SPRING 2007 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
V45.0010-001 ~ Business French / Français des affaires
Eric Leveau, MW 9:30-10:45
V45.0107 ~ Translation
Prof. Emanuelle Ertel, TR 11-12pm
V45.0164 ~ Contemporary France
Prof. Frédéric Viguier, MW 11-12.15pm
V45.0462 ~ Classicism
Prof. Benoît Bolduc, MW 2-3.15pm
V45.0731 ~ Contemporary French Novel
Prof. Beaujour, TR 11-12.15pm
V45.0865 ~ Topics in French Culture: France & Islam
Prof. George R. Trumbull, MW 12.30-1.45pm
V45.0883 ~ Cinema & Literature
Prof. William Wolf, W 2-4.45pm
V45.0896 ~ Medieval Song
Professor Edward Roesner and Professor Evelyn Birge Vitz
V45.0935 ~ Women Writers in France
Prof. Emanuell Ertel, TR 2-3.15pm
V45.0968 ~ French Literature: The French Shorty Story
Prof. John Moran, MW 9.30-10.45am
V45.0992.001 ~ SENIOR SEMINAR: Theatre et Politique: Focalisation sur le Theatre du Soleil
Prof. Judith Miller, W 2-4.45pm
V45.0992.002 SENIOR SEMINAR: Proust
Prof. Eugene Nicole, R 2-4.45pm
FALL 2007 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
V45.0103 ~ French Phonetics
Moran, TR 2-3:15
V45.0105 ~ French 105 (Honors)
Baehler, MWR 09:30am - 10:45am
V45.0115.001 ~ Masterpieces of French Literature (in French, honors)
Deneys, MW 12:30-1:45
V45.0115.002 ~ Masterpieces of French Literature (in French)
TBD, TR 11:00-12:15
V45.0163 ~ French Society and Culture Since the Middle Ages (in French)
TBD, MW 9:30-10:45
V45.0311 ~ Literature of the French Renaissance (in French)
Beaujour, TR 12:30-1:45
V45.0767 ~ Existentialism and the Absurd (in French)
Hollier, T 2:00-4:45
V45.0863 ~ Modern Criticism and Theory of Literature (in English)
Apter, T 9:30-12:15
V45.0866 ~ La Belle Epoque (in English)
Zezula, TR 2:00-3:15
V45.0881 ~ French Cinema/French Culture (in French)
Cortade, M 2:00-4:45
V45.0883 ~ Cinema & Literature (in English)
Wolf, W 2:00-4:45
V45.0968 ~ Topics in French Literature: Creative Writing Workshop (in French)
Cusset, M 2:00-4:45
V45.0991.001 ~ Senior Seminar (Honors): The Middle Ages Then and Now
Regalado, R 2:00-4:45
V45.0991.002 ~ Senior Seminar: 20th Century French Poetry
Nicole, W 2:00-4:45
Courses Conducted in French
Placement in French language courses: The placement of students in French language, literature, and
civilization courses is explained under Placement Examinations
in the Academic Policies section of the College of Arts and Science bulletin.
Fulfillment of the Morse Academic Plan (MAP) language requirement: The language requirement in French
may be fulfilled either by an intensive sequence of two 6-point
courses (V45.0010 and V45.0020) for a total of 12 points, or by
an extensive sequence of four 4-point courses (V45.0001, V45.0002,
V45.0011, and V45.0012) for a total of 16 points. With departmental
approval, a student may follow a plan of study combining two
4-point courses with one 6-point course (V45.0001, V45.0002, V45.0020,
or V45.0010, V45.0011, V45.0012) for a total of 14 points. All
students planning to continue their study of French beyond the MAP requirements are strongly advised to follow the intensive
sequence since this permits completion of the intermediate level
in two semesters.
Introductory Language Courses
Intensive Sequence
Intensive Elementary French
V45.0010 Open to students with no previous training in French
and to others on assignment by placement test. Completes the equivalent
of a year's elementary level in one semester. 6 points.
Intensive Intermediate French
V45.0020 Prerequisite: V45.0010 or V45.0001-0002. Open to students who have completed
the equivalent of a year's elementary level and to others on assignment
by placement test. Completes the equivalent of a year's intermediate
level in one semester. 6 points.
