FREN 5520/8520 – Topics in 16th Century Lit: 1515 – 2015: Marguerite de Navarre and the Beginnings of the Renaissance

In 1515, François Ier became king of France, bringing his close relatives, including his sister Marguerite, to the center of power. The date has become synonymous with the beginning of the French Renaissance – a term, however, coined only later in the 19th century. The 500th anniversary of this event, for which widespread celebrations have been prepared, invites us to reconsider what was at stake, intellectually and culturally, in the first half of the sixteenth century, both from the perspective of those involved and from ours. The seminar will focus on the figure of Marguerite de Navarre, who in the years before her death in 1549 – the year in which Du Bellay also published his manifesto text La Deffence et illustration de la langue françoise – worked on her great novella collection the Heptaméron. At the same time, she also revised and (re)published many of her earliest works, including the Miroir de l’âme pécheresse (1531), collected in the 1547 Marguerites de la Marguerite des Princesses. Among other topics, we will examine Marguerite’s use of the framed narrative, both in poetry and in prose; her engagement with humanism and with ancient and Italian models, including neo-Platonism; her involvement with religious reform movements, notably Evangelicalism; her contribution to the ongoing Querelle des femmes; and her relationships with and patronage of other writers and thinkers in her circle such as Marot and Rabelais.

FREN 5540/8540: Topics in 18th-Century Literature: The Human Body in the Eighteenth Century

This course will examine how thinkers of eighteenth-century France conceived of the human body and how these concepts informed the literature of the era. These thinkers dealt with questions such as: what is the connection between the soul and the body? How can we explain differences between various races and nationalities? Does science justify gender roles, in particular Rousseau's new ideas about motherhood? Could too much or too little sexual activity kill you? What was the physiological basis for emotion? How do we explain exceptional cases like albinos or so-called monstrous births? And to what extent did society control the individual's body? These questions will be part of a series of bodily issues that we will discuss during the semester.

Primary texts will include articles from the Encyclopédie, chapters of Rousseau's Emile, works by Buffon, Diderot, Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, and a number of eighteenth-century scientists. We will also consider scientific treatises from Antiquity that influenced medical thought about national differences and gender roles. In addition to these primary texts, we will also look at scholarly research about the body in the eighteenth century, such as works by Anne Vila, Michel Foucault, and Philippe Ariès.

FREN 5584/8584 Cinéma, histoire, mémoire

Some scholars argue that film, an essentially twentieth-century medium, has shaped the mental universe of the century. Throughout the century, cinema has maintained a complex and evolving relationship to historical events and circumstances. Film has played a role both in recording and shaping history, as well as in shaping collective and individual memory of past events. In this course, we will explore the interconnections among history, memory, and cinema with regards to two periods from the French past that have ongoing historical and memorial legacies in contemporary France: the colonial period and the Second World War. We will address questions such as whether films are products of a particular socio-historical context, how they have shaped and reflected historical events, and how they have actively intervened in debates over the writing of history and memory. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the specificities of film form and language in negotiating these relationships.

We will examine a range of documentaries and fiction films from French and Francophone filmmakers from the late 1930s to the present, including three films from the M.A. reading list. We will also read widely in French history, film history, and film theory. Students will be expected to acquire a working knowledge of film vocabulary in French, to write a publishable film analysis paper in French or English, and to complete a digital video project in French.

FRTR 2584--French Cinema

The French have been pioneers in film, from the early shorts of the Lumière brothers and Méliès, through the early classics of the 1930s, and during the New Wave and beyond.  French directors and critics have transformed movie-making beyond the boundaries of France, giving us a way of looking at such American phenomena as “Film Noir.” This course is an introduction to masterpieces of French cinema, including works by Jean Cocteau, Jean-Luc Godard, Chris Marker, Jacques Tati, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda and others. Students will study film genres and movements (Poetic Realism, the New Wave) in relation to social, cultural and aesthetic trends. They will also learn to identify and analyze film techniques (camera angle, camera movement, montage, and more). FRTR can be taken to meet the second writing requirement (by individual request) and it counts towards the Humanities area requirement. FRTR 2584 does not count toward the French major or minor. Lectures and discussion in English.  For questions, contact John Lyons (jdlf2@virginia.edu).

MW 2:00 – 3:15 (Lyons)

FREN 3030 – Phonetics: The Sounds of French

FREN 3030 is an introductory course in French phonetics, intended to present basic concepts in phonetic theory and teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. It includes an examination of the physical characteristics of individual French sounds; the relationship between these sounds and their written representation (spelling); the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French"; the most salient phonological features of selected French varieties; phonetic differences between French and English sounds; and much more. Practical exercises in 'ear-training' and 'phonetic transcription' (using IPA) are also essential elements in this dynamic course.

Taught in French. Counts for major/minor credit in French and in Linguistics.

TR 11:00  AM - 12:15 PM (Saunders)
TR 12:30 PM– 1:45 PM (Saunders)

FREN 3031 - Intensive Grammar and Composition

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2020 or 2320; exemption from FREN 2020 by the UVA (F-Cape) Placement Test; a score of 3 on the AP French Language Exam; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT exam. FREN 3031 is a prerequisite for all subsequent French courses except FREN 3010.

This course offers an introduction to narrative writing in French. Emphasis is placed on writing, revision, and an intensive review of grammar rules as they apply to oral and written communication. The variety of assessment formats includes compositions, presentations, short quizzes, dictations, and a mid-term and/or final exam. Preparation and active participation are essential to improve reading, writing, and speaking skills. The course is conducted in French.

FREN 3032 - The Writing and Reading of Texts

Prerequisite: French 3031. This course is a prerequisite for all French undergraduate courses on a higher level.

This course will prepare students for upper-level French courses by introducing them to the skills necessary to analyze literature and to express ideas in written and oral form. Specifically, students will read literary texts from a variety of periods; they will learn to identify the elements that authors use to construct these texts; and they will learn the technical terms used to discuss poetry, prose, and theater. Grading will largely depend on the student's development of an analytical perspective on literature and on the student's ability to compose well-structured papers in correct French. The minimum writing requirement is a total of 10-15 pages for the semester, with at least one paper assignment of 5 pages. In addition, students will be expected to participate actively in order to advance their speaking skills in French. All discussion, readings, and assignments will be in French.

FREN 3034-001 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an intensive course designed to improve the oral and written language skills of more advanced students. Assignments include discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations, and compositions. All materials are French- or Francophone-related. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, so students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential.

In this class, students will learn the basics of physical and oral expression in French with an emphasis on theatre performance. The techniques emphasized apply to public speaking, stage performance and daily interactions. Different theatre approaches will be taught, ranging from role-playing to work on real life situations to an in-class performance of a Molière comedy.  

FREN 3034-002 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an intensive course designed to improve the oral and written language skills of more advanced students. Assignments include discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations, and compositions. All materials are French- or Francophone-related. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, so students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential.

In this course, students will learn about the major industries of, the organizational structures of, and the primary positions within French and francophone businesses.  They will gain experience in business research, will hone their oral and written French for use in a business-setting, will give group and individual oral presentations, will craft CV’s and cover letters in French, will have practice job interviews, and will learn the practical aspects of living and working in France.  Students will also take a practice DFP (Diplôme de français professionnel) exam in Business French, a certification accepted by numerous universities and corporations, in order to prepare them to take the official exam if they so choose.

FREN 3041 The French-Speaking World I:  Origins

Prerequisites: FREN 3031 and 3032 or equivalents.
Knights rescuing damsels in distress.  Damsels rescuing knights in distress.  Quests for adventure, God, love, truth.  Bawdy ballads and soulful sonnets.  The first five hundred years of French literature provide endless entertainment and often unnerving perspectives on the world and its history.  The authors of this time are responsible for the ideas, stories and literary genres that determine our "modern" assumptions about subjects such as romantic love, common courtesy, gender, literary conventions, virtue and heroism, sport and entertainment, and truth.  Readings are in modern French translation and include the foundational text of modern Frenchness, La Chanson de Roland; the provocative Vie de saint Alexis; Arthurian tales of chivalry by Chrétien de Troyes and Marie de France;  Christine de Pisan's feminist Cité des dames; Michel de Montaigne's essays on cannibals and friendship; and a selection of lyric poetry from each century. 

FREN 3043 - The French-Speaking World III:  Modernities

Rather than focus on any single theme, movement, motif, or overarching problem, this seminar will examine a few of the most admired and influential novels--Great Books all!--in the history of modern French literature: from Honoré de Balzac’s tale of a young law student driven to make it in the big city (Le Père Goriot, 1835) and Gustave Flaubert’s portrait of the original desperate housewife (Madame Bovary, 1856), to Albert Camus' atmospheric L'Etranger (1942), Alain Robbe-Grillet’s scandalously puzzling La Jalousie (1957), and Georges Perec's critique of consumer society in the 1960s (Les Choses, 1965).  Each of these works will be considered within their larger cultural and historical contexts. We will round out the semester with one or two works by contemporary novelists who prove that French fiction is, indeed, thriving today.

Required work to include: active participation in class discussions, weekly Collab discussion board posts, an oral presentation, 2 longer papers (4-5 pages), and a final exam. Course conducted in French.

FREN 3051 - History &  Civilization of France;  Rev – 1945: Histoire et civilisation de la France contemporaine

Beginning with a study of the French Revolution, this course focuses on the cultural and historical influences that have shaped Modern France. We will explore the relationship between culture and political power, the changing role of government, and how ordinary men and women experienced social change. Readings will be drawn from primary documents, memoirs and secondary historical texts. Visual elements will be incorporated in this course as well as selected films.

Readings in this course will be done in both French and English. All lectures, discussions and writing will be done exclusively in French

Prerequisite: FREN 3032

FREN: 3585 - Topics in Cultural Studies:  L’immigration en France

L’immigration en France est sujet de nature interdisciplinaire. Il questionne l’histoire et la géographie  de la France et donc l’histoire des populations européennes, africaines et asiatiques à travers la proximité géographique ou l’histoire coloniale.

L’immigration en France suscite bien des débats sur les questions politiques, économiques, sociales et humanitaires que nous aborderons à travers une littérature variée : romans, articles académiques et revues de presse mais également   à travers des films et documentaires audio-visuels . 

