French

Advanced seminar in French and Francophone literature and culture. Topics vary. May be repeated for credit for different topics. Prerequisite: FREN 3031 and at least one literature or culture course beyond FREN 3040.

An exploration of a selection of poetry and prose works by Baudelaire to gain an in-depth understanding of one of the most celebrated poets in Western literature. Through close readings, we will examine poetry¿s relation to beauty and suffering, the structuring and de-structuring of poetic form, and the ethics of poetic modernity in Baudelaire in order to reflect more generally on what poetry affords us in life.

Study of the representation of Africa in American, Western European and African films. Ideological Constructions of the African as 'other'. Exoticism in cinema. History of African cinema. Economic issues in African cinema: production, distribution, and the role of African film festivals. The socio-political context. Women in African cinema. Aesthetic problems: themes and narrative styles. Prerequisite: FREN 3032 and FREN 3584 or another 3000-level literature course in French.

After an initial examination of the political and social conditions in France under the Nazi regime during World War II, this seminar explores 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.

Surveys the literary tradition in French, emphasizing post-World War II poets, novelists, and playwrights. Examines the role of cultural reviews in the development of this literary tradition. Prerequisite: FREN 3032 and at least one FREN course numbered 3041 to 3043 (or instructor permission).

Discusses political institutions and social problems based upon readings in recent publications and an analysis of current events.

What is the good life, and what is a good life? Saints seem to live perfectly good lives, but stories about them often grapple with this question, encouraging audiences to think deeply about their own lives in ways that go beyond any one ethical system. Looking at old and new stories of parent-child struggles, spectacular sinning and redemption, gender transformation, and daily moral predicaments, we will explore what it means to live well.

This course is about imagining life and sensory experiences of colonized subjects witnessing a changing urban environment. For some cities, imagining its past is naturally inscribed in a continuation meticulously informed. For cities that have been victim of a colonial experience, this haunted past needs to be revived to recreate a perception of historical continuity in the space and a sense of spatial belonging.

A global city, Paris is more than the capital of France; it holds meaning the world over. How did Paris achieve such iconic status? To answer that question, this course explores a variety of cultural and geographic forms (maps, paintings, architecture, cinema, literature, and music) that illustrate key features of the "city of light" and invite students to "read" the city, unlock its codes, and discover its many nuances.

Normally, only French majors may enroll in this course and only by written permission from the department chair prior to the end of the first week of classes.

Preliminary research for thesis. Prerequisite: Admission to the Distinguished Majors Program.

Composition and defense of thesis. Prerequisite: FREN 4998 and good standing in the Distinguished Majors Program. Note: The prerequisite to all 5000-level literature courses is two 4000-level literature courses with an average grade of B, or the instructor's permission.

Basic introduction to reading Old French, with consideration of its main dialects (Île-de-France, Picard, Anglo-Norman) and paleographical issues. May be taken in conjunction with FREN 5100 or independently. Taught in English.  Prerequisite:  Reading knowledge of modern French.

Based on topics and works of both current and enduring interest to scholars, this course will allow participants to gain general knowledge of literature composed in French from 880 until about 1250 as well as to explore the most recent developments in the field.

Topics may include genres (romance, poetry, hagiography, chanson de geste, allegory), themes (love, war, nature), single authors (Chrétien de Troyes, Machaut) and cultural and literary issues (gender, religion, authorship, rewritings).

Topics may include Montaigne, the European novella, poetic recreations of the ancients, literary Lyon, and Rabelais and his world.

Topics may include exoticism, reason and folly, libertinage, theater, Voltaire vs. Rousseau.

This course provides the opportunity to offer a new topic in the subject area of French literature and general linguistics.

Study of various aspects of nineteenth-century French/ Francophone literature. Genre, theme, specific chronological concentration, and approach will vary. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

Study of the various aspects of twentieth-century French literature. Genre, theme, and specific chronological concentration will vary. May be repeated for credit with different topics.

Topics may include: Francophone novel, colonial literature and visual culture, postcolonial literature and cinema, Francophone Theater & Poetry,

A range of analytical approaches to the study of cinema, including cinematographic language and structure, the representation of socio-cultural phenomena in film, and the experience of cinema viewing as a cultural and historical practice.

Interdisciplinary seminar in French and Francophone culture. Topics vary.

Independent Study

Introduces the pedagogical approaches currently practiced in second-language courses at the university level. Critically examines the theories underlying various methodologies, and their relation to teaching. Assignments include development and critique of pedagogical material; peer observation and analysis; and a final teaching portfolio project.