Extensive Sequence
Elementary French I
V45.0001 Open to students with no previous training in French
and to others on assignment by placement test. Not equivalent
to V45.0010. Only by combining V45.0001 with V45.0002 can a student
complete the equivalent of V45.0010 and then continue on to the
intermediate level. 4 points.
Elementary French II
V45.0002 Continuation of V45.0001. In order to continue on to
the intermediate level, a student must complete both V45.0001
and V45.0002. This sequence is equivalent to V45.0010. 4 points.
Intermediate French I
V45.0011 Prerequisite: V45.0001-0002 or V45.0010. Open to students
who have completed the equivalent of a year's elementary level
and to others on assignment by placement test. Not equivalent
to V45.0020. Only by combining V45.0011 with V45.0012 can a student
complete the equivalent of V45.0020 and then continue on to the
postintermediate level. 4 points.
Intermediate French II
V45.0012 Continuation of V45.0011. In order to fulfill the MAP requirement
and continue on to the postintermediate level, a student must
complete both V45.0011 and V45.0012. This sequence is equivalent
to V45.0020. 4 points.
Language Courses with Special Prerequisites
Intermediate French for Research
V45.0024 Prerequisite: demonstration of present proficiency in
the basics of elementary French either by placement test, prior
course work, or approval of the department. 3 points.
Specifically designed for students whose career goals may require
French as a research tool. Intensive practice in grammar, vocabulary,
and idiomatic structures. Stresses reading and written (rather
than oral) skills. Translation projects are geared to students'
individual areas of interest.
Conversation and Composition
V45.0030 Prerequisite: V45.0011-0012 or V45.0020. Open to students
who have completed the equivalent of a year's intermediate level
and to others who have passed the proficiency examination but
who wish to review their French in order to take advanced courses
in language, literature, and civilization. 4 points.
Systematizes and reinforces the language skills presented in earlier-level courses through an intensive review of grammar, written exercises,
an introduction to composition, lexical enrichment, and spoken
skills.
Advanced Language Courses
Spoken Contemporary French
V45.0101 Prerequisite: V45.0030, assignment by placement test,
or approval of the department. Assumes a mastery of the fundamental
structures of French. May be taken concurrently with V45.0105.
4 points.
Helps the student to develop vocabulary, improve pronunciation,
and learn new idiomatic expressions. Introduction to corrective
phonetics and emphasis on understanding contemporary French through
a study of such authentic documents as radio and television interviews,
advertisements, and spontaneous oral productions.
Advanced Conversation
V45.0102 Prerequisite: V45.0101, V45.0105, or permission of the
department. 4 points.
For students with relative fluency in French who wish to further
strengthen their pronunciation and command of spoken French. Develops
the skills presented in V45.0101 through an in-depth study of
French phonetics (corrective and theoretical) and analysis of
the modes of oral discourse in French. Emphasis on understanding
spoken French (modes of argument, persuasion, and emotion) through
analysis of authentic documents; development of student discourse
in French.
Written Contemporary French
V45.0105 Prerequisite: V45.0030, assignment by placement test,
or approval of the department. 4 points.
Designed to improve the student's written French and to provide
advanced training in French and comparative grammar. Students
are trained to express themselves in a variety of writing situations
(e.g., diaries, transcriptions, narrations, letters). Focuses
on the distinction between spoken and written styles and the problem
of contrastive grammar. Emphasis on accuracy and fluency of usage
in the written language.
Advanced Composition
V45.0106 Prerequisite: V45.0105 or permission of the department.
4 points.
Aims to refine the student's understanding of and ability to manipulate
written French. Students practice summarizing and expanding articles
from French magazines and papers and learn how to organize reports
and reviews in French. Exercises are designed to familiarize students
with various styles, registers, and levels of diction of written
French.
Translation
V45.0107 Prerequisite: V45.0105 or V45.0106. 4 points.
Practice of translation through French and English texts taken
from a variety of sources to present a range of contrastive grammatical
and stylistic problems. Also stresses acquisition of vocabulary.
Acting French
V45.0109 Prerequisite: V45.0030, V45.0101, or permission of the
department. 4 points.