(Taught in French)

                  
FREN 4031 – Grammaire et Style

Prerequisites: B+ average in FREN 3031, 3032, and or instructor permission.

Survey of the main tools and techniques of translation. Written and oral translation exercises to and from the target language. Text selections will vary.

Taught in French.

FREN 4540 Advanced Topics in Eighteenth-Century Literature Topic:  Humor/Society/Power in Classical France

In this course, we will study some of the "greatest hits" of classical French literature, including comic plays by Molière and Marivaux, funny stories and poems by Voltaire, and social satires by Boileau and La Fontaine. These works will be contextualized within the social norms and the literary conventions of their time, especially vis-à-vis the models of Ancient Greek and Roman comic literature.

Reading these works will lead us to discuss issues such as: What is irony? Can something be funny in translation? How did the French define vulgarity? Can satire fix society? What is the relationship between comedy and censorship? Can women be funny? When does humor cross the line to cruelty?  Is comedy a weapon used by the powerless against the powerful, or vice versa?

Class requirements will involve active class participation, one 15-page paper that compares/contrasts a classical French comic text with a work of contemporary humor (of any culture), and an oral presentation on the topic of this paper.

FREN 4585-001 Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies(3 different sections/topics)

(Roger)Topic: America in French Literature

While France and America historically stood as allies from the very birth of the United States, anti-Americanism also has a long tradition in France, shaped and nurtured by generations of intellectuals and writers. As early as the 18th century, prominent French philosophers and scientists such as Buffon dwelled upon America’s «weaknesses» as a continent, prompting Thomas Jefferson’s counter-attack in his Notes on the State of Virginia. In the course of the 19th century, anti-Americanism moved to new topics, ranging from the lack of cultural life to economic greed and military imperialism.

From Baudelaire, who coined the French word “américanisation” in the 1850s to Jean Baudrillard, who in 1986 described America as a non-entity, French poets, novelists and writers played a decisive part in the elaboration and diffusion of anti-American stereotypes.

The seminar will explore this tradition, which accounts for a great number of French attitudes towards the US today.

The first four weeks will be devoted to a presentation of the most salient features of French anti-Americanism, in connection with specific historical periods (from the 18th to the 21st century): «L’Amérique invivable»,  «L’Amérique inculte», «L’Amérique impériale» et «L’Amérique introuvable».

The second half of the seminar will be organized thematically, each week being devoted to a selected, significant topic :  «La ville», «La violence», «La voracité», «Le vice et la vertu».

Readings will include an array of sources, ranging from natural history and philosophy to poetry and from short story to political pamphlet. We will discuss pages or chapters in Buffon, De Pauw, Jefferson, Baudelaire, Georges Duhamel, Céline, Sartre, Marcel Aymé, Jean Baudrillard,. We will also have a look at representations of the US in film (Le Mépris by Jean-Luc Godard and French popular culture : serialized fiction (La Conspiration des milliardaires), comic books (Tintin en Amérique), cartoons (Plantu). 

Assignments :

• students will be expected to participate in discussions on the readings.
• 2 short reactions papers  
• 1 mid-term exam
• 1 final paper (about 10 pages) on a topic chosen by the student in agreement with the instructor  will be due at the end of the semester.

Lectures and assignments in French. However, you should feel free to use English in discussions when necessary.

Please note the particular timetable of this class (which end at the beginning of November) and the unusual 2hour format of the sessions.

Taught in French

FREN 4585-002 Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies (3 different sections/topics)

 (Levine)Topic: Contemporary France in Film and Media Arts 

FREN 4585 will examine how contemporary debates about French history, language, education, politics, institutions, attitudes, and social issues are represented in film and other time-based art forms. Course materials include films and web-based media projects, accompanied by readings from the French press and other published sources. The course strongly emphasizes oral participation and discussion, and in addition to reading, writing, and film/media viewing, students will be expected to contribute to the discussion forums and other social media activities connected to the films and digital media works investigated in the course. They will also create a linear or non-linear digital audiovisual project relating to the themes of the course. No prior technical or visual skills are required, but a high level of willingness to engage with the creation and analysis of digital texts and images, as well as excellent oral and written skills in French, is preferred. They should also be open to working in teams. For questions, contact the instructor alevine@virginia.edu.

Prerequisite: FREN 3032 and 3584 or instructor permission.

FREN 4585-003 Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies (3 different sections/topics)

(Ferguson)Topic: Sex, Gender, and Beyond in Renaissance France

The term “Renaissance man,” exemplified by figures like Leonardo de Vinci or Michelangelo, expresses a certain ideal of the educated and multi-talented individual. But in 16th-century Europe, and in France in particular, what did it mean to be a man? And what did it mean to be a woman? In this period, poised between the Middle Ages and modernity, paradoxically inspired by the Ancient world and encountering the “New World” of the Americas, what concepts did people have of the self, of sex, and of gender and how were these experienced in daily life? Studying a variety of texts focusing on examples of exclusion, marginality, and transgression – same-sex eroticism, cross-dressing, sex change, etc. – we will explore the constraints and possibilities of a sexual culture that also intersected with religious dissidence and racial difference, a culture that requires us to reflect on our own assumptions and contemporary society’s norms.

FREN 4743 – Africa in Cinema

FREN 5520/8520 – Topics in 16th Century Lit: 1515 – 2015: Marguerite de Navarre and the Beginnings of the Renaissance

In 1515, François Ier became king of France, bringing his close relatives, including his sister Marguerite, to the center of power. The date has become synonymous with the beginning of the French Renaissance – a term, however, coined only later in the 19th century. The 500th anniversary of this event, for which widespread celebrations have been prepared, invites us to reconsider what was at stake, intellectually and culturally, in the first half of the sixteenth century, both from the perspective of those involved and from ours. The seminar will focus on the figure of Marguerite de Navarre, who in the years before her death in 1549 – the year in which Du Bellay also published his manifesto text La Deffence et illustration de la langue françoise – worked on her great novella collection the Heptaméron. At the same time, she also revised and (re)published many of her earliest works, including the Miroir de l’âme pécheresse (1531), collected in the 1547 Marguerites de la Marguerite des Princesses. Among other topics, we will examine Marguerite’s use of the framed narrative, both in poetry and in prose; her engagement with humanism and with ancient and Italian models, including neo-Platonism; her involvement with religious reform movements, notably Evangelicalism; her contribution to the ongoing Querelle des femmes; and her relationships with and patronage of other writers and thinkers in her circle such as Marot and Rabelais.

W 3:30 – 6:00 (Ferguson)

FREN 5540/8540: Topics in 18th-Century Literature: The Human Body in the Eighteenth Century

This course will examine how thinkers of eighteenth-century France conceived of the human body and how these concepts informed the literature of the era. These thinkers dealt with questions such as: what is the connection between the soul and the body? How can we explain differences between various races and nationalities? Does science justify gender roles, in particular Rousseau's new ideas about motherhood? Could too much or too little sexual activity kill you? What was the physiological basis for emotion? How do we explain exceptional cases like albinos or so-called monstrous births? And to what extent did society control the individual's body? These questions will be part of a series of bodily issues that we will discuss during the semester.

Primary texts will include articles from the Encyclopédie, chapters of Rousseau's Emile, works by Buffon, Diderot, Voltaire, Thomas Jefferson, and a number of eighteenth-century scientists. We will also consider scientific treatises from Antiquity that influenced medical thought about national differences and gender roles. In addition to these primary texts, we will also look at scholarly research about the body in the eighteenth century, such as works by Anne Vila, Michel Foucault, and Philippe Ariès.

• Climate and humors: Galien/Hippocrate Barclay?, Dubos, Montesquieu, Buffon

• Races: Buffon, (Curran), Jefferson, but also something from Amis des Noirs

• Gender: (Laqueur), Aristote, Juan Huarte

• Sexual activity: Encyclopedia articles on dissipation, (Wenger), Nouvelle-Héloïse/Emile? Thérèse philosophe on determinism?

• Nerves (Vila?), energy (Delon, Treatise on Gens de lettres), digestion/hunger (Steven Kaplan?), death: Ariès? child rearing? ("Homme" in Encyclopédie, Ariès, Emile)

• Monstrosity: (Joan Landes), (Huet)

• Satire of French doctors (Molière, Zadig, Jacques le Fataliste), while foreign remedies are better (Voltaire/Montagu on Turkish smallpox vaccine, LPDP on Natchez cures, Jesuits in China), hygiène (Franklin, Vigarello, Foucault?)

• Materialist solution to mind/body problem: everything is body

T 3 :30 – 6 :00 (Tsien)

FREN 5584/8584 Cinéma, histoire, mémoire

Some scholars argue that film, an essentially twentieth-century medium, has shaped the mental universe of the century. Throughout the century, cinema has maintained a complex and evolving relationship to historical events and circumstances. Film has played a role both in recording and shaping history, as well as in shaping collective and individual memory of past events. In this course, we will explore the interconnections among history, memory, and cinema with regards to two periods from the French past that have ongoing historical and memorial legacies in contemporary France: the colonial period and the Second World War. We will address questions such as whether films are products of a particular socio-historical context, how they have shaped and reflected historical events, and how they have actively intervened in debates over the writing of history and memory. Throughout the course, we will pay particular attention to the specificities of film form and language in negotiating these relationships.

We will examine a range of documentaries and fiction films from French and Francophone filmmakers from the late 1930s to the present, including three films from the M.A. reading list. We will also read widely in French history, film history, and film theory. Students will be expected to acquire a working knowledge of film vocabulary in French, to write a publishable film analysis paper in French or English, and to complete a digital video project in French.

TR 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Levine)

FRTR 2552 – French Culture: African Cinema

This course is a survey of African cinema since the 1950s. First the course will examine the representation of Africa and the Africans in colonial films as well as the policies and practices of colonial nations regarding cinema and filmmaking in Africa. Second, the course will study the birth and evolution of celluloid filmmaking by Francophone Africans in the postcolonial era, the aesthetic forms and economic basis of filmmaking as well as the salient ideological and thematic structures of this cinema. Third, the course will examine the origins and development of Nollywood into the first “film industry” in Africa in the last twenty years.

