(Taught in French)
« Chaque âge trouve son langage pour affronter, accueillir ou accuser la mort; c’est en cette langue, avec leur accent propre, que les grandes œuvres apportent leur réponse au défi de la mort »
Robert Favre, La Mort au Siècle des Lumières
Course Overview
Writers in every tradition and throughout all centuries have engaged the problem of death. This course proposes a survey of the diverse ways in which the question of man’s mortality has been represented in French literature. We will study novels, plays and poems from the Middle Ages to the 21st century where death takes center stage in order to reflect on the images, recurrent motifs and philosophies proposed by their creators. Aiming to establish connections across time and between writers, we will look for continuities and examine the historical, cultural and aesthetic implications of how they have confronted the question of death and, by extension, have proposed a way to live.
This is an advanced undergraduate literature course taught in French where students will learn and practice the skills of close reading, interpretation, and literary analysis through class discussions and critical writing about representations of death in French Literature. Its goal is to help students develop their ability to communicate meaningfully, and with critical sophistication and maturity, about the interpretive implications of written texts.
Objectives
In this course, students will learn:
- To see the continuity of a philosophical question across different centuries in French literature
- To familiarize themselves with major themes (death, destiny, fate) and genres (theater, poetry, novel)
- To become of literary analysis, interpretation and critical reading.
- To develop critical reading strategies
After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of French culture and society through the study of major literary works.
- Read and analyze critically.
- Discuss representative works concerned with the topos of death in French literature.
Required Reading
Cantilène de sainte Eulalie
Charles Baudelaire, “Une Charogne”
Victor Hugo, “Demain de l’aube”
André Malraux, La Condition humaine
Michel de Montaigne, Les Essais
Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Abée Prévost, Manon Lescaut
Jean Racine, Phèdre
Artur Rimbaud, “Le Dormeur du val”
Alfred de Vigny, “La Mort du Loup”
François Villon, La Ballade des pendus
Assignments and Requirements:
Four (1 page) reading responses on the class blog site (20%)
First (4-5 page) paper (25%)
Short 5-minute presentation (10%)
Second paper, (7-8) pp (35%)—includes 250 word final paper “abstract”
Attendance and Participation (10%)
Week 1 Introduction to course
Reading: Cantilène de sainte Eulalie
Week 2 The Middle Ages: Hagiographie et “le premier poète maudit”
Reading: Cantilène de sainte Eulalie
François Villon, La Ballade des pendus
Assignment: After an initial introduction to both texts, students will be divided into groups and each group will do a close reading of one of the above texts, identifying the images used to describe death. Individually they will write a short description (1page) of the way death is represented in their assigned text. Class discussion after each group presents to the rest of the class the major motifs encountered in their texts.
Individually: Students will write and post on the course blog the differences and or similarities in the stories. Is death to be welcomed? Why and how? Write a short description of the values implicit in the Eulalie and Ballade des pendus?
Week 3 The Renaissance: La Mort et la Philosophie
Reading: Michel de Montaigne Les Essais, “Que philosopher, c’est apprendre à mourir” “De Democritus et Heraclitus”
Assignment: Identify the particular passages where the writer defines the attitude man ought to have when thinking about death and in the face of death. With a partner, discuss how you perceive the writer’s position. This group work is followed by class discussion.
Individually: Write a one-page entry of the values implicit on both essais on course blog. Comment on 2 of your classmates’ entries.
Week 4 The 17th Century: La Mort: l’Honneur et les passions
Reading: Racine, Phèdre
Assignment: Group: “Phèdre n’est ni tout à fait coupable, ni tout à fait innocente” said Racine. Working with a partner, describe how her death may redeem her or convict her. Take one position and defend it through a close reading of the text. Class discussion to follow
Individually: Compare the two deaths in the tragedy. Are they equally deserved?
Week 5 The 17th Century: La Mort: Les Divertissements et le pari de Pascal
Reading: Pascal, Pensées (selections)
Assignment: 1. With a partner, identify the divertissements Pascal is referring to in the first pensée. 2. What are today’s divertissements? How are they similar/different to today’s? 3. What evidence does Pascal use to prove the need for the wager and what claims does he from that evidence?
Individually: write a one-page entry on whether you are convinced by Pascal’s argument and why or why not.
Week 6 18th Century: La Mort: Punition ou délivrance ?
Reading: Abée Prévost, Manon Lescaut (première partie)
Assignment: Groups: How is the story of Manon and Des Grieux introduced to the readers? What is the function of “Avis de l’Auteur des Mémoires d’un homme de qualité”? Can the narrator be trusted? Why yes and why not?
Individually: Compare the possible motives of De Grieux in telling his story to the narrator and the motives discussed by the narrator in “Avis de l’Auteur”. Why has Prévost introduced the story of Des Grieux through the intermediary of the narrator?
Week 7 18th Century:
Reading: Abée Prévost, Manon Lescaut (deuxième partie)
Assignment: Critics have argued that there is more than one portrait of Manon. With a partner, find at least two passages that provided a different view of the young woman.
Individually: Why would Prévost offer a diversity of views of Manon?
FIRST PAPER DUE AT THE END OF CLASS
Week 8 19th Century: La mort: Une philosophie de vie ?
Reading Alfred de Vigny, “La Mort du Loup”; Artur Rimbaud, “Le Dormeur du val”
Assignment: with a partner identify what are the 3 most important images present in the poem. Class discussion – Man vs. nature: who is wiser according the poet and why?
Individually: How does Alfred de Vigny invite the reader to respond to death? How is the wolf an example?
Week 9 19th Century
Reading: Victor Hugo, “Demain de l’aube”; Baudelaire, “Une Charogne”
Assignment: In groups, students work on one of the poems to identify the images of death. Are there particular objects/animals that covey death? Present to the class how death is described. Class discussion: How are the poet’s strategies to represent death a vehicle for their own philosophy of death? Of life? Individually: Compare the view of death in the three poems by Vigny and, Baudelaire and Hugo. Does each view represent a way to live? If so, which one? Which one do you agree with and why?
Week 10 20th Century: La Mort: L’homme et le combat avec le destin
Reading: André Malraux,La Condition Humaine (Première partie – Troisième partie)
Assignment: In groups, describe all the emotions that cross Tchen’s mind as he commits his first crime. How does Malraux describe the inner battle waged in the heart of the man? Highlight the passages that give us a portrait of Tchen.
Individually: Why did Malraux choose to open the novel with Tchen?
Week 11 20th Century:
Reading: André Malraux, La Condition Humaine (Quatrième partie – Fin)
Assignment: In groups: Kyo: victim or victor? Find passages that describe the fate of Kyo. Is he a victim and why? Or is he a victor and why?
Individually: Basing your analysis on the last part (septième partie), what is the final lesson offered by Gisors?
Week 12 Conclusions