Use of dramatic situations and readings to help students overcome
inhibitions in their oral use of language. The graduated series
of exercises and activities is designed to improve pronunciation,
intonation, expression, and body language. These include phonetic
practice, poetry recitation, skits, improvisation, and memorization
of dramatic texts. Reading, discussion, and performance of scenes
from plays by renowned dramatists. Extensive use of audio and
video material.
Business French
V45.0110 Prerequisite: V45.0030, V45.0105, or permission of the
department. 4 points.
Designed for students who wish to learn the specialized language
used in French business. Emphasis on oral and written communication
and the acquisition of a business and commercial vocabulary dealing
with the varied activities of a commercial firm (e.g., advertising,
transportation, banking). Stresses group work in simulated business
situations and exposure to authentic spoken materials.
Literature and Civilization Courses Conducted in French
The following courses are open to students who have successfully
completed V45.0101 or V45.0105, who are assigned by placement
test, or who have the permission of the director of undergraduate
studies.
Masterpieces of French Literature
V45.0115 Students planning to major in French studies
are strongly advised to complete V45.0101, V45.0105, or the equivalent
prior to taking this course. 4 points.
Introduction to French literature and thought in their historical
dimension through a close study of selected masterpieces from
the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Special emphasis on the aesthetic
and intellectual currents that have shaped French literature.
French Society and Culture from the Middle Ages to the Present
V45.0163 4 points.
Retrospective and introspective view of French civilization from
early periods to World War II through the interrelation and interaction
of fine arts, music, philosophy, literature, and history. Study
of major trends, personalities, and events; search for a meaning
and a definition of what constitutes the cultural heritage of
France. Primary sources and documents such as
chroniques, mémoires, journaux, revues, and correspondance.
Contemporary France
V45.0164 When conducted in English, this course is
numbered V45.0864. When offered in English, it is also open to
French majors who read the works in the original and do their
written work in French. 4 points.
The concept of "French civilization" in both its mythical and
real aspects. Gives the student considerable knowledge about the
economic and social features of contemporary France. Uses the
comparative approach between French and American culture.
La Belle Époque: Modes of Artistic Expression and Life
V45.0166 When conducted in English, this course is
numbered V45.0866. When offered in English, it is also open to
French majors who read the works in the original and do their
written work in French. 4 points.
For description, see La Belle Époque: Modes of Artistic Expression and Life, V45.0866, below.
Literature and Civilization Courses Conducted in French with Special
Prerequisites
The following courses, conducted in French, are open to students
who have successfully completed V45.0115 or V45.0163, who are
assigned by placement test, or who have the approval of the department.
Versailles: Life as Art in the Age of Grandeur
V45.0150 When conducted in English, this course is
numbered V45.0850. When offered in English, it is also open to
French majors who read the works in the original and do their
written work in French. 4 points.
Fabulous Versailles, the synthesis of baroque and classical aesthetics
and the cult of kingship, introduces study of major aspects of
17th- and 18th-century culture and French influence on European
civilization. Views the intellectual, artistic, and social complexities
of the period through the works of contemporary philosophers,
dramatists, artists, memorialists and historians from Descartes
to Voltaire. Films, field trips, and multimedia presentations
of music and art.
Medieval Literature
V45.0211 4 points.
Modes of medieval imagination and expression in themes of heroism;
the mystique of love; the concept of adventures and quests; the
use of history, heroism, subjectivity, and folklore; and changing
religious and social beliefs are studied in lyric poetry, courtly
and popular narratives, epics, and the theatre from the 12th to
the 15th century.
Literature of the French Renaissance
V45.0311 4 points.
Emphasizes French humanism. Covers Rabelais's Gargantua and Pantagruel,
which combines medieval and humanistic elements, with regard to
the author's ideas on education, freedom, and religion. The theories
of the Pléiade in works of Ronsard and du Bellay. Montaigne's
essays (a novel conception of the individual and inner life) show
that humanism, started as a scholarly method, has led to a new
vision of man and his dignity.
Classicism
V45.0462 4 points.
Studies French classical literature as one of the summits of the struggle of human beings
to understand themselves and their place in the universe.
Authors studied include Descartes, Pascal, Madame de Sévigné, Madame
de Lafayette, La Fontaine, Molière, Corneille, Racine, La Bruyère,
and La Rochefoucauld.