TTR 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm (Dramé)

FREN 3010 Oral & Written Expression in French –

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2320 or equivalent.

Permission of instructor for those having completed only FREN 2020. Students having completed French 3032 may not take this course.

An intensive course designed to give students a better command of present-day spoken and written French. Class discussion of news articles on current events (French and international), including but not limited to politics, economics, education, language, and entertainment, and including some articles which class members choose.Mastery of advanced vocabulary, weekly graded written or oral assignments including one guided short exposé, several one-two page papers, oral and written quizzes, and a final exam. Consistent attendance and ACTIVE participation constitute 30% of the semester grade.

This course is designed for students who have not had an extended stay in a French-speaking country. Students who have participated in semester study-abroad programs must confirm placement and transfer credit with the instructor to avoid duplication. Students who have studied in a French speaking country for a year should enroll in FREN 3034 or above. This course does not count toward the major or minor.

MWF 2:00 – 2:50 (Stuart)

FREN 3030 – Phonetics: The Sounds of French

FREN 3030 is an introductory course in French phonetics, intended to present basic concepts in articulatory phonetics and phonology, and teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. It includes an examination of the physical characteristics of individual French sounds; the relationship between these sounds and their written representation (spelling); the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French"; phonetic differences between French and English sounds; the most salient phonological features of selected French varieties; and much more. Practical exercises in 'ear-training' and 'phonetic transcription' (using IPA) are also essential elements in this dynamic course.

Taught in French. Counts for major/minor credit in French and in Linguistics.

TTR 2:00 – 3:15 (Saunders)

FREN 3031- Finding Your Voice in French

This course offers an opportunity for students to explore and develop their own “voice” in written and spoken French. Through reading and viewing a variety of cultural artifacts in French, and completing a series of individual and collaborative creative projects, students will have a chance to develop their own potential for self-expression. They will develop greater confidence in their communicative skills, command of grammar, and ability to revise and edit their own work. The course is conducted entirely in French.

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2020 or 2320; exemption from FREN 2020 by the UVA (F-Cape) Placement Test; a score of 3 on the AP French Language Exam; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT exam. FREN 3031 is a prerequisite for all undergraduate French courses at a higher level.

TR 12:30 – 1:45 (Lyons)
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 (Rey)
MWF 2:00 – 2:50 (Polanz)

FREN 3032- Image, Text, Culture

In this course, students will discover and engage critically with a broad sampling of French and Francophone cultural production representing a variety of periods, genres, approaches, and media. Students will learn how to become more sensitive observers of French and Francophone culture, attuned to the nuances of content and form. They will read, watch, write about, and discuss a range of works that may include poetry, painting, prose, music, theater, films, graphic novels, photographs, essays, and historical documents. They will also make significant progress in their oral and written comprehension and communication in French. The course is conducted entirely in French.

Prerequisite: French 3031. FREN 3032 is a prerequisite for all French undergraduate courses on a higher level.

MWF 12:00 – 12:50 (Holm)
TR 9:30 – 10:45 (Ogden)
MW 2:00 – 3:15 (Berard)
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 (Holm)

FREN 3034 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an advanced course designed to improve students’ oral and written communication, with acute attention to rhetoric and style. Students will master a range of communication styles for conversational, creative, professional, and analytical purposes through discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations and compositions. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, using authentic French-language materials as models, so that students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential. This course is not intended for students who are native speakers of French or whose secondary education was in French Schools.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

MWF 1:00 – 1:50 (Patterson)

FREN 3034-002 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French (Special Topic: Business French)

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an intensive course designed to improve the oral and written language skills of more advanced students. Assignments include discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations, and compositions. All materials are French- or Francophone-related. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, so students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential.

In this course, students will learn about the major industries of, the organizational structures of, and the primary positions within French and francophone businesses. They will gain experience in business research, will hone their oral and written French for use in a business-setting, will give group and individual oral presentations, will craft CV’s and cover letters in French, will have practice job interviews, and will learn the practical aspects of living and working in France. Students will also take a practice DFP (Diplôme de français professionnel) exam in Business French, a certification accepted by numerous universities and corporations, in order to prepare them to take the official exam if they so choose.

MWF 12:00 – 12:50 (Ehrlich)

FREN 3042 – French-Speaking World II

During the Classical Era, Louis XIV built Versailles, France colonized Canada and the Caribbean, philosophers dared to challenge the Catholic church, and in the end, the Revolution changed France forever. In view of this tumultuous historical background, this course will provide an overview of the literature of this era, from the canonical works of Corneille, Molière, Voltaire, and Diderot to the lesser-known but significant works that grapple with issues of slavery, gender roles, atheism, and foreignness. We will examine how writers used wit, emotion, and logic to persuade readers to accept their controversial ideas.

Pre-requisite: FREN 3032

MW - 2:00 – 3:15 (Tsien)

FREN 3570 – Topics in Francophone: African Literatures & Cultures

This course will explore aspects of African literatures and cultures. It will focus on selected issues of special resonance in contemporary African life. Oral literature and it's continuing impact on all other art forms. Key issues in French colonial policy and it's legacy in Africa: language, politics, education. The course will also examine the image of the post colonial state and society as found in contemporary arts: painting, sculpture, music, and cinema.

** Pre-requisite: 3032 **

TR – 12:30 - 1:45 (Dramé)

FREN 3585 – Topics in Cultural Studies: Love, Sex, Marriage, and Friendship in Renaissance France

If passions and emotions are part of human nature, the forms they take and the ways in which they are and can be expressed vary greatly over time and between cultures. How were love, sex, marriage, and friendship understood and lived in sixteenth-century France – in each case between members of the opposite sex and the same sex? How did they evolve in this pivotal period of transition between the Middle Ages and the modern world? How were they inflected by intellectual, social and cultural movements such as the Reformation, Humanism, developing notions of the individual, and ongoing debates about the nature of women. Through the study of a combination of contemporary texts and modern films, we will explore a fascinating culture, at once similar to and different from our own – one whose stories (like that of Romeo and Juliette) still speak to us today and with whose legacy we live and continue to grapple.

TR 2 :00 – 3 :15 (Ferguson)

FREN 3585 - Haiti From Yesterday Until Today (History, Culture, Literature, and Cinema)

Through the study of literary works and films (fiction and documentary), this course of introduction on Haiti examines the various historical periods (from colonialism to emancipation, and dictatorships), the social issues (exile, restavek) and the cultural features of the 1st Black Republic. It aims at demystifying stereotypes usually associated with Haiti in order to value the richness of its cultural and artistic productions.

* Pre-requisite: 3032 **

MW 3 :30 – 4 :45 (Berard)

FREN 4020 - History of the French Language in its social, cultural and political context

The course aims at giving an introduction to the external history of the French language, that is to say, the social, political, geographical, cultural and historical factors that have provoked the evolution of the French language through time. We will begin by reviewing the geographical distribution of French in the world today and by asking the question: how did this situation come about? Then we will turn our attention to other topics of importance, for example: the growth of French into the national standard variety; language regulatory bodies; the rise of French as an international language; the French Revolution and linguistic revolution; dialects, regional languages and the national language; the linguistic effects of the mass circulation of popular writings, of public schooling, of the military on the French language; industrialization and the propagation of French; the origins of French creoles; immigrant languages and language change; English and French in contact and in conflict (1000 years of annoyances!); negative attitudes and pronouncements about the decline of French in the 20th century (la langue française est-elle un atout ou un obstacle?).

Taught in French, the course will also provide students interested in practicing their French language skills a forum for lively discussions and debates (on stimulating topics relevant to the dynamics of the French language).

FREN 4020 counts for major/minor credit in French and in Linguistics Program.

TTH 11:00 – 12:15 (Saunders)

FREN 4035 – Tools & Techniques of Translation

Survey of the main tools and techniques of translation. Written and oral translation exercises to and from the target language. Selection of texts will vary. Taught in French.

Prerequisites: B+ average in FREN 3031, 3032, and 4031 or instruction permission.

MWF 10 :00 – 10 :50 (Zunz)

FREN 4123 Medieval Love

Love fascinated people in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries—as it still does today. This course will examine understandings and uses of love in religious and secular literature, music and art. What is the relationship, for medieval writers, between the love of God and the love of human beings? What is the role of poetry in promoting and producing love? To what ends did medieval poets depict and sing about desire and affection? What medieval ideas about love continue to shape our modern understandings and assumptions about emotions and relationships?

Readings will be in modern French translation (with consideration of the Old French original). Requirements for the course include active participation, a short textual commentary, a research paper of 12-15 pages, and a final exam.
TR 12:30 – 1:45 (Ogden)

FREN 4530 Seventeenth-Century Literature: Baroque Horror

The world was coming to an end. God’s servants fought the enemies of Satan, who also thought they were God’s servants. Meanwhile, the devil invaded and possessed the bodies of hundreds of people, particularly those of nuns. Parents roasted and ate their children, and vice-versa—or so the stories said. In theatres there were plays about the dangers of Muslims and Africans. Bluebeard stored the corpses of his wives in a special room, locked with a blood-tinted key. Welcome to the popular literature of the seventeenth-century, a period sometimes called the “Age of Reason,” one in which we sometimes think that serenity, dispassion, stern self-control, rationalism reigned. In this course we will explore the darker, less well-known literature of the 1600s in its historical context and with reference to theories of fear.

TR 3:30 – 4:45 (Lyons)

FREN 4744 - The Occupation and After

While the French recently spent a year commemorating the centenary of the start of the “Great War” (“la Der des Ders,” the so called “war to end all wars”), in the summer of 2015 the nation will mark another important anniversary: namely, seventy years since the Liberation of Paris from German Occupation during World War II. This somber period, which lasted from 1940 until 1945, was one of the most consequential moments in the nation’s history, one that left an indelible mark on the French national psyche that continues to rouse the country’s collective memory to this day. After an initial examination of the political and social conditions in France under the Nazi regime, this seminar proposes to explore the enduring legacy of those “Dark Years” by investigating how the complex (and traumatic) history of the Occupation has impacted French culture during the last half of the twentieth century and into the twenty first. Discussions will focus on a variety of documentary and artistic sources—novels and films, mostly, though we will also explore photographs, graphic novels, and memorial sites—that attest to what historians refer to as contemporary France’s collective “obsession” with the past.

