French 76   INTENSIVE INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE AND LITERARY METHODS
Fall Semester 2004         (2:30-3:50)                    Inge Wimmers

My office is located in the Rochambeau House, 84 Prospect Street, Room 204 (extension 3935). Office hours: Th 4-6 p.m. and by appointment.

Required texts:

• Baudelaire, Les Fleurs du mal
• Beckett, La dernière bande
• Diderot, La Religieuse (GF)
• Molière, Les Femmes savantes
• Proust, Combray (Brée edition) & Du côté de chez Swann (Folio, 1988)
• Stéphane Heuet, adaptor and illustrator of the "bande dessinée" of 'Combray'(Delcourt); recommended            
• Rimbaud, Poésies
• Sarraute, Enfance (Folio) & L'Ere du soupçon (Folio)

Course requirements :

I. The texts listed above, in the editions as specified.   It is important for everyone to have the same edition, since references will be made to the texts during class discussions and in the written assignments.  

II. Short writing assignments during the course of the semester and a final paper in lieu of an exam.

III.Regular attendance and active participation in class discussions.

IV. Additional materials have been placed on reserve (please consult the reserve list).

Reading Schedule:  

September:

7   Introduction to the course. Discussion on narrative and  fictional characters. Handout, Sylvie Germain, Les personnages .

9      La Religieuse , pp.39-84. Read handouts on narrative and pathos (Barthes, Murray Smith).

14    La Religieuse , pp.84-122. Jouve, L'effet-personnage dans le roman (selections, handout).

16    La Religieuse , pp.l22-177. Jouve, L'effet-personnage.  

21    La Religieuse , pp.177-208.

Written response to an aspect of La Religieuse .

23     Combray , pp.35-57. Read Genette, "Time and Narrative in A la recherche du temps perdu "(handout).

28     Combray , pp.57-83. Study handouts on narrative voices (Muller) and narrative functions (Genette).

30     Combray , pp.85-108. Study handouts on metaphor, metonymy.

October:

5      Combray , pp.108-137. Study handouts: simile; Barthes.

7      Combray , pp.137-163. Study handout on "mode" (point of view). Swann (Folio edition), pp.451-53, 462-463.

12    Combray , pp.163-186. CD-ROM Marcel Proust (on reserve).

14    Combray , pp.186-212. Bande dessinée on Combray (on reserve).

19    Combray , pp.212-235.

Paper due on Combray

21    Les Fleurs du mal : "Au lecteur," "Correspondances," "Les Chats," "Spleen LXXVIII" and other poems. Study handouts on poetry. Sylvie Germain (xerox, pp.42-44).

26    Les Fleurs du mal : "La Mort des pauvres," "Un Voyage à  Cythère." Study handout on irony.

28    Rimbaud, "Le Dormeur du val," "Vénus Anadyomène," "Voyelles" et cinq autres poèmes au choix; Lettres (1871).

November:  

2      Rimbaud, "Aube" and "Après le Déluge"(respond to questions).

4      Lecture with slides on surrealism in poetry and painting. Poems by Eluard.        

9      Les Femmes savantes , Acts I and II. Study theatre handout.

11    Les Femmes savantes , Acts III-V. Beckett, La dernière bande .

16    Enfance , pp.7-65.

Written response to pp.7-19 .

18     Enfance , pp.66-119 and handout on Sarraute (interview).

23     Video presentation on Sarraute and Proust; take notes and answer response questions.

30     Enfance , pp.120-186. Choisissez un personnage et parlez de votre rapport à ce personnage.Cf. Jouve, L'Effet-personnage .

December:

2       Enfance , pp.187-237. L'ère du soupçcon (pp.59-62)

7       Enfance , pp.238-277. L'ère du soupçon (pp.83-122).

Final discussion.        

6-10   Reading Period (individual meetings with students)

11       Final paper due by 4 p.m. (Rochambeau House mailbox)

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