Paris in Literature

Home , History of Paris, Place de la Bastille

CAS LF 343 La France à Paris: Paris in Literature

Credits: 4

Professor: Kate LAKIN-SCHULTZ ([email protected]) Schedule: Fifteen 2.5 hour sessions over 7.5 weeks May 23 – 27 (11:00AM – 2:00 PM and 3:00 – 5:30 PM) May 31 -July 5, Tuesdays (5:00 – 7:30 PM) Midterm exam: June 7 Final exam: July 12

Office hours: Tuesdays 10:30 – 11AM the first week & 4:30 – 5:00 PM during internships and by appointment

Course visits:

Week 1  Guided walk along the Seine and through the Saint Germain-des-Prés neighborhood with a stop at Le Café de Flore, Boulevard Saint-Germain  The Carnavalet Museum (of the history of Paris), the Bastille and Place de la Concorde  Walking tour of the Palais Royal, ‘Les Passages’ (19th century covered shopping malls), the Champs Elysées and l’Arc de Triomphe  The Centre Pompidou Museum of Modern Art  The National Immigration Museum

Weeks 2 – 7  The Musée d’Orsay (with a focus on 19th century impressionism and post- impressionism, portraits of a changing landscape and the Industrial Revolution)  The Eiffel Tower  The Sorbonne University and the Pantheon  The Holocaust Memorial (Le Memorial de la Shoah)  A night at the Huchette Theater to watch Ionesco’s absurdist play, The Bald Soprano  Walking tour of the la Goutte d’Or, Barbès and Belleville neighborhoods with a Moroccan or Senegalese meal

Course material: - A course pack with all required literary readings (to be purchased by each student). - La cantatrice chauve suivi de La Léçon by Eugène Ionesco, the paperback folio edition should readily available and inexpensive in bookstores in Paris.

I. COURSE PRESENTATION AND OUTCOMES

This seminar proposes a journey through the literary and cultural history of Paris, from 1750 to the present. We will we explore key themes of the literary and social movements of the past and trace their importance through the vestiges of Paris’ rich history that survive today and reveal themselves around ever city corner.

Our coursework will advance chronologically starting with the philosophy of the enlightenment and will progress through the French Revolution, Paris’ dramatic renovations of the 19th century (Haussmann), the avant-garde literary and artistic movements of the 20th century interwar period, to ultimately arrive at a reflection on diversity and immigration as it manifests in Parisian society today and in the works of francophone authors living and writing in Paris.

With the undeniable communion of the vast cityscape with the texts we are reading, we will begin to understand the constant evolution that has shaped Paris for centuries. We will seek to trace the key changes and mutations that have influenced the City of Light and its diverse inhabitants as we walk, breathe, touch, and live among their legacy.

For us, Paris will become a text, a book that we will study and analyze like we do the pages of the authors that will guide our journey. Students should seek to fully immerse themselves in Parisian life and culture, approaching not only class, but daily life and work, with an analytical sprit and an open mind.

For each class, students will be asked to read and prepare several texts, most of which are excerpts of longer works. To be fully prepared, students should ask themselves:

1. What does the text say? What image of Paris does this writer construct? 2. How does the writer construct this representation of Paris (metaphor, stylistic effects, vocabulary, etc.)? 3. Does the text reflect characteristics of a literary movement we have discussed? How so? 4. What passage(s) would you like to investigate more closely? Students should identify citations and phrases that inspire, move, or puzzle them. Students should be prepared to speak about and share this passage with the rest of the class.

Each session will be organized around this preparatory work, resulting in student-led discussion of key themes, problems, and questions. All class discussions, visits, and excursions will be conducted in French.

Outcomes By the end of this course, students will have developed: . Basic knowledge of major French literary movements from 1750 to the present and their main characteristics. Students will become familiar with movements including realism, surrealism, Negritude, and existentialism through their reading and analysis of excerpts from authors including Rousseau, Balzac, Baudelaire, Apollinaire, Bréton, Senghor, Sartre and Camus. Students will also discuss the impact West African, North African, and Caribbean immigrants, writers, and intellectuals have had on Parisian culture and society in the past century as we also contemplate Paris’ role as a major imperial capital in the 19th and 20th centuries. . The ability to identify and explain the main stylistic processes and figures of speech (lexical field, metaphor, repetition, juxtaposition, etc.) in order to determine their impact on the meaning of a text, to organize and develop observations and reflections in a coherent and structured analysis (oral or written). . A deeper familiarity with Paris, its neighborhoods, and monuments. Students will be asked to take their questions and analyses of a place beyond the surface, seeking to understand the changing historical, cultural, social signification that any single space can embody (at any given period in history).

