LT 340 PARIS IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY FRENCH LITERATURE IES Abroad Paris French Studies
DESCRIPTION: This course will allow students to compare and contrast their vision and experience of Paris with various literary works. Our objective is not only to compare the reality of Paris to its fictive elaboration, but also to understand the narrative and descriptive techniques that individual writers use to construct their personal representations of Paris. We will study the subject through three mediums: literary texts, active visiting of Parisian locations, and personal texts and memoir. The course will thus be organized into three parts:
1. Readings of extracts as well as completed works, which will allow us to engage with different themes associated with Paris 2. Guided written exercises, accompanied by assigned readings and Parisian outings 3. Presentations, discussions, with a focus on historical and thematic themes, songs and questions related to Paris
This course includes multiple Parisian visits: the homes of famous writers (Hugo, Balzac, Vian), exhibitions (Carnavalet Museum, Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine), and outings in Paris (both group visits and individual student visits)
CREDITS: 3 credits
CONTACT HOURS: 45 hours
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: French
PREREQUISITES: none
METHOD OF PRESENTATION: ● Lectures ● Group work ● Student presentations ● Essay ● Discussions ● Written reports
REQUIRED WORK AND FORM OF ASSESSMENT: ● 3 written works - 20% ● Class presentation - 20% ● Written exercises and oral presentation - 20% ● Midterm exam - 20% ● Class journal - 20%
Midterm Exam Questions based on coursework + an essay
Class Journal To be maintained throughout the semester, which discusses student’s personal life in Paris as well as a discussion of readings based on Paris (10-20 pages):
LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the course students will be able to: ● Analyze literary texts by associating the study of style with literary themes in order to construct an argument ● Discuss the major themes associated with the city of Paris in French literature
● Explain parallels between Parisian locations, their transpositions into literary works as well as a personal experience of respective locations ● Exhibit improved writing skills on themes indicated in the syllabus.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance is mandatory for all course meetings, including visits. Absences and lateness will affect your ability to master class content. In addition, your final grade will be lowered by 1/6 of a letter grade for each absence.
For example: ● Final grade : A-. ● 1 absence = A-, 2 absences = B+, 3 absences = B+, 4 absences = B …
Being more than 15 minutes late to a course counts as an absence. 3 late arrivals (less than 15 minutes) count as an absence.
If a student misses more than 25% of class time, s/he will receive an F in the course.
Assignments and presentations missed because of absences will be given the grade of F.
When absences occur, students must inform their teacher and the French Studies Academic Coordinator as soon as possible ([email protected]). In some instances (sickness with doctor’s note for example), absences may be excused. If a student believes that an absence should be excused, he or she must contact Scott, Seth or Alexandra.
CONTENT:
Session Content Assignments and Preparation
Session 1 Course presentation. Representation, projects, ● Assignment: What is a Parisian? Raymond projections and reality of living in Paris. Travel and Queneau, Zazie dans le métro (1959), Valery tourism. Short history of Paris in the 19th century. Larbaud, Paris de France (1925)
Session 2 Guided reading of text 1 grouping: “Paris in the novels ● To read:texts 1-4. of the 19th century.” ● Preparation: Identify the major themes associated with Paris in each of the texts.
● Reading-Writing: First impressions of Paris, instructions
Session 3 Guided reading of text 1 grouping: “Paris in the novels ● To read: texts 5-9. of the 19th century.” ● Preparation: Identify the major themes associated with Paris in each of the texts.
● Reading-Writing: First impressions of Paris.
Session 4 Guided readings of text 2 grouping: “The 14th ● Reading-Writing: Read Paris I, the facades. arrondissement.” Take a photo of a Parisian building façade
that interests you and write about it (description, imagined history).
● Class visit: Visit Victor Hugo’s home.
Session 5 Guided reading of text 3 grouping: “The Eiffel Tower.” ● To read: the entirety of the grouping.
● Preparation: Identify the metaphors and comparisons used by writers to evoke the Eiffel Tower.
