FRENCH 211-01  READINGS IN FRENCH LITERATURE
TR 4:15-5:30 WAL 494B
Instructor: Patrick Laude ICC415 7-5642
laudep@georgetown.edu    www.georgetown.edu/faculty/laudep

Cf. Course Site on Blackboard

OBJECTIVES:

Designed for non-French majors, Readings in French Literature serves as a bridge or gateway between language study and upper-division courses in French literature. This course has a double objective. It aims first at helping students develop critical and analytical reading and discussion skills, while providing them with a basic background of literary history through the study of representative French literary works from the Middle Ages to the XXth century. It likewise aims at helping students achieve greater mastery and confidence in writing French, in order to prepare them for the types of written assignments that will be required in upper-division courses here and abroad. Thus, in addition to being a survey of literature, Readings in French Literature is a method course designed to train students to read and write articulately and critically.

REQUIRED READINGS:

Marie de France Lais Garnier Flammarion -
Labé, Louise Oeuvres complètes Flammarion -
Molière, L'Avare GF Dossiers -
Françoise de Grafigny, Lettres d'une péruvienne. Flammarion -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rêveries du promeneur solitaire
Guy de Maupassant, Pierre et Jean. Folio -
Baudelaire, Petits Poemes en Prose Pockett Classiques -
Pierre Drieu la Rochelle, Le feu follet.Folio -
Yourcenar, Marguerite Les Nouvelles Orientales - Gallimard -

In addition there will be occasional required readings of documents and web links on the Blackboard course site.

METHODOLOGY:

Class preparation and classwork:

Students are expected to read and prepare closely the assigned readings for class analysis and discussion. It is important to emphasize that this is an interactive course, and not primarily a lecture course. In order to maximize in-class participation, students will be asked to make oral presentations (10-15 minutes) in reaction to the reading assignment and/or questions suggested by the instructor. If absent, students are responsible for obtaining missing notes, and for contacting the instructor or a classmate to get the assignment for the next class.

ESSAY ASSIGNMENT:

Students will write four short essays (500-750 words), two in class and two at home. Papers may be revised and re-submitted according to the instructions below. Essays written at home will be due on the dates specified on the syllabus. As a rule, late papers will be accepted only with a medical or decanal excuse, or by special permission of the instructor. Revised versions are due within a week after the original composition is handed in. The original essay must be provided with the revised copy so that the two versions can be compared. Compositions should normally be posted on the Blackboard site of the course under Digital Drop Box. The quality of the revised version, demonstrating improvement, will be taken into consideration in the final grade. Revision of the essays involve the use of a composition correction code that will be explained in class. Students are responsible for correcting all mistakes underlined and designated by a symbol. Consult the code carefully to ensure that you are correcting the type of error indicated. Corrected versions will be made available to students in the Drop Box of Blackboard.
All essays must be computer typewritten. It is recommended that students consult as reference tools a good grammar book, a French-English dictionary (the Petit Robert is strongly recommended).
Evaluation of the essays will be based on the following three elements: correctness of grammatical structure, clarity of organization and quality of analysis and argumentation.
The Honor Code will be strictly enforced in this class. Please read carefully the Standards of Conduct at http://cfdev.georgetown.edu/honor/conduct.cfm for review of GU policies on plagiarism.

EVALUATION:

Graded essays (4; 2 in class and 2 at home):    60%
Oral presentations:    15%
Participation:   25%

 

Programme de travail:

1. January 12 (R) Introduction, présentation. “Le Chèvrefeuille”

2. January 17 (T) Lais, “Prologue”, “Guiguemar”, “Equitan”, "Les Deux Amants."

3. January 19 (R) Lais, “Frêne,” “Bisclavret” , "Yonec" et “Lanval.”

Last Day for Registration Changes/ Late Registration January 20 (F)

4. January 24 (T) COMPOSITION IN CLASS (I)

5. January 26 (R) Film: L'Avare.

6. January 31 (T) Molière, L'Avare, Actes I, II, III.

7. February 2 (R) L'Avare II, Actes IV et V.

8. February 7 (T) Louise Labé, Sonnets, 2-9.

9. February 9 (R) Sonnets, 10-17.

10. Fenruary14 (T) Sonnets, 18-24.

11. February16 (R) Françoise de Grafigny, Lettres d'une péruvienne, 249-308

12. February 21 (T) Lettres d'une péruvienne, 308-362

13. February 23 (R) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Rêveries du promeneur solitaire, Promenades 2 et 5.

14. February 28 (T) Petits Poëmes en prose, Charles Baudelaire, Poèmes I à XII, COMPOSITION AT HOME DUE (II)

15. March 2 (R) Petits Poëmes en prose, Poèmes XIII à XXV

SPRING BREAK

Undergraduates: Last Day to Withdraw from Courses, March 13

16. March 14 (T) Petits Poëmes en prose, Poèmes XXVI à XXXVIII

17. March 16 (R) Petits Poëmes en prose, Poèmes XXXIX à L et épilogue.

18. March 21 (T) Guy de Maupassant, Pierre et Jean, I-IV

19. March 23 (R) Pierre et Jean, V-IX

20. March 28 (T) Pierre Drieu la Rochelle, Le feu follet I

21. March 30 (R) Le feu follet II

22. April 4 (T) COMPOSITION IN CLASS (III)

23. April 6 (R) Le feu follet (film de Louis Malle)

24. April 11 (T) Yourcenar, Marguerite Les Nouvelles Orientales, "Comment Wang-Fô fut sauvé" and "La tristesse de Cornélius Berg"

EASTER BREAK

25. April 18 (T) Les Nouvelles Orientales, "Le sourire de Marko" and "La fin de Marko Kraliévitch"

26. April 20 (R) Les Nouvelles Orientales, "Le dernier amour du prince Genghi" and "L'homme qui a aimé les Néréides"

27. April 25 (T) Les Nouvelles Orientales, "Notre-Dame-des-Hirondelles" and "Kâli décapitée" COMPOSITION AT HOME DUE (IV)

28. April 27 (R) Classes End. Evaluations. Les Nouvelles Orientales, "Le lait de la mort" and "La veuve Aphrodissia"

NO EXAMINATION IN THIS CLASS