. The ability to build and translate these experiences to thoughtful, stylistically sound and well organized written reflections. . An increasing level of comfort and fluidity in spoken French through the use of French in all class interaction and activities. Formal oral presentations and informal videos will allow students to showcase their progress over the course of the session. . An intermediate high to advanced low speaking proficiency (ACTFL) in order to communicate effectively across most time registers regarding their thoughts and opinions vis-à-vis texts and experiences.

II. ASSESSMENT AND GRADING

Exams: 30% There will be a mid-term exam (weighted toward the first half of the semester) and a final exam (cumulative, but topics treated will be weighted toward the second half of the semester). The exam will contain both short-answer questions on literary trends and texts, as well as an essay.

Oral presentation: 15% Students prepare a 20-minute presentation (close analysis, literary and cultural relevance, history) on a Parisian site and a theme or question inspired by the readings. Students will work with the professor to develop their research and present their work to their classmates in a way that engages students creatively and provokes rich class discussion.

Homework: 40% Throughout the course, students will complete weekly short assignments. When possible, these written and oral reflections, in which students are asked to engage with the readings and suggested visits, will be posted to the class blog. http://decouvertesparisiennes.blogspot.com/

In these assignments, students will conduct thoughtful literary analysis, highlight key themes in weekly readings, and seek to support their conclusions with concrete examples from both the texts in question and the city of Paris.

Participation, effort, and progress: 15% This class is based on communication, discussion, and cultural engagement and students are expected to come to class having completed all of the assigned reading and homework. Advancing one’s proficiency in a foreign language is a process that requires sustained contact and consistent effort. We have the great privilege to be in Paris where students can maximize their use of the language in an effort to make significant strides, much faster than in a classroom setting in the United States.

Much of this grade will be dedicated to effort and progress in language proficiency as well as cultural competency. Students’ level will be assessed upon arrival and at the end of the session: are students energized to participate? Are they enthusiastic about ameliorating their speaking and reading skills? A generous, respectful attitude towards peers and the professor will be expected and can be demonstrated by listening attentively to others, asking questions, and contributing ideas and suggestions.

Attendance Policy 1 absence (class session or activity) = -1 point on the overall grade 4 or more unexcused absences = grade of F for the course Missed assignment or test = grade of 0 for the assignment Plagiarism on an assignment = grade of 0 for the assignment

NB: Excused absences must be justified by a doctor’s note or a scheduled internship interview. Frequent lateness may be counted cumulatively as an absence, as per the professor’s discretion.

Plagiarism (BU Policy) All students are responsible for having read the Boston University statement on plagiarism, which is available in the Academic Conduct Code. Students are advised that the penalty against students on a Boston University program for cheating on the examinations or for plagiarism may be ‘expulsion from the program or the University or such other penalty as may be recommended by the Committee on Student Academic Conduct, subject to approval by the dean.’ Read the full Academic Conduct Code online at http://www.bu.edu/academics/policies/academic-conduct-code/.

III. CALENDAR *Denotes excerpts only Texts may be subject to change as per the instructor’s discretion.

Session 1 The Art of Living in Paris Course introduction 1. Charles Baudelaire: “A une passante” 2. Eric Hazan, L’invention de Paris. “Les flâneurs”* 3. Michel de Certeau, L’invention du quotidian. “Enonciations piétonnières”* 4. Benoît Lecoq, “Le café” in Pierre Nora’s Les lieux de mémoire, Tome III* 5. Jacques Dutronc, “Paris s’éveille” (chanson)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7whXkifG_ms

Session 2, Visit: La Seine, Saint Germain-des-Prés, Le Café de Flore

Session 3 The Makings of a Republic 1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, “Discours sur l’origine de l’inégalité”* 2. Denis Diderot, Encyclopedie* 3. “Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen” 4. Olympe de Gouge, “Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne”

Session 4, Visit: Place de la Bastille, the Carnavalet Museum, and Place de la Concorde

Session 5 Haussmann and the Construction / Destruction of Modern Paris 1. Walter Benjamin, “Paris, capitale du XIXe siècle”* 2. Émile Zola, La Curée* 3. Guy de Maupassant, “La parure”

Session 6, Visit: Palais Royal, 19th Century Passages, the Champs Elysées, and the Arc de Triomphe