Readings and films may include (but are not limited to) work by Némirovsky, Vercors, Perec, Duras, Modiano, Salvayre, Daeninckx, Claudel, Sartre, Clouzot, Melville, Resnais, Ophüls, Berri, Malle, Chabrol, and Audiard. Weekly response papers, a mid-term exam, active participation in discussion, and a final research paper will be required. Course conducted in French. Prerequisites: FREN 3032 and at least one course above 3040.

TR 9:30 – 10:45 (Blatt)

FREN 4838 – French Society and Civilization

Prerequisite: successful completion of at least one 3000-level course in literature or cultural studies beyond 3032.

French 4838 is designed to provide students with a background in social, cultural, political, and institutional aspects of contemporary French society in the context of recent history. We will first examine the role of geography, history, education, and politics in shaping contemporary French attitudes, cultural practices, and institutions since the Second World War. We will then focus on important social questions facing contemporary France: changing family structures, the role of women, religion, immigration, and France¹s place in the European union. Course materials
include readings from the French press and other published sources, films, music, internet exploration, and radio and television broadcasts. The course strongly emphasizes oral participation and discussion, and students are expected to follow current events throughout the semester.

MW 2:00 – 3:15 (Horne)

FREN 5100/8510 – Medieval Literature in Modern French I: Poetry in Motion: Circulation of Medieval Poetry

Founded on the notion that art is neither produced in a vacuum nor received by passive participants, this course will examine collaborative authorship,  poetic competition, and textual appropriation through rewriting, (re)publishing, or repudiating past texts. Poetry will be studied over time and space, considering the responses of later audiences, poetic exchanges among writers, and the passage of books across national boundaries and centuries.

R 3:30 – 6:00 (McGrady)

FREN 5560/8560 – Topics in Nineteenth-Century: The Smelly Nineteenth Century

In nineteenth-century France, doctors, public officials and health reformers battled the insalubrious odors of Paris’s public spaces, while the private individual attended to the scent of home and body. It took decades and a convergence of ideas (scientific discoveries, a shift in political thinking toward Republican positivism, increased secularization, France’s mission to “civilize” the peasantry and colonies) to discredit persistent folk etiologies of miasmic contagion (the spread of disease via contaminated, smelly air), in favor of germ theory. This heightened interest in eliminating, masking, and improving odors corresponds to an uneasy relationship between humans and their primitive past. After all, bipedal creatures rely on visual horizons, not scent trails, for safety. Quadrupeds sniff the ground; humans read poetry. Ironically, it is difficult to write about olfactory perception without turning to poetic devices such as metaphor and simile. To write about scent is to join a mode of communication unique to humans, with a sense considered by many to be an evolutionary throwback.

The suggestion of odors has long contributed to the narrative, poetics, and cultural resonance of French literature. This is especially true in the nineteenth-century, at the height of what Alain Corbin called the golden age of osphresiology. The attentiveness to smell evident in scientific and medical writing of the time parallels a proliferation of novels and poetry featuring fragrant materials and odor perception, despite a much lamented scarcity of words adequate for communicating about smell. Passages rich in aroma express in various ways (depending on the author, the work, the aesthetic inclination) a convergence of mind, body, language, and culture, concentrated in evocations of smelly matter and olfaction. Fragrances seduce, linger, betray and forebode. They twist plots, stir memories, blur borders and signal social status. At the same time, representations of odor (there is no word for olfactive ekphrasis) stylistic innovation.

Primary readings include selected poems, short stories, essays, novels, medical treatises, hygiene reports, etiquette books (excerpts) and newspaper articles.

Secondary readings will be assigned weekly. Students will be active in the selection of these materials.

• Open to graduate students with reading knowledge of French
• Course conducted in French and English (depending on students’ background)
• Most readings in French

Course components (subject to slight revision depending on class size):

FREN 5560

• Reflective essays (3)
• Final Exam (MA exam format; take-home essay)
• Presentation/discussion of a passage (revised after presentation and submitted as a written commentary)
• Preparation and contribution to discussion.

FREN 8560

• Reflective essays (3)
• Final paper (written as a journal article)
• Presentation/discussion of an article
• Presentation/discussion of a passage
• Preparation and contribution to discussion

W 3:30 – 6:00 (Krueger)

FREN 5581/8581 – Topics in African Literature: Francophone African Literature

This course is a survey of 20th century Francophone literature of Africa. Colonial literature and Assimilation; Negritude, Nationalism and Identity; Postcolonial literature; Feminism; Literature and Censorship; Language and Literature; Theatre and ritual performance; and Oral literature as a major intertext will all be examined through novels, poems, and plays by contemporary African writers in French

T 3:30 – 6:00 (Dramé)

FREN 7040 – Theories & Methods of Language Teaching

An introduction to pedagogical approaches currently practiced in second-language courses at the university level. Students will examine critically the theories behind various methodologies and the relation of those theories to their own teaching experience and goals. Assignments include readings and case studies on the teaching of French; development and critique of pedagogical materials; peer observation and analysis; and a portfolio projet for collecting, sharing, and reflecting on teaching methods.

Required for all GTAs teaching French at UVa for the first time. Restricted to Graduate Teaching Assistants in French. 3 credits. Students will register for the graded (letter grade) option in the SIS. Graduate exchange instructors will take the course as auditors.

M 3:30 – 6:00  (James)

FRTR 3584—Topics in French Cinema:  Masterpieces of French Cinema

 An introduction to masterpieces of French cinema, from the earliest short films of the Lumière Brothers and George Meliès, to feature-length works by Jean Cocteau, Jean-Luc Godard, Chris Marker, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and others. Students will study film genres and movements (Poetic Realism, the New Wave) in relation to social, cultural and aesthetic trends. They will also learn to identify and analyze film techniques (camera angle, camera movement, montage, and more). Students will view approximately one film/week, outside of class, complete accompanying reading assignments, participate in class discussion, write analytical papers, attend audiovisual workshops, and create original short video projects. All films are in French with English subtitles; all reading, writing, discussion, and audiovisual assignments are in English.

 Questions? Contact the professor: Alison Levine (alevine@virginia.edu)

TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm (Levine)

FREN 3030 – Phonetics

FREN 3030 is an introductory course in French phonetics, intended to present basic concepts in phonetic theory and teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. It includes an examination of the physical characteristics of individual French sounds; the relationship between these sounds and their written representation (spelling); the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French"; the most salient phonological features of selected French varieties; phonetic differences between French and English sounds; and much more. Practical exercises in 'ear-training' and 'phonetic transcription' (using IPA) are also essential elements in this dynamic course.

Taught in French. Counts for major/minor credit in French and in Linguistics.

TR 11:00  AM - 12:15 PM (Saunders)
TR 12:30 PM– 1:45 PM (Saunders)

FREN 3031 –Finding Your Voice in French

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2020 or 2320; exemption from FREN 2020 by the UVA (F-Cape) Placement Test; a score of 3 on the AP French Language Exam; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT exam. FREN 3031 is a prerequisite for all undergraduate French courses at a higher level.

This course offers an opportunity for students to explore and develop their own “voice” in written and spoken French. Through reading and viewing a variety of cultural artifacts in French, and completing a series of individual and collaborative creative projects, students will have a chance to develop their own potential for self-expression. They will develop greater confidence in their communicative skills, command of grammar, and ability to revise and edit their own work. The course is conducted entirely in French.

MWF 10 – 10:50 (Rey)
MW 2:00 – 3:15 (Krueger)
MWF 12:00 – 12:50 (Zunz)
TR 11:00 – 12:15 (Labadie)
TR  9:30  - 10:45 (Labadie)

FREN 3032 – Image, Text, Culture

Prerequisite: French 3031. This course is a prerequisite for all French undergraduate courses on a higher level.

In this course, students will discover and engage critically with a broad sampling of French and Francophone cultural production representing a variety of periods, genres, approaches, and media.  Students will learn how to become more sensitive observers of French and Francophone culture, attuned to the nuances of content and form. They will read, watch, write about, and discuss a range of works that may include poetry, painting, prose, music, theater, films, graphic novels, photographs, essays, and historical documents. They will also make significant progress in their oral and written comprehension and communication in French.  The course is conducted entirely in French.

TR 2:00 – 3:15  (Lyu)

MW 3:30 – 4:45 (Ferguson)
MWF 11:00 – 11:50 (Geer)
TR 12:30-1:45 (Drame)

FREN 3034-001 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an intensive course designed to improve the oral and written language skills of more advanced students. Assignments include discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations, and compositions. All materials are French- or Francophone-related. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, so students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential.

MWF 12:00 – 12:50 (Perrot)

FREN 3051 History and Civilization of France:  Revolution - 1945 Histoire et civilisation de la France contemporaine

Beginning with a study of the French Revolution, this course focuses on the cultural and historical influences that have shaped Modern France. We will explore the relationship between culture and political power, the changing role of government, and how ordinary men and women experienced social change. Readings will be drawn from primary documents, memoirs and secondary historical texts. Visual elements will be incorporated in this course as well as selected films.

Readings in this course will be done in both French and English. All lectures, discussions and writing will be done exclusively in French

Prerequisite: FREN 3032

TR 9:30 – 10:45 (Horne)

FREN 3559 – New Course in French Literature and General Linguistics: The Fictional Orient

French authors and artists created an imaginary Orient filled with harems, genies, princes, and crafty merchants -- a place of fantastic luxury and excessive cruelty. In this faraway dreamland, which included countries as disparate as Persia, Turkey, and India, the expectations of realistic writing were temporarily suspended. Through narrations by fictional foreigners, French writers were able to discuss controversial political and moral issues without openly criticizing their own country. Readings will begin with the first French translation of 1001 Nights and end with contemporary popular culture.

MW 3:30 – 4:45 (Tsien)

FREN: 3584-Topics in French Cinema: Great French Films - An introduction to masterpieces of French cinema, from the earliest short films of the Lumière Brothers and George Meliès, to feature-length works by Jean Cocteau, Jean-Luc Godard, Chris Marker, François Truffaut, Agnès Varda, and others. Students will study film genres and movements (Poetic Realism, the New Wave) in relation to social, cultural and aesthetic trends. They will also learn to identify and analyze film techniques (camera angle, camera movement, montage, and more). Students will view approximately one film/week, outside of class, complete accompanying reading assignments, participate in class discussion, write analytical papers, attend audiovisual workshops, and create original short video projects. Course taught in French.

