FREN341

Arts, Cultures and Society from Romanticism to the Present Day

Rues, Routes et Boulevards: Modern Narratives in French

Gustave Caillebotte, Rue de Paris, temps de pluie

All throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, French literature was undergoing dramatic transformations. Not only was it reflecting the effects of revolutions, wars, and new ways of life, but it was in turn impacting society at its core. Our way of apprehending this movement will be to focus our attention on the depiction of streets, roads and boulevards in French literature. Charles Baudelaire portrayed them as sites of alienation and encounter; Victor Hugo as battlefields; Marcel Proust as a repository of memories; Irène Némirovsky as a stage where a panicked society could be put on display. In line with the historical structure of the course, we will also pay attention to the transformation of Paris through new class hierarchies (Balzac) industries (Zola), as well as new ways of life (Perec and Ernaux).

Our discussions and readings, as well as your work for the class, will be in French. We will explore narratives but also broach some essential poetic texts, as well as a play. This will give us the chance to discover a wide range of literary experiments aimed at grasping reality through ever-changing perspectives and means. By the end of the semester, you will have a solid foundation in modern literature from France and francophone Europe.

Language of instruction: French

Instructor: Dr. Vincent Gélinas-Lemaire

Recommended prerequisites: This course is recommended for students who have completed one of FREN_V 224 or FREN_V 401.