Session 7 Paris and the Avant-Garde 1. André Bréton, Nadja* 2. “Manifeste du surréalisme”* 3. Michel Sanouillet, “Dada à Paris”* 4. Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, Un chien andalou (film)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIKYF07Y4kA

Session 8, Visit: The Centre Pompidou Museum of Modern Art

Session 9 Paris, the Golden City, and Negritude 1. Ousmane Socé, Mirages de Paris* 2. Bernard Dadié, Un Nègre à Paris* 3. Léopold Sédar Séngor: “Neige sur Paris”

Session 10, Visit: The National Immigration Museum

Session 11 Balzac’s Paris, A 19th Century Sociological Experiment 1. Honoré de Balzac, Ferragus* and La fille aux yeux d’or* 2. Charles Baudelaire and Victor Hugo: Selection of poetry  BLOG 1: First Impressions of Paris / Journal + Photos

Visit (note: after week 1, not all visits are required – consult with your professor for more details): Le Musée d’Orsay

Session 12 The Eiffel Tour and other Mythical Parisian Spaces MIDTERM EXAM 1. Roland Barthes, La Tour Eiffel* 2. Guillaume Apollinaire, Calligrammes* et “Le Pont Mirabeau” 3. Jacques Jouet, Poèmes de metro  www.pol‐editeur.com/pdf/5574.pdf 4. PHOTOS: http://golem13.fr/janol-apin-stations-metro/  BLOG 2: Balzacian Reflections (modeled after his style, detailed description of places / people – your choice)

Visit: The Eiffel Tower

Session 13 Negritude and the Interwar Period 1. André Bréton, Paul Éluard, Réné Char et al. “Ne visitez pas l’Exposition Coloniale” 2. Louis Aragon, “Mars à Vincennes” 3. Jean-Paul Sartre, “L’Oprhée noire”* 4. L’Étudiant noir* (periodical) 5. Ousmane Socé, Mirages de Paris*  Write your own calligramme or poem modeled after Metro Poems Visit: The Sorbonne, Pantheon, Editor Présence Africaine (first major publisher of francophone works from Africa and the Caribbean)

Session 14 Paris during World War II 1. Irène Nemirovsky, Suite Française* 2. Jean-Paul Sartre, “La République du silence” 3. Paul Éluard, “Liberté”  BLOG 3: Portrait of Parisian Space (Video)  ORAL PRESENTATION 1

Visit: The Holocaust Memorial

Session 10 Existentialism and Absurdist Theater 1. Camus, L’homme révolté* 2. Eugène Ionesco, La cantatrice chauve  BLOG 4: Literary Analysis (text of choice)  ORAL PRESENTATION 2

Visit: Huchette Theater to watch La cantatrice chauve (time / day TBA)

Session 15 Immigration and Diversity in Paris 1. Michel Tournier, La goutte d’or* 2. Calixthe Beyala, Assèze l’Africaine*  BLOG 5: Reaction / Analysis of the play  ORAL PRESENTATION 3

Visit: Walking tour of the la Goutte d’Or, Barbès, and Belleville neighborhoods with a Moroccan or Senegalese meal

FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY JULY 12, Normal class time and room

Course readings:

