FREN 3205 - Introduction to French and Francophone Literature

This course introduces students to the study of literature through a focus on canonical and popular literary texts. Although the specific focus of the course will vary from semester to semester, you can expect to encounter a broad range of genres and historical periods. This course is designed to be a forum where students can use their encounter with literature to hone their language skills in the areas of speaking, writing, listening and reading. The course will focus on various fiction (novel, poetry, theatre) and non-fiction texts from France and French-speaking countries and regions outside of France, adopting a global perspective including the socio-economic and political realities and the cultural and artistic climate of the Francophone world in all its diversity. Students will have the opportunity to read and analyse several texts during the semester, in their entirety or through excerpts, and to discuss issues important for understanding French and Francophone societies from the Middle Ages to the present. Each week or fortnight will be devoted to the study of a particular movement, idea or literary trend and its stylistic and linguistic specificities, to understand its mechanisms and determine the impact it has had in its given period and geography.