The 18th-Century French Novel
V45.0532 4 points.
The novel comes into its own during the 18th century. It fought
for recognition as a "worthy genre." The development of the novel
as an aesthetic form and the social and moral preoccupations it
reveals are studied in a variety of authors such as Marivaux,
Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, Laclos, and Sade.
French Thought from Montaigne to Sartre
V45.0562 4 points.
Deals with the various currents of ideas and the transformations
in values, taste, and feeling that constitute the Enlightenment in France.
Particular attention to the personality, writings,
and influence of the following authors: Montaigne, Descartes,
Montesquieu, Voltaire, Diderot, Rousseau, and Sartre. Significant
works by these thinkers and others are closely read and interpreted.
The Romantic Sensibility in France
V45.0611 4 points.
Self-consciousness in the romantic revolution. Study of the experimental
nature of poetry, novel, and theatre as expressions of the period's
obsessive introspection, its celebration of nature, and its sense
of history. Also considers romanticism in painting and music.
Chateaubriand, Constant, Lamartine, Vigny, Musset, Hugo, and Nerval.
Symbolism and Decadence
V45.0612 4 points.
As is now clear, symbolism was both a major period of French poetry
and a turning point for modern literature, as evidenced in the
theoretical works of Mallarmé and Valéry. Studies works by Baudelaire,
Mallarmé, Verlaine, and Rimbaud as examples of the development
of symbolic perception in art. Also examines decadence, the fin
de siècle, and the Belle Époque.
19th-Century French Novel and Society
V45.0632 4 points.
Study of Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, and Zola as a means of identifying
the individual's changing relationship to his environment and
the social, political, and intellectual contexts of his or her epoch.
Problems of 19th-century novel, narrative structure, point of
view, invention, and observation.
Contemporary French Theatre
V45.0721 When conducted in English, this course is
numbered V45.0821 and is identical to V30.0270. 4 points.
French theatre at the end of the 19th century and the major innovations
of the great directors in the early 20th century. Jarry's Ubu
Roi as a rupture with the past. Cocteau as a major innovator in
technique and in treatment of themes from Greek mythology. The
theatre of imagination: Giraudoux and Anouilh. The survival of
classicism: Montherlant. The theatre of ideas along the existentialist
lines of Camus, Sartre, and Anouilh. The theatre of the absurd
presenting a new vision of man in the world: Ionesco and Beckett.
Plays are analyzed with respect to structure, technique, themes,
and language.
Literature and the Arts in the Age of Surrealism
V45.0722 4 points.
The historical framework of this course is the period between
the two World Wars, a time in which the spirit of surrealism dominated
the intellectual and artistic aspects of French culture. Studies
the "surrealist revolution" through both detailed analyses of
texts by Breton, Aragon, Eluard, and Desnos and of painting and cinema. Explores the relation between theory
and practice in literature and the arts.
Contemporary French Novel
V45.0731 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0831.
4 points.
The major French novelists of the 20th century have moved the
novel away from the traditional 19th-century concept. Proust and
Gide developed a first-person-singular narrative in which the
reader is participant. Breton uses the novel for a surrealist
exploration. With Céline and Malraux, the novel of violent action
becomes a mirror of man's situation in a chaotic time and leads
to the work of Sartre and Camus, encompassing the existentialist
viewpoint. Covers Beckett's sparse, complex narratives and Robbe-Grillet's
"new" novels. Novels are studied with respect to structure, technique,
themes, language, and significant passages.
French Poetry from Baudelaire to the Present
V45.0741 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0841. 4 points.
Major trends in French poetry from the late 19th century to the
present. Beginning with the precursors of contemporary poetry
in France and other countries-Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Mallarmé, and
Laforgue-innovation is studied in the 20th-century writers: Apollinaire
and the New Spirit; the surrealist poets, including Aragon and
Breton; Saint-John Perse; Michaux and exorcism through the word;
Ponge and the world of things; and the postwar poets. Includes
textual analysis, poetic theory, and relationships of the works
to their literary environment.
New Novel and New Theatre
V45.0763 4 points.