● Reading-Writing: Read Paris I, the facades.
Session 6 Guided Reading of Pierre Grassou. ● Preparation: Identify the different indications of Parisian locations in the short story. Read: The short story, p. 14-39. ● Reading-Writing: Read Paris II, Memorial Plaques and other building inscriptions (art in the streets). Take a visible photo of a text found in the street and comment.
● Class Visit: Boris Vian’s apartment.
Session 7 Guided reading: Un lâche et de La Parure. ● To read: both short stories.
● Preparation: Identify the characteristics of each Parisian.
● Reading-Writing: Read Paris II, Memorial Plaques and other building inscriptions (art in the streets).
Sesion 8 Guided reading: Les Tombales et de Le rendez-vous. ● To read: both short stories.
● Preparation: Identify the characteristics of each Parisian.
● Reading-Writing: Poetics and history: street names. Choose various street names on a map. Find the origin of these names and make a list according to a real or imagined story and write about what the list evokes for you personally. Presentation: Baudelaire, A une passante.
● Turn in 1st written assignment
Session 9 Guided reading of Jacques Damour. ● To read: Chapters 1 and 2.
● Preparation: When does this story take place? During which historical event? Identify the places mentioned. What kinds of characters are associated with these places?
● Reading-Writing: Poetics and history: street names.
Session 10 Guided reading of Jacques Damour ● To read: Chapters 3-5.
● Course: Zola et le naturalisme, Les Rougon- Macquart.
● Visit: Balzac’s home.
Session 11 Midterm ● Distribution of vocabulary list to look up for Brouillard.
● Visit the Montparnasse cemetery, write a text.
● Turn in personal journal (first section) for review and advice
● To read: La Petite Bijou and look up vocabulary for Brouillard.
Session 12 Guided reading of La Petite Bijour (p. 9-65) ● Preparation: Identify the Parisian locations, movements of the main character, and the types of transport used.
● As a group, organize a visit to Pere-Lachaise (choice of tombs, itinerary, other information) and write a text after the visit.
Session 13 Guided reading of La Petite Bijour (p. 66-106) ● Preparation: Comment on the return to the 12th arrondissement, especially on p. 81.
● Reading-Writing: Transportation: Bus and metro Jacques Roubaud, Ode à la ligne 29.Choose a bus line whose trajectory interests you, ride the entire way and write about it.
● Visit: Musée Carnavalet, Paris Liberated
Session 14 Guided reading of La Petite Bijou (p. 107-169) ● Reading-Writing: Transportation: bus and metro.
Course: Lost in Paris, Paris and memory, or the search ● Turn in 2nd written assignment. for the past.
Session 15 Pedestrians in Paris: Apollinaire, Léon-Paul Fargue, ● Reading-Writing: How to write about Paris? Jules Romains. Perec, Tentative d’épuisement d’un lieu parisien, 1975.
● Group writing session in a Parisian café
Session 16 Guided reading of Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac ● To read: Chapters 1-5. ● Preparation: Identify the geographical locations mentioned and the amount of times the word “brouillard” is mentioned. Identify word play and street names. ● Reading-Writing: How to write about Paris?
Session 17 Guided reading of Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac. To ● Course: Parisian slang, anarchism, The New read: Chapters 6-8 Mysteries of Paris, the 13th arrondissement and Léo Malet’s biography.
● Reading-Writing: To read and analyze: Lost Paris, Paris Disappeared, Paris Found, Paris Invented. Retrace the writer’s steps: Hugo and Modiano, le Petit Picpus. Preface of Léo Malet. As a group, organize a walk in the 13th district, based on Léo Malet’s walks, and write a text.
● Visit: la Cité de l’architecture revoir Paris et Viollet-le-Duc
Session 18 Guided reading of Brouillard au Pont de Tolbiac. ● Preparation: On a map of the 13th district, make a note of places mentioned in the To read: Chapters 9-12 novel and the protagonist’s walks. Verify that the names of the roads still exist.
