COML1232 - Perspectives in French Literature: The Individual and Society

This basic course in literature provides an overview of French literature and acquaints students with major literary trends through the study of representative works from each literary period. Students are expected to take an active part in class discussion.

Assignments (the course will be conducted in French).
The students will do the reading assignments listed in the syllabus for the day they are assigned. For each reading assignment the students will prepare in writing two questions which may be discussed in class and they will be ready to answer these questions. The students will also be expected to take part in the discussion generated by all the questions raised.

There will be three short writing assignments (250-300 words or more) consisting of two questions formulated by the student about some element of a given text (see syllabus) and of answers to each of the questions.

The students will write a final paper (1300-1500 words or more) on some aspect of one of the required texts discussed in class. The paper will be due by 5/8/2024 at 5:00 pm.

On 5/1/2024 there will be a written assignment done in class: a synthetic discussion pertaining to some aspect of some or all of the texts examined in class.

Assessments
Written questions to discuss in class and participation in discussion will count for 50% of final grade.

Short writing assignments: 5% each.
Final paper: 25%.
Synthetic written discussion: 10%.

Syllabus
1/22 Introduction
1/24 La Chanson de Roland, stanzas 1-54
1/29 La Chanson de Roland, stanzas 55-137
1/31 La Chanson de Roland, stanzas 138-176
2/5 La Chanson de Roland, stanzas 176-267
2/7 La Chanson de Roland, stanzas 268-291
2/12 Short writing assignment due on La Chanson de Roland
François Villon, "L'Epitaphe Villon" (also known as "La Ballade des pendus") (web)
Joachim du Bellay "Heureux qui, comme Ulysse, a fait un beau voyage" (web)
2/14 Joachim du Bellay, "France, mère des arts, des armes et des lois" (web)
Jean de La Fontaine, "La Cigale et la fourmi" (web)
Jean de La Fontaine, "La Mort et le bûcheron" (web)
2/19 Le Misanthrope, Act I
2/21 Le Misanthrope, Act II
2/26 Le Misanthrope, Act III-IV
2/28 Le Misanthrope, Act V
3/11 Candide, chapters 1-8
3/13 Candide, chapters 9-18
3/18 Candide, chapters 19-25
3/20 Candide, chapters 26-30
3/25 Short writing assignment due on Candide
Charles Baudelaire, "L'Albatros" (web)
Charles Baudelaire, "Spleen" ("Quand le ciel bas et lourd . . .") (Web)
Stéphane Mallarmé, "Brise marine" (web)
3/27 Eugénie Grandet (to "Monsieur Charles Grandet, beau jeune homme de vingt-deux ans")
4/3 Eugénie Grandet (to "En l'absence de son père, Eugénie eut le bonheur de pouvoir . . .")
4/5 Eugénie Grandet (to "En toute situation, les femmes ont plus de causes de douleur . . .")
4/10 Eugénie Grandet (to "A trente ans, Eugénie ne connaissait encore aucune des . . .")
4/12 Eugénie Grandet (to the end)
4/17 Short writing assignment due on Eugénie Grandet
Arthur Rimbaud, "Le Bateau ivre" (web)
Paul Eluard, "Liberté" (web)
4/19 Une si longue lettre, chapters 1-10
4/24 Une si longue lettre, chapters 11-21
4/26 Une si longue lettre, (to the end)
4/30 Conclusion
Consideration of the synthetic discussion on some aspect of some or all of the texts examined (to be written in class)
5/1 Synthetic discussion on some aspect of some or all of the texts examined (to be written in class)

gprince@babel.ling.upenn.edu
Office Hours (532 Williams Hall): MW 12:00-1:00