Reaction in the post-World War II novel against traditional 19th-century
novels. The novelist no longer controls his characters but limits
himself to what can be seen. Emphasis on the world of objects
and the difficulty of literary creation. The novels of Robbe-Grillet,
Butor, Sarraute, Duras, Simon, and Pinget. On stage, the theatre
of the absurd, antirealistic, with startling techniques, downgrading
of language, and a stress on action; the theme of lack of communication
in the world. The theories of Artaud and the plays of Ionesco,
Beckett, Genet, Adamov, Vian, and others.
Existentialism and the Absurd
V45.0767 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0867.
4 points.
Main expressions of existential thought in Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone
de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus. Attention to the French existentialists'
concern for commitment in political and social affairs of the
times. Examines absurdist literature since the 1950s in the "theatre
of the absurd," in fiction, and in critical work of other contemporary
French writers. Covers Ionesco, Beckett, Genet, Robbe-Grillet,
and Barthes; precursors of the absurd such as Kafka and Céline;
and practitioners of the absurd outside of France (e.g., Pinter,
Albee, Barthelme).
Proust
V45.0771 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0871.
When this course is offered in English, it is also open to French
majors who read the work in the original and do their written
work in French. 4 points.
Reading of Remembrance of Things Past. Major topics include the
novel as confession, the unconscious and creation, perception
and language, sexuality, decadence, the artistic climate in Europe
and France from the end of the 19th century through World War
I, and the hero as artist.
Beckett
V45.0774 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0874. 4 points.
Study of Samuel Beckett's diverse work and the unifying element
of the human condition as two complementary components-the impossibility
of existence and the need to voice that impossibility. Works include
Molloy, The Unnamable, Waiting for Godot, Endgame, Cascando, Not
I, How It Is, Krapp's Last Tape, and First Love.
Theatre in the French Tradition
V45.0929 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0829.
When offered in English, it is also open to French majors who
read the works in the original and do their written work in French.
4 points.
Study of the theatrical genre in France including the golden age
playwrights (Corneille, Racine, Molière), 18th-century irony and
sentiment; and the 19th-century theatrical revolution. Topics
include theories of comedy and tragedy; development of stagecraft;
romanticism and realism; and the theatre as a public genre, its
relationship to taste and fashion, and its sociopolitical function.
The Image of Human Experience in the French Novel
V45.0932 When conducted in English, this course is
numbered V45.0832. When offered in English, it is also open to
French majors who read the works in the original and do their
written work in French. 4 points.
Man's attempt to come to terms with himself and his universe has
been the central impetus of all great literature. Covers the changing
image of man through the centuries in the works of French writers
of international repute: Voltaire in his philosophical tales;
Diderot as a precursor of the modern novel; Stendhal in The Red
and the Black; Flaubert in Madame Bovary; and Proust, Camus, and
Beckett, all of whom have attempted to define man in relation
to the major problems of his existence.
Women Writers in France
V45.0935 Identical to V97.0935. When conducted in
English, this course is numbered V45.0835. When offered in English,
it is also open to French majors who read the works in the original
and do their written work in French. 4 points.
The rich and diverse literary works by women express their individuality
and their important social and cultural role in France from the
12th century to the present. The course studies both the changing
socio-historical context of these writers and the common problems
and themes that constitute a female tradition. Writers include
Marie de France, Christine de Pisan, Marguerite de Navarre, Mme.
de Sévigné, Germaine de Staël, George Sand, Colette, Simone de
Beauvoir, and Marguerite Duras.
Modern Criticism and Theory of Literature
V45.0863 Prerequisite: two advanced literature courses. 4 points.
Introduction to contemporary methods of criticism and an approach
to problems in the theory of literature. Readings of a few primary
authors such as Racine, Proust, Baudelaire, and Flaubert who have
recently been the object of major critical reevaluation, along
with the works of such pertinent critics as Mauron, Jakobson,
Sartre, and Barthes. Emphasis is on a clear understanding of the
critical methods and their theoretical implications.
Topics in French Culture
V45.0965 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0865. 4 points. Courses on subjects of special interest by either a regular or
visiting faculty member. For specific courses, please consult
the class schedule. Recent topics include Paris in history, art
and literature; advanced La Belle Époque; Paris and the birth of
modernism.
Topics in French Literature
V45.0968 When conducted in English, this course is numbered V45.0868. 4 points.