MW 2:00 – 3:15 (Blatt)

FREN 3585-001 Topics in Cultural Studies:  North African Literature and Culture

La situation géographique des pays d’Afrique du Nord fait de cet ensemble un carrefour de multiples influences depuis l’antiquité. Bordé au sud par le Sahara, à l’ouest par l’océan atlantique, au nord par la mer méditerranée, il est rattaché à l’Asie à son extrémité nord-est par l’isthme de Suez. Les cultures et populations nord-africaines reflètent cette diversité d’influences qui n’ont jamais cessé de les irriguer depuis les premières invasions à la colonisation et jusqu’aux effets récents de la mondialisation. Nous aborderons les cultures de l’Afrique du Nord à travers des œuvres littéraires francophones qui nous mèneront de l’Egypte au Maroc, de l’histoire coloniale aux données actuelles, des religions à l’art. Books TBA.

TR 11:00 – 12:15 (Staff)
                  
FREN: 3585-002   - Topics in Cultural Studies:    Arts and the Nation: A History of French Patronage

In 1965, as the first French Minister of Culture, the award-winning author André Malraux called on his fellow citizens to adopt American patronage practices to complement the French tradition of sponsoring the arts. His speech incites a number of questions regarding cultural differences in supporting the arts as well as the role of government and the individual citizen in artistic creation. In France, the nation and the arts have always been firmly intertwined. It might as easily be said that the nation created its artists as it can be argued that the arts shaped the nation. This class will offer a transhistoric survey, from medieval to modern, of governmental policies regarding the arts and the ensuing debates that have contributed to France’s distinctive approach to artistic sponsorship. The arts will be broadly defined, allowing us to examine issues ranging from the invention of the museum to the politics of national monuments to the complex history of poet-patron relations. We will address such topics as propaganda, censorship and creative freedom; the “poète engagé” as the nation’s moral voice and often challenger; the development of copyright law and the artist’s rights; gender and patronage; creative collaboration; and current state subvention programs, especially in relation to French cinema and music. In every case, we will combine study of historical and cultural practices with the reflections of artists, authors, and philosophers on these matters. This course will extend beyond France’s unique relationship to the arts to consider American patronage practices, whether through reference to the NEA, private foundations, or the new phenomenon of crowdfunding represented by Kickstarter.

12:30 pm – 1:45 pm  TR (McGrady)

FREN 4031 – Grammaire et Style

Prerequisites: B+ average in FREN 3031, 3032, and or instructor permission.

Survey of the main tools and techniques of translation. Written and oral translation exercises to and from the target language. Text selections will vary.

Taught in French.

MWF 10:00 – 10:50 (Zunz)

FREN 4410 – The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment, or Les Lumières, was one of the most important movements in Western intellectual history. Its proponents fought against superstition and a corrupt monarchy with notoriously witty essays and with fictions that seemed, on the surface, to be about sentimentality, sex, or exotic lands. In this course, we will consider how famous philosophes such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau brought France into a new era and inadvertently inspired the American and then the French Revolutions. We will examine how their writings treated issues such as: slavery, women's sexuality, blasphemy, the conflict between religion and science, and moral relativism among various countries. We will also focus on strategies used by the authors to hide their provocative ideas from government censors.

MW 2:00-3:15 (Tsien)

FREN 4582: Baudelaire et la modernité

Nous lirons une sélection de textes de Baudelaire (Les Fleurs du mal, Les Petits poèmes en prose, Les Paradis artificiels, et les critiques d'art) pour apprécier l'ensemble de la production littéraire de l'un des poètes les plus célébrés dans la culture occidentale. Nous procèderons par des lectures et des analyses attentives et examinerons la sensibilité et l'esthétique de la modernité baudelairienne: le problème du mal et l'éthique de la poésie, la structure et la destructuration de la forme poétique, et la question de l'inspiration et de la lucidité dans l'entreprise poétique. De façon plus générale, nous nous intéresserons à la nature et au pouvoir du langage poétique ainsi qu'à la relation entre la poésie et la vie.

Prerequisite: au moins un cours de littérature, culture, ou de cinéma au-delà de 3032 avec une note minimale de B+.

TR 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Lyu)

FREN 4585 -  Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies:   Topic: Laicite:  The Secular Tradition in France

One 3000-level culture or literature course beyond FREN 3032 and FREN 3034.

Arguably, France is the most adamantly secular country in Europe today. Particularly in the aftermath of the “Charlie Hebdo” and “Hyper Kasher” tragedies of January 2015, the French tradition of secularism--known as la laicité -is receiving increased public attention as a pillar of the French Republic. Yet controversies persist: do the French agree on the meaning of laicité? A recent law forbids the wearing of the burqa—and other articles of clothing that cover the face- in public. The Islamic headscarf and other religious symbols have been banned from public secondary schools since 2004. How can we, as Americans, understand la laicité and the issues it raises? What can we learn about French culture and history if we analyze it closely? Beginning with a discussion of the main themes of this contemporary debate, we will take a longer view and study the historical, cultural, and philosophical context that shaped this distinctive form of secularism.

Topics of study will include: the history of church/state relations in France; the legacy of the French revolution; anticlericalism; immigration and the evolution of public versus private identities; the defense and (re)definition of the secular state in modern France.

 TR 11:00 – 12:15 (Horne)

FREN 5520/8520 – Topics in 16th Century Lit:  Masculine/Feminine: Writing the Self and the Other in Late Renaissance France

Through the lens of gender, this course will examine texts of a variety of genres in which men and women write about themselves and each other, constructing similarities and differences, expressing love or hatred, admiration or rivalry, perplexity or a claim to know. In a period marked by new humanist models of learning, the perennial querelle des femmes, and the outbreak of civil war, sexual, social, political, and religious categories are at once circumscribed and fluid; the stakes of writing are high; the exploration of the self and the other in history is an undertaking at once urgent, tentative, and contested.

Principal texts: Ronsard, Labé, D’Aubigné, Marguerite de Valois, Montaigne, Gournay, and others.

R 3:30 – 6:00 (Ferguson)

FREN 5560/8560 Topics in 19th Century Literature

Quel mode d'attention la poésie requiert-elle de nous?  Quelle relation y a-t-il entre le regard poétique et le regard quotidien?  Nous proposons d'examiner des textes poétiques et théoriques de l'époque moderne pour apprécier ce que nous apporte la poésie.  Nous examinerons en particulier comment la poésie nous apprend à être attentifs à ce qui est perceptible et imperceptible, et de ce fait, élargit l'horizon de notre vie. Nous lirons les poèmes de Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Ponge, Jaccottet, et les pensées théoriques d'autres auteurs selon nos besoins, pour voir comment la poésie laisse apparaître les choses et ainsi nous fait renaître

W 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Lyu)

FREN 5570/8570  Topics in 20th & 21st Century Literature:  Palimpsestic Culture: Remakes, Rewritings, Recyclings and Other Aesthetic Borrowings in Modern and Contemporary France

Pre-requisite:  Graduate students from departments other than French are welcome. Undergraduate students must obtain instructor permission prior to enrolling.

Every text, as Roland Barthes wrote, is “a tissue of citations.”  This course proposes to test that claim through a series of discussions around works of modern and contemporary French fiction and film, mostly, that borrow from, echo, steal, rewrite, remake, or recalibrate, sometimes explicitly and sometimes less so, other works of art or portions thereof.  Topics and artists under consideration will very likely include the following: New Novels, and the New New (Robbe-Grillet, Echenoz, Toussaint); Strangers, three ways (Camus, Daoud, Houellebecq); Waiting for the Apocalypse in Gracq and Rolin; Readymades, or Nothing New Under the Sun (Viel, Duchamp);  France? France. (Fienkielkraut, Zemmour, Bailly, Depardon); Traces and Shadows (Perec, Resnais, Haneke); Narrative as Theme (Flaubert, Ozon).  In addition to requiring the kind of pre-professional tasks that are usually required of students in advanced graduate seminars (oral presentation, reaction papers, a research project), this course will also invite participants to consider ways the material on the syllabus might be incorporated, which is to say taught, in an advanced undergraduate seminar.  Course taught in both French and English. 

T 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Blatt)

CREO 1020 Elementary Creole II

Development of basic oral expression, listening and reading comprehension, and writing. 
Prerequisite: CREO 1010.

MWF 8:45 am -  9:45 am (Dramé)

CREO 2020 Intermediate Creole II

Develops the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Creole. 

Prerequisite: Three previous semesters of Creole required (1010, 1020, 2010)

MWF 8:45 am – 9:45 am (Dramé )

FRTR 2552 – French Culture:  Mad Love

Monstrous mates, complicated couplings, messy marriages--love can be unpredictable, dangerous and downright sickening. While we often think of romance when we think of France, this course explores the dark side of love through some of the greatest works in French film and literature. Examples will include Marie de France's medieval tales of secret, rebellious and sometimes fatal love (Lais); Gustave Flaubert's novel about a lonely housewife going rogue (Madame Bovary); and Jean-Luc Godard's iconic film about a sweet-talking French criminal and his American girlfriend (Breathless). Others works and excerpts of works considered will be Michel de Montaigne's Essays, Madame de Lafayette's The Princess of Cleves, and Alain Robbe-Grillet's Jealousy. By examining one of the great myths about France, romantic love, students will emerge with a more nuanced appreciation for French culture.  Course taught in English.  No previous knowledge of French language, literature, or culture required.  Required work will include regular contribution to the class Wordpress blog, a mid-term exam, and a final essay.

TR 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm (Labadie)

FREN 3010 Oral & Written Expression in French –

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2320 or equivalent. Permission of instructor for those having completed only FREN 2020. Students having completed French 3032 may not take this course.