Apollinaire, Guillaume. Calligrammes. Paris: Gallimard, 1925, 1992 [1913-1916]. Aragon, Louis. “Mars à Vincennes.” Persécuté persécuteur. Paris: Stock, 1998 [1931]. Balzac, Honoré de. Histoire des Treize. Paris: Pocket, 1992 [1833-1835]. Barthes, Roland. La Tour Eiffel. [Rev. éd.]. Paris: CNP/Seuil, 1989. Baudelaire, Charles. Les Fleurs du mal. Paris: Larousse, 2011 [1857]. Beyala, Calixthe. Assèze l’Africaine. Paris: Albin Michel, 1994. Benjamin, Walter. Paris, Capitale du XIXe siècle. Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1989. Bréton, André. Nadja. Paris: Gallimard, 1964 [1928]. ---. “Manifeste du surréalisme.” 1924. ---, Paul Éluard, Réné Char et al. “Ne visitez pas l’Exposition Coloniale.” 1931. Camus, Albert. L’homme révolté. Paris: Gallimard, 1951. Certeau, Michel de. L’invention du quotidien 1. Arts de faire. Paris: Gallimard, 1990. Césaire, Aimé. “Jeunesse noir et assimilation.” L’Étudiant noir 1 (1935): 3. Dadié. Bernard. Un nègre à Paris. Paris: Présence Africaine, 1976 [1959]. Diderot, Denis, Jean Le Rond d’Alembert, and Alain Pons. Encyclopédie 1, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris: Flammarion, 1993 [1751- 1772]. Éluard, Paul. “Liberté.” 1942. Gouge, Olympe de. Déclaration des droits de la femme et de la citoyenne. 1791. Hazan, Eric. L’invention de Paris. Paris: Seuil, 2002. Hugo, Victor. “A l’Arc de Triomphe.” Les voix intérieures. 1837. Ionesco, Eugène. La cantatrice chauve suivi de La lécon. Paris: Gallimard, 1972 [1950]. Jouet, Jacques. Poèmes du métro. Paris: P.O.L., 2000. [www.pol editeur.com/pdf/5574.pdf] Lecoq, Benoît. “Le café.” Les lieux de mémoire, Vol. III Tome II. Pierre Nora Ed. Paris: Gallimard, 1992. Maupassant, Guy de. “La Parure.” Paris: Poche, 1995 [1884]. Némirovsky, Irène, and Myriam Anissimov. Suite française - Prix Renaudot 2004. Paris: Folio, 2006. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Discours sur l’origine et les fondements de l’inégalité parmi les hommes. Paris: Gallimard, 1965 [1754]. Sartre, Jean Paul. “Orphée noir.” Anthologie de la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française. Paris: PUF, 1948. ---. Situations, III. Paris: Gallimard, 1949. Sandouillet, Michel. “Dada à Paris.” Cahiers de l’Association internationale pour l’étude de DADA et du surréalisme. No. 1 (Oct. 1966) 16-30. Senghor, Léopold Sédar. The Collected Poetry. Charlottesville: The University Press of Virginia, 1991 [1945]. Socé, Ousmane. Mirages de Paris. Paris: Nouvelles Éditions Latines, 1964 [1937]. Tournier, Michel. La goutte d’or. Paris: Gallimard, 1986. Zola, Émile. La Curée. Paris: Gallimard, 1981 [1872].

Déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen. 26 août 1789.

Additional Readings :

Theoretical works Roger Caillois, “Paris, mythe moderne », in Le Mythe et l’homme, Gallimard/Folio essais, 1987. Jean-Paul Clébert, La Littérature à Paris, Larousse, 1999. Magazine littéraire n °332, “Paris des écrivains », Magazine littéraire, 1995.

Literary descriptions of Paris Théophile Gautier, Paris et les Parisiens, Boîte à documents, 1996. Joris-Karl Huysmans, Croquis parisiens, Bibliothèque des arts, 1994. Louis-Sébastien Mercier, Le Tableau de Paris, La Découverte/poche, 1998. Restif de la Bretonne, Les Nuits de Paris, Gallimard/folio, 1986.

Paris in 20th century poetry André Breton, Poison soluble, Gallimard/poésie, 1996. Yves Martin, Le Partisan. Le Marcheur, Table ronde, 1996. Jacques Réda, Les Ruines de Paris, Gallimard/Poésie, 1993.

Paris in classical literature novels Honoré de Balzac, Le Père Goriot, Gallimard/Folio, 1999. Alexandre Dumas, Les Mohicans de Paris, deux volumes sous coffret, Gallimard, 1998. Gustave Flaubert, L’Éducation sentimentale, Gallimard/Folio, 1972. Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame-de-Paris, Gallimard/Folio classique, 1989. Gérard de Nerval, “Les faux-saulniers”in Œuvres complètes, tome 2, Gallimard/Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, 1984. Eugène Sue, Les Mystères de Paris, Robert Laffont/Bouquins, 1999. Jules Verne, Paris au XXe siècle, Hachette/Le Livre de poche, 1996. Émile Zola, L’Assommoir, Gallimard/Folio classique, 1999.

Paris in 20th century novels Guillaume Apollinaire, Le Flâneur des deux rives, Gallimard/Imaginaire, 1993. Marcel Aymé, Le Passe-muraille, Gallimard/Folio, 1982. Joseph Delteil, Les Chats de Paris, Les Éditions de Paris, 1994. Eugène Dabit, Hôtel du Nord, Gallimard/Folio, 1990. Patrick Modiano, La Petite Bijou, Gallimard, 2001. Patrick Modiano, La Place de l’Étoile, Gallimard/Folio, 1975. Jacques Réda, Le Méridien de Paris, Fata Morgana, 1998. Philippe Soupault, Les Dernières nuits de Paris, Gallimard/Imaginaire, 1997. Boris Vian, Manuel de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Hachette/Le livre de poche, 2001.