Courses on subjects of special interest by either a regular or
visiting faculty member. For specific courses, please consult the
class schedule. Recent topics include French 17th-century masterpieces
and the theatre of the absurd.
Internship in French
V45.0980, 0981 Prerequisite: permission of the department. 2
or 4 points per term.
Offers upper-level students the opportunity to apply their studies
to the "outside world." Working closely with a sponsor and a faculty
adviser, students pursue internships in such diverse areas as
international trade, banking, publishing, and law. Interested
students should apply to the department early in the semester
before they wish to begin their internship.
Senior Seminar
V45.0991, 0992 Prerequisite: open to majors in French studies,
or with special permission of the department. 4 points per term.
Independent Study
V45.0997, 0998 Prerequisite: permission of the department. 2 or
4 points per term.
Courses Conducted in English
The following courses, numbered in the V45.0800s, are conducted
in English and may be counted toward the minor in French literature
in translation and the minor in literature in translation, both
of which are described under Literature in Translation. No knowledge
of French is required.
Contemporary French Theatre
V45.0821 Identical to V30.0270. When conducted in
French, this course is numbered V45.0721. Does not count toward
the major in French if taken in English. 4 points.
For description, see Contemporary French Theatre, V45.0721, above.
Metaphors of Modern Theatre
V45.0822 Identical to V30.0267. 2 points.
A close reading of the classics of contemporary theatre, with
emphasis on their use of vivid metaphors of the human condition
and the theatre as metaphor and artistic process. Analyzes plays
in detail, thematically and stylistically. Views each play as
a highlight of nonrealistic theatre and as a brilliant example
of the sensibilities of European artists and thinkers in the period
beginning just after World War I (Pirandello) to World War II
(Sartre) and the postwar period, the post-Hiroshima generation
(Beckett).
Theatre in the French Tradition
V45.0829 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0929.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
Exceptionally, with the permission of the director of undergraduate
studies, this course is open to French majors who read the works
in the original and do their written work in French. 4 points.
For description, see Theatre in the French Tradition, V45.0929, above.
Contemporary French Novel
V45.0831 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0731.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
4 points.
For description, see Contemporary French Novel, V45.0731, above.
The Image of Human Experience in the French Novel
V45.0832 When conducted in French, this course is
numbered V45.0932. Does not count toward the major in French if
taken in English. Exceptionally, with the permission of the director
of undergraduate studies, this course is open to French majors
who read the works in the original and do their written work in
French. 4 points.
For description, see The Image of Human Experience in the French Novel, V45.0932, above.
Women Writers in France
V45.0835 Identical to V97.0935. When conducted in
French, this course is numbered V45.0935. Does not count toward
the major in French if taken in English. Exceptionally, with the
permission of the director of undergraduate studies, this course
is open to French majors who read the works in the original and
do their written work in French. 4 points.
For description, see Women Writers in France, V45.0935, above.
French Poetry from Baudelaire to the Present
V45.0841 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0741.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
4 points.
For description, see French Poetry from Baudelaire to the Present, V45.0741, above.
Versailles: Life as Art in the Age of Grandeur
V45.0850 When conducted in French, this course is
numbered V45.0150. Does not count toward the major in French if
taken in English. Exceptionally, with the permission of the director
of undergraduate studies, this course is open to French majors
who read the works in the original and do their written work in
French. No knowledge of French is required for students who are
not majoring in French. 4 points.
For description, see Versailles: Life as Art in the Age of Grandeur, V45.0150, above.
Contemporary France
V45.0864 When conducted in French, this course is
numbered V45.0164. Does not count toward the major in French if
taken in English. Exceptionally, with the permission of the director
of undergraduate studies, this course is open to French majors
who read the works in the original and do their written work in
French. No knowledge of French is required for students who are not majoring in French. 4 points.
For description, see Contemporary France, V45.0164, above.
Topics in French Culture
V45.0865 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0965. 4 points.
The department offers occasional courses on subjects of special
interest to either a regular or visiting faculty member. For specific
courses, please consult the master course list.