● Reading-Writing: Read and analyze: Lost Paris, Paris Disappeared, Paris Found, Paris Invented. Tardi’s comic book
Session 19 Pedestrians in Paris: Jacques Roubaud, Jacques Réda ● Reading-Writing: The riverbanks, the Seine, the bridges. Apollinaire, Sous le Pont Mirabeau.
● Recount and write about a walk along the Seine.
Session 20 Guided reading of Nadja ● To read: p.9-69. Course: Nadja and surrealism, photography and description.
● Reading-Writing: The riverbank, the Seine, the bridges.
● Turn in 3rd written assignment
Session 21 Guided reading of Nadja ● To read: p.71-127.
● Preparation: Study the usage of streets in the text and the correspondence game between names and the writer’s imagination. ● Reading-Writing: Literary cafés and bistros.
Session 22 Guided reading of Nadja ● To read: p. 127-190.
● Preparation: The surrealist ideal of “free walking.” Comment on Nadja’s phrase “Les Pas Perdus ? Mais il n’y en a pas.”
● Reading-Writing: Literary cafés and bistros.
Session 13 Guided reading of Nadja Course Conclusion
COURSE-RELATED TRIPS: ● Victor Hugo’s home ● Boris Vian’s apartment ● Balzac’s home ● Musée Carnavalet, Paris Liberated ● la Cité de l’architecture revoir Paris et Viollet-le-Duc
REQUIRED READINGS: Students must purchase the specified edition: Complete works to form the basis of coursework: ● HONORE DE BALZAC, Pierre Grassou, 1939, nouvelle, carrés classiques, Nathan n°72. (2012) ● GUY DE MAUPASSANT, La Parure et autres scènes de la vie parisienne, 1884-1889, nouvelles, Etonnants Classiques, Flammarion, n°124. 2008 ● EMILE ZOLA, Jacques Damour, 1883, nouvelle, Etonnants Classiques, Flammarion, n°363. (2010) ● PATRICK MODIANO, La Petite Bijou, 2001, roman, Folio, Gallimard, n°3766. (2002) ● LEO MALET, Bouillard au Pont de Tolbiac, Les nouveaux mystères de Paris – 13e arrondissement, 1956, roman policier, Pocket, n°13314. (2011) ● ANDRE BRETON, Nadja, 1928-1964, Folio, Gallimard, n°73. (2000) Booklet: ● Booklet 1: "Boîte à outils" pour la lecture méthodique ● Booklet 2: Recueil de chansons sur Paris
RECOMMENDED READINGS: Anthologies ● ARRANGER Benjamin, Paris vu par les écrivains, Arcadia, 2003
● AUSSEUR Christine, Le guide littéraire des monuments de Paris, Hermé, 1992 ● BERNARD, Jean-Pierre Arthur, Le Goût de Paris, I le mythe, II le temps, III l’espace, collection le Petit Mercure, Mercure de France, 2004 ● HARDELLET André, Paris, ses poètes, ses chansons, Seghers, 1977 ● HELLEU Mathilde /textes réunis par], Paris au pied de la lettre: un guide littéraire, Éd. Inculte, 2011 Essays ● BANCQUART Marie-Claire, Images littéraires du Paris "fin-de-siècle", La Différence, 1979; Éd. de la Différence, 2002 ● BANCQUART Marie-Claire, Paris des surréalistes, Seghers, 1972; Éd. de la Différence, 2004 ● BANCQUART Marie-Claire, Paris dans la littérature française après 1945, Éd. de la Différence, 2006 ● CITRON Pierre, La Poésie de Paris dans la littérature française de Rousseau à Baudelaire, éditions de Minuit, 1961 ● HAZAN Eric, L’Invention de Paris. Il n’y a pas de pas perdus, Fiction et Cie, Seuil, 2002, 2012
NOTES: This course is offered during the regular semester and in the summer. For summer sections, the course schedule is condensed, but the content, learning outcomes, and contact hours are the same.