Do you want to study, work, or travel in francophone countries?  Students in this course develop a better command of both present-day spoken and written French. Class discussion of news articles on current events (French and international), including but not limited to politics, economics, education, language, and entertainment, and including some articles which class members choose.  Practice with practical, current vocabulary.  Graded written or oral assignments include several one-two page papers, 1 oral and 1 written quiz, one guided short exposé, and a final exam. Consistent attendance and ACTIVE participation in a workshop-like approach constitute 30% of the semester grade.

Although this course does not count for the major or minor, students simultaneously enrolled in 3031 or 3032 have found it helps their success in the other course.  The course is designed for students who have not had an extended stay in a French-speaking country. Students who have participated in a summer or semester study-abroad program must confirm placement and transfer credit with the instructor to avoid duplication. Students who have studied in a francophone setting for a year should enroll in FREN 3034 or above.

MW 2:00 pm – 2:50 p.m. and EITHER 2:00-2:50 pm F  OR 6:00-6:50 R  (Stuart)

FREN 3030 – Phonetics: The Sounds of French

FREN 3030 is an introductory course in French phonetics, intended to present basic concepts in articulatory phonetics and phonology, and teach students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. It includes an examination of the physical characteristics of individual French sounds; the relationship between these sounds and their written representation (spelling); the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French"; phonetic differences between French and English sounds; the most salient phonological features of selected French varieties; and much more. Practical exercises in 'ear-training' and 'phonetic transcription' (using IPA) are also essential elements in this dynamic course.

Taught in French. Counts for major/minor credit in French and in Linguistics.

TR 9:30 am – 10:45 am (Saunders)

FREN 3031 – Finding Your Voice in French

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2020 or 2320; exemption from FREN 2020 by the UVA (F-Cape) Placement Test; a score of 3 on the AP French Language Exam; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT exam. FREN 3031 is a prerequisite for all undergraduate French courses at a higher level.

This course offers an opportunity for students to explore and develop their own “voice” in written and spoken French. Through reading and viewing a variety of cultural artifacts in French, and completing a series of individual and collaborative creative projects, students will have a chance to develop their own potential for self-expression. They will develop greater confidence in their communicative skills, command of grammar, and ability to revise and edit their own work. The course is conducted entirely in French.

MWF 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm – (Krueger)
TR     12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Rey)
MWF 10:00 am – 10:50 am (James)
MWF 11:00 am – 11:50 am (James)

FREN 3032 – Text, Image, Culture

Prerequisite: French 3031. This course is a prerequisite for all French undergraduate courses on a higher level.

In this course, students will discover and engage critically with a broad sampling of French and Francophone cultural production representing a variety of periods, genres, approaches, and media.  Students will learn how to become more sensitive observers of French and Francophone culture, attuned to the nuances of content and form. They will read, watch, write about, and

discuss a range of works that may include poetry, painting, prose, music, theater, films, graphic novels, photographs, essays, and historical documents. They will also make significant progress in their oral and written comprehension and communication in French.  The course is conducted entirely in French.

MWF  1:00 pm – 1:50 pm (Battis)
TR     12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Dramé)
MW   2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Tsien)
TR     3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (McGrady)

FREN 3034 - Advanced Oral and Written Expression in French

FREN 3034, which counts for major/minor credit, is an advanced course designed to improve students’ oral and written communication, with acute attention to rhetoric and style. Students will master a range of communication styles for conversational, creative, professional, and analytical purposes through discussions on topics of current interest, presentations, translations and compositions. The course focuses on language development in a Francophone cultural context, using authentic French-language materials as models, so that students can become familiar with French and Francophone cultures and comfortable expressing their viewpoints in French. Of course, consistent attendance and active participation are essential. This course is not intended for students who are native speakers of French or whose secondary education was in French Schools.

Prerequisite: Students must have completed French 3031 and French 3032 or their equivalent.

MWF 11:00 am – 11:50 am (Perrot)

FREN 3042 – French-Speaking World II

During the Classical Era, Louis XIV built Versailles, France colonized Canada and the Caribbean, philosophers dared to challenge the Catholic Church, and in the end, the Revolution changed France forever. In view of this tumultuous historical background, this course will provide an overview of the literature of this era, from the canonical works of Corneille, Molière, Voltaire, and Diderot to the lesser-known but significant works that grapple with issues of slavery, gender roles, atheism, and foreignness. We will examine how writers used wit, emotion, and logic to persuade readers to accept their controversial ideas.

Pre-requisite: FREN 3032

MW  3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Tsien)

FREN 3050  - History and Civilization of France:  Middle Ages to Revolution

You love France and are intrigued by its long and rich history? This course offers you the opportunity to explore your interests and deepen your knowledge of the major events, political figures, and the artistic, cultural, and intellectual movements, prior to the Revolution, that have helped shape France as we know it and whose legacy is seen and felt to this day. Setting the stage with a survey of prehistoric and Roman Gaul, we will focus on the thousand-year period known as the Middle Ages, followed by the Renaissance, the Classical Age, and the Enlightenment. Subjects will be discussed both in terms of their original historical context and their evolving significance, sometimes contested, to later and present generations. Films, visual images, and primary documents will supplement readings from secondary historical texts. Assignments will include group projects, in-class presentations, written papers, and quizzes.

TR 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Ferguson)

FREN 3559 – New Course in French Literature and General Linguistics: Beasts and Beauties

Pre-requisite:  FREN 3032 or equivalent

Werewolves, vampires, phantoms, and femmes fatales: these are some the eerie creatures who populate works of French fiction. In fables, legends, fairy tales, short stories, novels and film, outer beauty is associated with both virtue and inner monstrosity. We will study the presence of menacing fictional creatures in relation to physical and moral beauty, animality, and evocations of good, evil, comfort, fear, strangeness, kindness and familiarity.

MWF 12:00 pm – 12:50 pm (Krueger)

FREN 3570 – Topics in Francophone: African Literatures & Cultures

This course will explore aspects of African literatures and cultures. It will focus on selected issues of special resonance in contemporary African life. Oral literature and its continuing impact on all other art forms. Key issues in French colonial policy and its legacy in Africa: language, politics, education. The course will also examine the image of the post-colonial state and society as found in contemporary arts: painting, sculpture, music, and cinema.

** Pre-requisite: 3032 **

TR  3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Dramé)

FREN 4035 – Tools & Techniques of Translation

Survey of the main tools and techniques of translation. Written and oral translation exercises to and from the target language. Selection of texts will vary. Taught in French.    

Prerequisites: B+ average in FREN 3031, 3032, and 4031 or instructor’s permission.

MWF 10 :00 – 10 :50 (Zunz)

FREN 3747 Littérature et culture francophone au Maroc

Le Maroc, pays africain, arabe et berbère est un pays francophone qui se situe à 14 kilomètres de l’Europe.  Par sa situation géographique, son histoire millénaire est faite de rencontres de différentes civilisations dont témoignent sa culture et sa littérature.

Ce cours a pour but de vous familiariser avec une culture francophone riche à travers des themes variés allant de l’histoire ancienne au Printemps arabe, des problématiques du développement à celle de l’immigration, et de l’Islam au Judaïsme marocains.

Intervenants:

• Latifa Jbabdi:  Parlementaire élue; Presidente de l’Union de l’Action Feminine;
• Mohamed Kenbib, Historien, Professeur a l’Université Mohamad V, Rabat
• Ahmed Abadi, Secrétaire général de la Rabita Mohamedia des oulémas au Maroc.
• Assia Belhabib, Professeur de Littérature, Université Mohamed V, Rabat
• Abdellatif Kilito, écrivain.
• Nouh Hamzaoui, Professeur a l’université Ibn Toufail, Kenitra.  Directeur du << Centre Arabe pour la Recherche Scientifique et les Etudes Humaines.

TR 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Bargach and Rajaonarisoa)

FREN 4509 Seminar in French Linguistics:  the bilingual speaker

Nearly half the people in the world speak more than one language every day; and in France, some 13 million speakers use regularly several languages.  Yet, says expert, François Grosjean, “le bilinguisme reste méconnu et victime d’ idées reçues” (especially in France where, historically, a linguistic policy of monolingualism has been promoted).

In this seminar we shall explore the many facets of the bilingual and bicultural individual.  Our guide will be François Grosjean, renowned Francophone psycholinguist, whose newly published book, Parler plusierus langues: le monde des bilingues, 2015, presents an excellent analysis of the complex field for the French audience. 

Through our study of Grosjean and other related sources, we shall gain insight into some of the persistent myths about bilingualism and bilinguals; acquire deeper knowledge of the linguistic characteristics of the bilingual speaker (e.g., code switching, the principle of complementarity, language dominance, mixed linguistic systems); advance our understanding of  how one becomes bilingual (linguistic and psycholinguistic aspects); observe how bilingual/bicultural individuals are represented by others (writers, translators, etc.), and much more.  Students will also conduct fieldwork, interviews, and study autobiographies.  The seminar will be taught in French.  Participants must feel comfortable speaking French and in engaging in discourse with others.

TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm (Saunders)

FREN 4560 Adv. Topics:  19th Century Literature:  Le Romantisme

Ce cours vous présente une sélection de textes littéraires de la période romantique française du 19ème siècle.  A travers une lecture approfondie des textes variés, nous examinerons la théorie esthétique, l'idéal, et la sensibilité du mouvement romantique.  Nous étudierons, entre autres, la mélancolie et la passion dont s'imprègne l'état d'âme romantique, l'esprit de la révolte, ainsi que la fascination devant la nature, le rêve, la folie, et la mort.  Nous essayerons de dégager le concept du "moi" et du "héros romantique" et d'articuler le rôle de l'écrivain et de l'écriture qui en ressort.  La manière dont le romantisme se détache et se libère du classicisme et annonce les autres mouvements littéraires du 19ème siècle sera également examinée.

Cours requis: FREN 3032 et au moins un autre cours de litérature, culture, ou de films.

