French

[For more information about major requirements, see Classical and Romance Languages and Literature]

Click here for Fall 1999 semester Explanatory Notes from the French department

The major in French aims at flexibility within a structure that affords a diversity of experience in Francophonic culture and literature and continuous training in the use of the language. It provides effective preparation for graduate work, but is not conceived as strictly pre-professional. The usefulness of French is highlighted by the College's proximity to Québec and by the significant number of Franco-Americans who live and work in northern New England. In addition to the ten centuries of a rich and varied literature in France, the writers of such Francophonic areas as North Africa, black West Africa, the Caribbean, and Québec have impressed the literary world with their dynamism and insights.

Major Requirements. Students may select a major in French language and culture or a major in Francophone cultural studies.

I. French Language and Culture. A major in French language and culture consists of a minimum of ten courses which must include: a) French 250 or 251; b) three courses from French 205, 235, 270, 271, or 305; c) one course from French 351, 352, or 353; d) French 354 and 355; e) French 240 and 261. A student may request the department to substitute a Short Term unit for one of the courses above. The department normally allows only four courses taken in a study- abroad program to count toward the major in French. Fluent and correct use of the language is essential to the completion of the major. All senior majors in French language and culture must pass, during the second semester, a comprehensive examination testing advanced proficiency in the language and knowledge of the literature and civilization. All senior majors in French language and culture must also assemble a portfolio of their work in the major and defend it in French before the faculty at the end of the second semester of their senior year. This portfolio may contain several papers from courses taken at Bates or abroad, a journal of a study-abroad or travel experience, several cassette recordings to show progress in oral proficiency, or personal reflections upon the major in French. Honors candidates register for French 457-458.

II. Francophone Cultural Studies. In addition to seeking to enhance the proficiency level in French language, this major serves to develop deeper understanding of one or more of the significant French- speaking areas of the world outside of France: a) French-speaking Europe (Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg); b) Sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean; c) North America, particularly Québec and northern New England; d) North Africa, the Maghreb. This major encourages interdisciplinarity and examines cultural diversity and identity in these Francophone areas.

A major in Francophone cultural studies consists of a minimum of ten courses which must include: a) French 203; b) French 250 or 251; c) two courses from French 205, 235, 270, 271, or 305; d) French 240 or 261; e) one course from French 352, 353, 354, or 355; f) three courses in related subjects from such departments and programs as African American studies, anthropology, art, economics, history, music, philosophy and religion, political science, theater and rhetoric, and women's studies; these courses should be selected in close consultation with the major advisor and must receive approval from the department chair; and g) French 457 or 458.

A student may request the department to substitute a Short Term unit for one of the courses above. Honors candidates register for French 457-458.

Students majoring in Francophone cultural studies are strongly encouraged to study abroad in a country appropriate for their area of interest.

Courses

101-102. Elementary French I and II. In the first semester, emphasis is placed on oral proficiency with conversational practice in various aspects of contemporary French culture. Acquisition of vocabulary, basic grammar, and reading and writing skills. In the second semester, concentration on further development of these skills with short readings and films. French 101 is not open to students with two or more years of French in secondary school. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. L. D'Angelo. 201. Intermediate French I. Development of proficiency in speaking, with intensive review of grammar. Practice in reading and analyzing selected texts. Class discussions in French on both literary and cultural topics. Prerequisite(s): French 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. Staff.

202. Intermediate French II: Language and Culture of Modern France. This course aims to develop facility in speaking, reading, and writing French as well as familiarity with current French thought and cultural institutions. Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on such cultural material as magazine and newspaper articles, published interviews, videos, and appropriate works of current literature. Individual oral and written reports. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first- year students. Enrollment limited to 30. K. Read.

203. Introduction au Monde Francophone. This course aims to develop familiarity with the Francophone world as well as greater facility in speaking, reading, and writing French. The course presents the diversity of Francophone voices, such as those of Mariama Bâ (Sénégal), Bernard Dadié (Côte d'Ivoire), Aimé Césaire (Martinique), René Depestre (Haïti), Assia Djebar (Algérie), Roch Carrier (Québec), and Antonine Maillet (Acadie). Class discussions, conducted entirely in French, are based on a variety of cultural materials including newspaper and magazine articles, interviews, videos, and appropriate works of literature. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. R. Williamson.

205. Oral French. Designed to develop oral fluency and aural acuity. An introduction to French phonetics, diction, intonation, and elocution. Class discussion on topics of contemporary interest. Individual conferences with attention given to the particular difficulties of the student. Not open to those who have taken French s31. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. M. Rice-DeFosse, R. Williamson.

235. Advanced French Conversation. Designed to develop facility in conversing in idiomatic French with ease and fluency. Prerequisite(s): French 205. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. L. D'Angelo.

240. Introduction to French Studies. An examination of literature in its social, political, historical context with emphasis on the cultural interrelationship of text and society. Short critical papers and class discussion in French. Open to first-year students.