La Belle Époque: Modes of Artistic Expression and Life
V45.0866 When conducted in French, this course is
numbered V45.0166. Does not count toward the major in French if
taken in English. Exceptionally, with the permission of the director
of undergraduate studies, this course is open to French majors
who read the works in the original and do their written work in
French. No knowledge of French is required for students who are
not majoring in French. 4 points.
Focuses on the dazzling cultural life of turn-of-the-century Paris.
Explores the ascent of symbolism, postimpressionism, art nouveau,
cubism, futurism, and other creative concepts. Views the social,
intellectual, and artistic aspects of the period through the works
of contemporary writers, dramatists, and artists such as Zola,
Huysmans, Maupassant, Proust, Colette, Apollinaire, Toulouse-Lautrec,
Cézanne, Picasso, Debussy, Diaghilev, Sarah Bernhardt, and Gertrude
Stein. Extensive use of audio and video material.
Existentialism and the Absurd
V45.0867 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0767.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
4 points.
For description, see Existentialism and the Absurd, V45.0767, above.
Topics in French Literature
V45.0868 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0968. 4 points.
The department offers occasional courses on subjects of special
interest to either a regular or visiting faculty member. For specific
courses, please consult the master course list.
Proust
V45.0871 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0771.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
Exceptionally, with the permission of the director of undergraduate
studies, this course is open to French majors who read the works
in the original and do their written work in French. No knowledge
of French is required for students who are not majoring in French.
4 points.
For description, see Proust, V45.0771, above.
Beckett
V45.0874 When conducted in French, this course is numbered V45.0774.
Does not count toward the major in French if taken in English.
4 points.
For description, see Beckett, V45.0774, above.
From Modernism to Existentialism: French Literature and Cinema
V45.0882 Does not count toward the major in French if taken in
English. Exceptionally, with the permission of the director of
undergraduate studies, this course is open to French majors who
read the works in the original and do their written work in French.
No knowledge of French is required for students who are not majoring
in French. 4 points.
Study of various movements in literature and the visual arts,
from antinaturalism; cubism; and surrealism (Gide, Apollinaire,
Breton, Cocteau, and Buñuel) to existentialism (Sartre, Camus,
Renoir, Vigo, Carné, and Bresson). Course examines how these writers
and filmmakers manifest their dissatisfaction with the status
of what they consider to be conventional modes of artistic expression.
Interdisciplinary Courses
The Department of French sponsors the following interdisciplinary
courses and, in some cases, cosponsors them with other departments.
No knowledge of French is required. Courses may be counted toward
the minor in French literature in translation or the minor in
literature in translation but not toward the major in French.
The Age of Romanticism
V45.0501 Identical to V29.0501. 4 points.
Designed to examine a specific period of European culture and history
in several distinct national traditions, through a variety of methodologies.
The focus is both broad and specific. The uniqueness of separate romantic manifestations
(prose, poetry, theatre, music, and the plastic arts) as well as
the relationships between them constitute the core of inquiry.
French Cinema-French Culture
V45.0881 Identical to V30.0502. Does not count toward the major
in French if taken in English. Exceptionally, with the permission
of the director of undergraduate studies, this course is open
to French majors who read the works in the original and do their
written work in French. No knowledge of French is required for
students who are not majoring in French. 4 points.
Study of classic French films, their contribution to French culture,
and their relationship to France's international role in the arts.
Discusses and analyzes films in the context of sociopolitical
events and places the films in cultural perspective.
Cinema and Literature
V45.0883 Identical to V30.0504. Offered by the Department of French.
Conducted in English. Does not count toward the major in French but does count
toward the minor in French literature in translation or
the minor in literature in translation. 4 points.
Exposes the student to various modes, such as expressionism, social realism, and the projection of the hero.
One film is viewed per week and analyzed with reading assignments that include novels, plays, and poems.
The objective is to exploit the potentiality of different media and
to make vivid and intellectual the climate of Europe on which these media so often focus.
Graduate Courses Open to Undergraduates
Courses in the Graduate School of Arts and Science are open to
seniors with a 3.0 average in three 4-point courses (12 points)
of advanced work in French. If these courses are offered toward
the requirements for the baccalaureate degree, no advanced credit
is allowed for them in the graduate school. Before registering
for these courses, students must obtain the permission of the
director of undergraduate studies. A complete list of graduate
courses open to qualified seniors is available in the department
each semester.