the moral, social, and political perspectives that literary texts offer? How does gender shape portrayal of evil in fiction? This course will focus on close reading and the development of critical writing skills. All discussion and readings will be in French.

Class Materials (Required)

Cazotte, Le Diable amoureux. Paris: Garnier Flammarion, 1993. ISBN : 978-2080703613

Genet, Les Bonnes. Paris: Folio, 1976. ISBN : 978-2070370603

Class Attributes

Literature and Arts Foundational Discipline
Literature & Fine Arts Distro Area

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for French Majors & Minors. Prerequisite: Students must have completed FRENCH 202-0 or a test score of 5 in AP French. Other students may register with instructor permission.