240B. "Mon pays, c'est l'hiver": Québec Culture and Literature. A study of the unique North American society of Québec with focus on its continual search for identity and independence. Some attention to the emigration of French Canadians to Maine and their influence. Reading and analysis of texts by such authors as Hémond, Godbout, Blais, Roy, Miron, Tremblay, and Lessard. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. R. Williamson.

240C. Problématiques de l'Identité. An examination of the problems of self and other in selected Francophone texts from the Caribbean and sub- Saharan Africa. Works by such authors as Fanon, Oyono, Césaire, Bâ, Confiant, Zobel, Sow Fall, and Condé are treated in the context of French colonialism and the postcolonial world. Issues of race and gender are discussed. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. R. Williamson.

250. 251. Introduction to French Literature I and II. An introduction to major French authors and forms of French literature through close readings, short papers, and discussion of texts selected from various periods of French literature. The purpose is to introduce the student to a critical approach to French literature. Although this is not a survey course, the first semester does concentrate on texts written before the French Revolution, and the second semester on texts written after 1800. Some attention is paid to the socioeconomic context of the works studied and to questions of gender. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. K. Read, R. Williamson.

261. French Civilization: The Changing Face of French Identity. What are the sources of contemporary French identity? This course traces the ways in which events have shaped French society and identity. Through various media (literature, art, film, television, popular culture, and the Internet), students explore the enduring importance of historical moments such as the conquest of Gaul, the Renaissance, the Edict of Nantes, the slave trade, the Revolution, the Dreyfus affair, and the two world wars. Consideration of the effects of immigration, European unity, relations within the postcolonial Francophone world, and new constructions of the self. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first- year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

270. Advanced French Grammar and Composition. An intensive review of French grammar with emphasis on developing facility in writing idiomatic French. Weekly compositions, written exercises, oral drills, and grammatical analysis of literary texts. Prerequisite(s): French 202 and 203. Open to first-year students. R. Williamson.

271. The Art of Translation. A study of the problems of translation. Passages from newspapers and journals and from literary, technical, and scientific works are translated and analyzed. Prerequisite(s): French 202 or 203. Open to first-year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

305. Cours Supérieur de Langue Française. An advanced course on the subtleties of oral French with particular attention to vocabulary acquisition and accent. Discussion of recent events in France and in Francophonic areas based on selected newspaper or journal articles. Recommended for senior majors and others who have studied in a French-speaking country. Prerequisite(s): French 235. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Williamson.

351. Early French Literature. "Literary Identity in Early French Literature." Reading and discussion of aspects of literary identity in medieval and Renaissance literature, with particular attention devoted to considerations of religion, gender, family and domestic concerns, and nationality. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. K. Read.

352. French Literature of the Seventeenth Century. "Woman writer/Women written." Reading and discussion of women writers of the seventeenth century with a focus on their important role in the formation of the novel. Secondary focus on women as heroines or titular characters in the works of male authors of the period. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. K. Read.

353. French Literature of the Eighteenth Century. A study of French literature of the eighteenth century. Students study major works by authors such as Marivaux, Diderot, Rousseau, Condorcet, Sade, Beaumarchais, and Gouges. This course is similar to History 223, which may be taken in its place upon approval of the department chair. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. M. Rice-DeFosse.

354. French Literature of the Nineteenth Century. This course explores a century of enormous political, socioeconomic, and cultural change through its literature. Students study such authors as Balzac, Sand, Flaubert, Nerval, Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Zola, Rachilde, and Huysmans. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. M. Rice-DeFosse.

355. French Literature of the Twentieth Century. From Proust's "new novel" at the beginning of the century to Duras's haunting fictions; from Apollinaire's lyrical ideograms to Bonnefoy's poetry of place; from Ubu roi of Jarry to Les Négres of Genet; from Le deuxième sexe of Simone de Beauvoir to Irigaray's Ce sexe qui n'en est pas un, the twentieth century in French literature has been marked by a spirit of adventure. This course attempts to capture that spirit and to understand it in its social and political context. Serious attention to questions of gender. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. Staff.

360. Independent Study. Independent study of individually selected topics. Periodic conferences and papers required. Permission of the department is required. Students are limited to one independent study per semester. Staff.

365. Special Topics. Designed for the small seminar group of students who may have particular interests in areas of study that go beyond the regular course offerings. Periodic conferences and papers are required. Written permission of the instructor is required.

365C. The Dynamics of the Durassian Love Cycle. Focusing on the theme of the couple and its life cycle, this literature and film course introduces students to the works of Marguerite Duras, one of contemporary France's most important and sometimes controversial writers, as well as to the works of several contemporary French filmmakers. The couple and the challenges it faces have been a central theme throughout Duras's oeuvre. The course begins with a detailed study of Duras's concept of the love cycle. Once a clear understanding of the love cycle has been established, the love-cycle concept is used as a tool to frame the analysis of several contemporary French films that focus on the life of the couple. Conducted in French. Prerequisite(s): one of the following: French 240, 250, 251, or 261. Open to first-year students. L. D'Angelo. 365D. Colon/Colonise: Recits de l'Experience Nord Africaine. This course studies the colonial, postcolonial, and immigrant experience of North Africans as portrayed in Francophone literature. Readings include narratives and journals from the beginning of the colonial period in Algeria (1830), as well as the contemporary novels and discourse of feminists such as Assia Djebar, Malika Mokkadem, and Leila Sebbar. Gender is often highlighted as a category of analysis. Conducted in French. Written permission of the instructor is required. K. Read

370. L' Individu Face à la Société. A study of the role of the individual in society in French literature written just prior to, during, and after the Revolution of 1789. The course explores issues of privilege and power, rights and responsibilities, nature and culture in works by authors such as Marivaux, Diderot, Beaumarchais, Sade, Nodier, Balzac, and Sand. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. Open to first-year students. M. Rice-DeFosse.