MW 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Lyu)

FREN 4585 Advanced Topics Cultural Studies: Joan of Arc from medieval to Modern Times

Does the past matter in modern France? To what extent does history shape contemporary culture? This course will turn to the medieval heroine Joan of Arc and her role in French society to tease out these questions. Consider the following: she is the subject of well over 2000 creative works, ranging from poetry and painting to cinema and drama; she has served as the mascot for two of the most controversial political movements in modern France, including the Front national; more than two thousand statues of Joan are scattered throughout the world; and she enjoys her own secret “national” holiday while also being considered one of the most troubling figures in French history. Her role in France can appear as a mystery to the outsider:

What is the deep cultural significance of former French president Sarkozy’s announcement that Joan was his patron saint? How can we square France’s dedication to laïcité with the state’s instrumental role in having Joan officially recognized as a saint by the Catholic Church? How is it that Joan so often becomes the subject of some of the most controversial artistic creations – whether speaking of Voltaire’s sexualized Joan, mystical poetic revolutions, cinema’s most haunting imagery, or contemporary fiction’s preoccupation with the grotesque? Understanding modern France means knowing more than the language, it demands familiarity with a past that maintains a physical, intellectual and spiritual presence. This course promises not only to help students navigate Joan’s role in constructing the French nation and identity from her 1431 legal trial through 600 years of creative and political representation, but to provide students with the tools for reading beyond the contemporary to get the full story on what the past means to the France of today.

TR 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (McGrady)

FREN 4838 – French Society and Civilization

Prerequisite: successful completion of at least one 3000-level course in literature or cultural studies beyond 3032.

French 4838 is designed to provide students with a background in social, cultural, political, and institutional aspects of contemporary French society in the context of recent history. We will first examine the role of geography, history, education, and politics in shaping contemporary French attitudes, cultural practices, and institutions since the Second World War. We will then focus on important social questions facing contemporary France: changing family structures, the role of

women, religion, immigration, and France’s place in the European Union. Course materials include readings from the French press and other published sources, films, music, internet exploration, and radio and television broadcasts. The course strongly emphasizes oral participation and discussion, and students are expected to follow current events throughout the semester.

TR 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Horne)

FREN 5520/8520 – Topics in 16th Century Lit:  Masculine/Feminine: Writing the Self and the Other in Late Renaissance France

Through the lens of gender, this course will examine texts of a variety of genres in which men and women write about themselves and each other, constructing similarities and differences, expressing love or hatred, admiration or rivalry, perplexity or a claim to know. In a period marked by new humanist models of learning, the perennial querelle des femmes, and the outbreak of civil war, sexual, social, political, and religious categories are at once circumscribed and fluid; the stakes of writing are high; the exploration of the self and the other in history is an undertaking at once urgent, tentative, and contested.

Principal texts: Ronsard, Labé, D’Aubigné, Marguerite de Valois, Montaigne, Gournay, and others.

R 3:30 – 6:00 (Ferguson)

FREN 5560/8560 Topics in 19th Century Literature

Quel mode d'attention la poésie requiert-elle de nous?  Quelle relation y a-t-il entre le regard poétique et le regard quotidien?  Nous proposons d'examiner des textes poétiques et théoriques de l'époque moderne pour apprécier ce que nous apporte la poésie.  Nous examinerons en particulier comment la poésie nous apprend à être attentifs à ce qui est perceptible et imperceptible, et de ce fait, élargit l'horizon de notre vie. Nous lirons les poèmes de Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Ponge, Jaccottet, et les pensées théoriques d'autres auteurs selon nos besoins, pour voir comment la poésie laisse apparaître les choses et ainsi nous fait renaître

W 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Lyu)

FREN 5570/8570  Topics in 20th & 21st Century Literature:  Palimpsestic Culture: Remakes, Rewritings, Recyclings and Other Aesthetic Borrowings in Modern and Contemporary France

Pre-requisite:  Graduate students from departments other than French are welcome. Undergraduate students must obtain instructor permission prior to enrolling.

Every text, as Roland Barthes wrote, is “a tissue of citations.”  This course proposes to test that claim through a series of discussions around works of modern and contemporary French fiction and film, mostly, that borrow from, echo, steal, rewrite, remake, or recalibrate, sometimes explicitly and sometimes less so, other works of art or portions thereof.  Topics and artists under consideration will very likely include the following: New Novels, and the New New (Robbe-Grillet, Echenoz, Toussaint); Strangers, three ways (Camus, Daoud, Houellebecq); Waiting for the Apocalypse in Gracq and Rolin; Readymades, or Nothing New Under the Sun (Viel, Duchamp);  France? France. (Fienkielkraut, Zemmour, Bailly, Depardon); Traces and Shadows (Perec, Resnais, Haneke); Narrative as Theme (Flaubert, Ozon).  In addition to requiring the kind of pre-professional tasks that are usually required of students in advanced graduate seminars (oral presentation, reaction papers, a research project), this course will also invite participants to consider ways the material on the syllabus might be incorporated, which is to say taught, in an advanced undergraduate seminar.  Course taught in both French and English. 

T 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Blatt)

FREN 5011 Old French

M 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm (Ogden)

FREN 5400/8540 Literature of 18th Century

Theater in 18th-Century France : plays, poetics, polemics.

In 18th-century France, theater is not just entertainment. It is an innovative art form, a pulpit for new ideas, a space for controversy. Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot, Beaumarchais write theatrical masterpieces, while Rousseau denounces the corrupting effects of theater. Studying plays, performances, audiences, poetics and polemics, may thus well be the best possible introduction to the Age of Enlightenment, as reflected in the mirror of theater.

T 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Roger)

FREN 5510/8510 Topics in Medieval Literature

MW 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Ogden)

FREN 5585/8585  Topics in Civilization/Cultural Studies

Topic: Évolution et critique de la théorie postcoloniale francophone : pour une approche archipélique

DESCRIPTION:  Ce cours a pour but d’interroger les problématiques postcoloniales qui informent l’espace des littératures d’expression française. En suivant une approche archipélique, il permettra de mettre en dialogue des auteurs qui sont à l’origine des premières théorisations sur la condition postcoloniale dans le monde francophone, mais également de discuter les questions récentes que suscite la pensée de la « différence ». Dans une perspective mettant en avant une pensée en archipel(s), nous explorerons à partir de textes de fictions, de représentations graphiques et de textes théoriques la complexité des espaces francophones ainsi que la diversité de leurs réponses à la « crise des identités ». La pensée en archipel(s) nous permettra de nous déplacer en suivant les ensembles aquatiques mêlant terre et mer : la Méditerranée, la Caraïbe, les Mascareignes. Chacun de ces ensembles redessine les contours de la francophonie et la complexifie. Ces derniers fonctionnement aussi en résonance les uns par rapport aux autres. Il faudra donc saisir les constantes et les variantes de cette pensée théorique et poétique portée par les écrivains francophones, par définition pluriels dans leur pratique de la langue.

R 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Boutaghou)

FREN 7040 – Theories & Methods of Language Teaching

An introduction to pedagogical approaches currently practiced in second-language courses at the university level. Students will examine critically the theories behind various methodologies and the relation of those theories to their own teaching experience and goals. Assignments include readings and case studies on the teaching of French; development and critique of pedagogical materials; peer observation and analysis; and a portfolio projet for collecting, sharing, and reflecting on teaching methods.

Required for all GTAs teaching French at UVa for the first time. Restricted to Graduate Teaching Assistants in French. 3 credits. Students will register for the graded (letter grade) option in the SIS. Graduate exchange instructors will take the course as auditors.

W 3:30 –pm – 6:00 pm (James)

FRTR 3584—Topics in French Cinema:  Survey of African Cinema since 1950

This course is a survey of African cinema since the 1950s.  First the course will examine the representation of Africa and the Africans in colonial films as well as policies and practices of colonial nations regarding cinema and filmmaking in Africa.  Second the course will study the birth and evolution of celluloid filmmaking in postcolonial Africa.  Third the emergence of Nollywood film industry.

MW 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm (Dramé)

FRTR 2552 – French Culture: France in the 21th Century. 

What can we learn about the global 21st century by studying France?  Why does France matter? This course invites students to think about such questions as we explore the complex cultural, social and political landscape that defines France today. We will examine how France’s distinctive cultural identity has been unsettled by post-colonial immigration, globalization, and the rise of right-wing populism and how the French are currently struggling with these issues. Who feels included or excluded and why? Can we learn anything from the French model of separation between public institutions and religion? In aftermath of the 2015 terror attacks on Paris, it has also become urgent to at least try to understand how a homegrown terror threat could coalesce in French cities, banlieues and prisons. France provides an ideal –but also an alternative and sometimes provocative --vantage point from which to observe many of the larger tensions and challenges of our world today.  Course taught in English. 

TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm (Horne)

FREN 3030 – Phonetics : The Sounds of French

FREN 3030 is an introductory course in French phonetics. It provides basic concepts in articulatory phonetics and phonological theory, and offers students techniques for improving their own pronunciation. The course will cover the physical characteristics of individual French sounds; the relationship between these sounds and their written representation (orthography); the rules governing the pronunciation of "standard French"; the most salient phonological features of selected French varieties; phonetic differences between French and English sounds; and to some extent, ‘la musique du français’, i.e., prosodic phenomena (le rythme, l’accent, l’intonation, la syllabation). Practical exercises in 'ear-training' (the perception of sounds) and 'phonetic transcription' (using IPA) are also essential components of this dynamic course.

Prerequisite: FREN 2020 (or equivalent).

Course taught in French; counts for major/minor credit in French and Linguistics

TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm  (Saunders)
TR 12:30 pm –  1:45 pm (Saunders)

FREN 3031 –Finding Your Voice in French

Prerequisite: Completion of FREN 2020 or 2320; exemption from FREN 2020 by the UVA (F-Cape) Placement Test; a score of 3 on the AP French Language Exam; or a score of at least 660 on the SAT exam. FREN 3031 is a prerequisite for all undergraduate French courses at a higher level.

This course offers an opportunity for students to explore and develop their own “voice” in written and spoken French. Through reading and viewing a variety of cultural artifacts in French, and completing a series of individual and collaborative creative projects, students will have a chance to develop their own potential for self-expression. They will develop greater confidence in their communicative skills, command of grammar, and ability to revise and edit their own work. The course is conducted entirely in French.

TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm  (Rey)
TR 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Lyons)
MWF 11:00 am – 11:50 am (Zunz)
MWF 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM (Ogden)

FREN 3032 – Image, Text, Culture

Prerequisite: French 3031. This course is a prerequisite for all French undergraduate courses on a higher level.

