This course fulfills literature requirements for students majoring or minoring in French.
Offered: Fall, Spring
Prerequisites: 01:420:132/137 or placement
Course Description: An introduction to French literature from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, via the Renaissance and the Classical Age. Readings include the Medieval tale La Châtelaine de Vergy as well as fiction by Rabelais and Voltaire; excerpts from Montaigne’s Essais and the 18th-century Encyclopédie; plays by Corneille and Molière; and poems by Labé, Ronsard, and La Fontaine. Building on the experience of 215/217 (recommended but not required), this course aims to allow students to understand and enjoy major works from an earlier era, while sharpening reading comprehension and essay-writing skills.
Course URL - A Canvas site will be available at the beginning of the semester.
Course objectives (aligned with Department of French Learning Goals)
- Introduce students to major works from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment,via the Renaissance and the Classical Age.
- Enhance students’ understanding of the cultural contexts in which those works were written.
- Introduce students to basic French critical terms and concepts for literary analysis.
- Sharpen skills for active reading comprehension, oral communication, and essay-writing in French.
Exams, Assignments, and Grading Policy
Students should expect to write a minimum of 10 pages in French during the term, as well as participate in class discussions and presentations. Midterm and final examinations monitor mastery of the readings and of rudimentary elements of literary history and analysis presented in the lectures. For most students, 216 completes the preparation necessary for upper division classes in French literature and culture.
Course Materials
216/218 Reader (shared with students via LMS)
Pierre Corneille, Le Cid. (Recommended edition Petits Classiques Larousse. ISBN-13: 978-2035865977)
Molière, Le Tartuffe. Recommended edition (Petits Classiques Larousse. ISBN-13: 978-2035859174)
Voltaire, L’Ingénu. (Recommended edition: Petits Classiques Larousse. ISBN-13: 978-2035861542)