457. 458. Senior Thesis. Open only to senior majors, with departmental permission. Before registering for 457 or 458 a student must present to the department chair an acceptable plan, including an outline and a tentative bibliography, after discussion with a member of the department. Students register for French 457 in the fall semester and for French 458 in the winter semester. Senior majors register for 457 or 458 only, unless the department gives permission for a second semester's credit because the nature of the project warrants it. Majors writing an honors thesis register for both French 457 and 458. Staff.

Short Term Units

s25. The Grail Tale: An Annotated, Hypertext Version. From the late twelfth- century account by Chretien de Troyes to Wagner's Parsifal to the more modern versions of Monty Python and Indiana Jones, the search for the Holy Grail has inspired artists to retell the amazing and wonderful adventures of the Knights of the Round Table. After careful reading and study of Le conte du Graal, students create an annotated, hypertext version, using the Herren template designed for the Macintosh. Conducted in English. Prerequisite(s): reading knowledge of French. Recommended background: basic knowledge of the Macintosh. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Williamson.

s26. France fin de siècle. In a letter to a friend in 1886, André Derain declared: "We are the mushrooms of ancient dunghills." Why does the French expression, "fin de siècle," connote not just moral and physical degeneration, but also the possibility that a way of life, indeed a world, is coming to a close? As we quickly approach the end of the twentieth century, we may benefit from a look at French culture in the closing years of the nineteenth, what Huysmans denounced as "the ignoble spectacle of this fin de siècle." Was it truly the epitome of decadence (Huysmans, A rebours), of sexual anarchy (Zola, Nana and Rachilde, La Marquise de Sade), of neurotic stress (Rollinat, Les Névroses), of weird scientific inventions (Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, L'Eve future and Verne, Robur le conquerant) and of zenophobia (Drumont, La France Juive)? Or was it rather a time of intense innovation, of true novelty, in the arts, in dress, even in sports? Or was it merely unexceptional? Readings, films, and discussion in English. Those proficient in French are encouraged to read the texts in French. Open to first-year students. Enrollment is limited to 15. R. Williamson

s31. French Language and Culture in France. The unit includes language study with qualified native teachers; study of French life and institutions; organized visits to museums, historical monuments, and theatrical performances; and an end-of-term trip to Paris. Each student keeps a journal in French, which is used by the professor in evaluating progress in the unit. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Written permission of the instructor is required. Staff.

s32. The Cultures of Martinique: Cette île que l'on dit française. A total-immersion experience on the French-speaking island of Martinique. Intensive French language instruction, study and analysis of Martinique's different cultures, and visits to important historical and cultural sites. Readings selected from historical, cultural, and literary texts by such authors as Aimé Césaire, Edouard Glissant, Joseph Zobel, and Patrick Chamoiseau. Students keep a journal of their experience and complete a substantial project in an area of their interest. Recommended background: French 203. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first- year students. Enrollment limited to 8. Written permission of the instructor is required. R. Williamson.

s34. French Drama in Performance. A study and performance of scenes from French dramatic works from a variety of literary styles, movements, and eras. Students read, discuss, and perform dramatic works (or portions thereof) throughout the unit and then conceive and create a coherent production of portions of these plays to be presented in public to area high schools and colleges. Readings may include the works of Molière, Racine, Beaumarchais, De Musset, Ionesco, and Duras, which, though drawing on a wide range of time periods and approaches, are assimilated and reconciled under a common theme to be determined by the class. Conducted in French. Recommended background: adequate oral fluency in French, good reading comprehension. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. K. Read.

s35. French in Maine. A bilingual study of what it means to speak French and to be French in Maine. The unit explores the Franco-American heritage as well as contemporary expressions of Franco-American culture. It focuses on questions of language and identity through oral and written histories, interviews, newspaper articles, documentaries, literature, and music. Students visit local cultural sites and participate in an excursion to the St. John Valley and Québec. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 20. M. Rice-DeFosse.

s36. The Evolution of French Cinema. A study of the development of theme, structure, and technique in French film through the works of directors such as Vigo, Clair, Renoir, Resnais, Godard, Truffaut, Kurys, and Beneix. Conducted in French. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Written permission of the instructor is required. M. Rice-DeFosse.

s50. Individual Research. Registration in this unit is granted by the department only after the student has submitted a written proposal for a full-time research project to be completed during the Short Term and has secured the sponsorship of a member of the department to direct the study and evaluate results. Students are limited to one individual research unit. Staff.

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