This course will prepare students for upper-level French courses by introducing them to the skills necessary to analyze literature and to express ideas in written and oral form. Specifically, students will read literary texts from a variety of periods; they will learn to identify the elements that authors use to construct these texts; and they will learn the technical terms used to discuss poetry, prose, and theater. Grading will largely depend on the student's development of an analytical perspective on literature and on the student's ability to compose well-structured papers in correct French. The minimum writing requirement is a total of 10-15 pages for the semester, with at least one paper assignment of 5 pages. In addition, students will be expected to participate actively in order to advance their speaking skills in French. All discussion, readings, and assignments will be in French.

MW 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Ferguson)
TR 11:00 am – 12:15 pm (Lyu)
MW 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (McGrady)
TR 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Tsien)

FREN 3043 – French-Speaking World III:  Modernities - Great Books

Rather than focus on any single theme, movement, motif, or overarching problematic, this seminar will examine a few of the most admired and influential novels in the history of modern and contemporary French literature: texts may include Honoré de Balzac’s tale of a young law student’s drive to make it in the big city (Le Père Goriot, 1835); Gustave Flaubert’s portrait of the original desperate housewife (Madame Bovary, 1856); Alain Robbe-Grillet’s scandalously puzzling La Jalousie (1957); Georges Perec's critique of consumer society in the 1960s (Les Choses, 1965); and/or Jean-Philippe Toussaint's critical, and rather funny tale about TV (La télévision, 1997).  We will end our semester with an "extremely contemporary" novel, or two, published within the last three or four years.

Required work to include: active participation in class discussion, regular response papers (1-2 pages), an oral presentation, 2 longer papers (4-5 pages), and a final exam. Course conducted entirely in French.

TR 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Blatt)

FREN 3051 History and Civilization of France:  Revolution - 1945 Histoire et civilisation de la France contemporaine

Beginning with a study of the French Revolution, this course focuses on the cultural and historical influences that have shaped Modern France. We will explore the relationship between culture and political power, the changing role of government, and how ordinary men and women experienced social change. Readings will be drawn from primary documents, memoirs and secondary historical texts. Visual elements will be incorporated in this course as well as selected films.

Readings in this course will be done in both French and English. All lectures, discussions and writing will be done exclusively in French

Prerequisite: FREN 3032

TR 9:30 am – 10:45 (Horne)

FREN 3559 – New Course in French Literature and General Linguistics:  

TR 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Staff)

FREN: 3584-Topics in French Cinema: Hitchcock, Truffaut, and  New Wave Cinema

In 1962, director François Truffaut conducted over 24 hours of interviews  with Alfred Hitchcock. Selections from these published interviews  (Hitchcock/Truffaut, 1966) will provide a point of departure for discussion of the origins of the Nouvelle Vague, the notion of auteur cinema, and the influence of Hitchcock and Hollywood film on Truffaut and other French New Wave filmmakers.

TR 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Krueger)

FREN 3585-002 Topics in Cultural Studies:  Art, Culture, and National Identity

In France, the arts and creative culture have always been integral to national identity. It might as easily be said that the nation created its artists and thinkers as it can be argued that the arts and intellectual activity shaped the nation. This class will offer a transhistoric survey, from medieval to modern, of governmental and private practices regarding the arts and the ensuing debates that have contributed to France’s distinctive approach to artistic and intellectual sponsorship. The arts will be broadly defined, allowing us to examine issues ranging from the invention of libraries and museums to the politics of national monuments to the complex history that passed from royal patronage to the Ministry of Culture. We will address such topics as propaganda, censorship and creative freedom; the “poète engagé” as the nation’s moral voice and often challenger; popular vs. high culture; and the current intellectual and legal backlash against state involvement in the arts.

MW 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (McGrady)         

FREN: 3585-003   - Topics in Cultural Studies:  Love, Sex, Marriage, and Friendship in Renaissance France

If passions and emotions are part of human nature, the forms they take and the ways in which they are and can be expressed vary greatly over time and between cultures. How were love, sex, marriage, and friendship understood and lived in sixteenth-century France – in each case between members of the opposite sex and the same sex? How did they evolve in this pivotal period of transition between the Middle Ages and the modern world? How were they inflected by intellectual, social and cultural movements such as the Reformation, Humanism, developing notions of the individual, and ongoing debates about the nature of women? Through the study of a combination of contemporary texts and modern films, we will explore a fascinating culture, at once similar to and different from our own – one whose stories (like that of Romeo and Juliette) still speak to us today and with whose legacy we live and continue to grapple.

MW 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Ferguson)

FREN 4031 – Grammaire et Style

Prerequisites: Fren 3031, Fren 3032 and at least one FREN course numbered 3041 or higher.

Penser en français, parler en français correct, et écrire avec style, tels sont les objectifs de ce cours. Pour ce faire, nous reverrons les règles de base de la grammaire française à partir de textes variés choisis pour leur élégance et leur intérêt. Nous paierons tout spécialement attention au choix des mots, à leur fonction, aux expressions nouvellement apprises par les étudiants, ce qui nous permettra de relever les particularités grammaticales et stylistiques de la langue française.  Lecture des documents dans Collab, exercices de formation de phrases, présentations orales de 90 mots, trois essais de 250 mots, deux compositions de 500 mots, deux interrogations et un examen en fin de semestre, tels sont les exercices de ce cours.

Taught in French.

MWF 1:00 pm – 1:50 pm (Zunz)

FREN 4585-001 -  Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies:  Humor/Society/Power in Classical France

In this course, we will study some of the "greatest hits" of classical French literature, including comic plays by Molière and Marivaux, and political satires by Voltaire. These works will be contextualized within the social norms and the literary conventions of their time. We will compare and contrast classical French humor with bawdy Medieval stories and more modern examples of French humor, such as the acrobatics of Jacques Tati and current political caricature.

Analyzing these works will lead us to discuss issues such as: What is irony? Can something be funny in translation? How did the French define vulgarity? Can satire fix society? What is the relationship between comedy and censorship? Can women be funny? When does humor cross the line to cruelty?  Is comedy a weapon used by the powerless against the powerful, or vice versa?

Class requirements will involve active class participation, one 12-page paper that compares/contrasts a classical French comic text with a work of contemporary humor (of any culture), and an oral presentation on the topic of this paper.

TR 5:00 pm – 6:15 pm (Tsien)

FREN 4585-002  Advanced Cultural Topics – The Double

The theme of the double, known also as the Doppelgänger, has existed in the literature and in the  culture of many civilizations since antiquity.  This theme is often related to death and to the fear of a malevolent being who returns in the shape of someone who has not been properly buried.  French literature and film contain important examples of doubles, and the work of cultural anthropologist and literary critic René Girard has given renewed vigor to this concept.  This course will study doubles and doubling in some of the following novels, stories, plays, and films: Corneille, Le Menteur; Gautier, La Morte amoureuse; Green, Le Voyageur sur la terre; Grimonprez, Double Take; Kieslowski, La Double vie de Véronique; M.M. de Lafayette, Zayde, histoire espagnole; Molière, Amphytrion; Maupassant, Le Horla; Resnais, Hiroshima mon amour; Vigne, Le Retour de Martin Guerre.  For purposes of comparison, we may also consider Hoffmann, The Doppelgänger; Poe, William Wilson; Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; Wilde, The Portrait of Dorian Gray.

Three papers, short quizzes, and an oral presentation.

TR  3:30 pm – 4:45 pm (Lyons)

FREN 4585: Advanced Topics in Cultural Studies -- Bodily Knowledge

* Prerequisite: FREN 3032 and at least one FREN course numbered 3041 or higher (or instructor permission).

Comment penser le corps? Que dire des efforts qu'ont faits la littérature, l'art, la philosophie et les sciences à travers les siècles pour voir et savoir le corps? Et qu'en est-il, par conséquent, de l'âme?

Ce cours propose d'explorer comment le corps a été conçu comme une source privilégiée -- car double -- du savoir humain: savoir objectif (en tant qu'objet connaissable, par exemple, par la dissection) et savoir subjectif (en tant que sujet connaisseur et détenteur d'expériences vécues). Cependant son accès double au savoir fait du corps un lieu ambigu où le dedans et le dehors, la surface et la profondeur, le visible et l'invisible, le même et l'autre se chevauchent. Ainsi, le corps -- en sa vie et mort, actualité et virtualité -- constituera notre champ d'étude. A travers les ouvrages de Montaigne, Descartes, Gautier, Hugo, Balzac, Barthes, Foucault et de Billeter, entre autres, nous nous intéresserons aux relations entre corps et corpus (langage, écriture, littérature), corps et âme, corps et animalité; ainsi qu'aux concepts du corps sémiotique, corps momifié et corps féminin.

TR 9:30 am – 10:45 am (Lyu)

FREN 4750 Topics in Literature and Film

From Literature to Film : Screening the Liaisons dangereuses.

We will explore the international dissemination, through filmic adaptations, of a single literary work written at the end of the 18th century: Laclos' masterpiece Les Liaisons dangereuses. After examining the novel itself and its significance in the context of pre-revolutionary France, we will study several movies shot between 1960 and 2012 by directors from China, Korea, Czechoslovakia, France, Great-Britain and the USA. The astonishing number, diversity and quality of those adaptations present us with a truly uncommon case of artistic globalization. A travel in both time and space, this course will allow us to reflect on cultural, ethical, ideological, as well as esthetical translation. 

MW 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm pm (Roger)

FREN 4811 Francophone Lit of Africa

Introduction to the Francophone literature of Africa; survey, with special emphasis on post- World War II poets, novelists, and playwrights of Africa. The role of cultural and literary reviews (Légitime Défense, L'Etudiant noir, and Présence Africaine) in the historical and ideological development of this literature will be examined. Special reference will be made to Caribbean writers of the Negritude movement. Documentary videos on African history and cultures will be shown and important audio-tapes will also be played regularly. Supplementary texts will be assigned occasionally. Students will be expected to present response papers on a regular basis. 
 
In addition to the required reading material, 2 essays (60%), regular class attendance, and contribution to discussions (10%), and a final exam (30%) constitute the course requirements. Papers are due on the dates indicated on the syllabus.

MW 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm (Dramé)

FREN 4998 Pre-Thesis Tutorial