Studies in the 19Th Century (450-1-20)

Topic

1857: The Birth of Modernity?

Instructors

Ty Blakeney

Meeting Info

FRIT Grad Sem Rm 2130 - Crowe: Tues 4:00PM - 6:50PM

Overview of class

Within the space of fourteen months, three of the major works of nineteenth century French literature were published: Victor Hugo's Les Contemplations, Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du mal. Flaubert and Baudelaire's publications are often understood as heralding the beginning of modern literature in French, looking forward to a long tradition of texts in the 20th century that would question language's capacity to represent reality, while Hugo's text is excluded from that narrative. In this course, we will question whether 1857 was really such a turning point. Was there something new happening in the works of Flaubert and Baudelaire? How can we understand them within their moment rather than interpreting them through 20th century literature? And what other narratives of literary history might emerge if we don't define a critical relationship to mimesis as the key marker of modernity? Key authors studied will be Hugo, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Sand, Ponge, and Ernaux.

Class Materials (Required)

Victor Hugo, Les Contemplations
Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary
Charles Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du mal
George Sand, La Petite Fadette
Francis Ponge, Le Parti pris des choses
Annie Ernaux, L'Évènement

Enrollment Requirements

Enrollment Requirements: Reserved for French Majors & Minors.