FRENCH (FRE-Arts and Science; Department of French and Italian)

404/504 The French Renaissance (3)

Study of major writers of prose and poetry in the French Renaissance, including Rabelais, Montaigne, Labé, Ronsard, and DuBellay. Offered infrequently.

411/511 French Civilization (3)

Historical evolution of French society, its art, architecture, institutions and philosophical outlook. Prerequisite: permission of instructor.

411W/511W French Civilization (3)

Offered only in the Summer French Program in Dijon, France. Historical survey of various aspects of French culture with special emphasis on local Burgundian civilization.

415/515 Advanced Composition (3)

Required of all French majors in their senior year, this course, which provides instruction in advanced French composition, is designed to complement FRE 410. Take concurrently with FRE 410.

423/523 Classical French Theatre of the 17th and 18th Centuries (3)

Analysis of major trends in comedy and tragedy in the French theatre of 17th and 18th centuries. Offered infrequently.

431/531 Studies in Contemporary French Thought in Translation (3)

Examination of major recent currents of French thought, such as existentialism, structuralism, and poststructuralism, with emphasis on their relation to the study of literary texts. Course content will vary. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing or permission of instructor. In English. Offered infrequently.

442/542 French Novel and ‘Conte’ of the 17th and 18th Centuries (3)

Readings in the prose fiction of Madame de LaFayette, Prévost, Marivaux, Rousseau, Diderot, and Laclos. Offered infrequently.

443/543 French Literature and Society (3)

Introduction to the literature and society of Medieval France. Study of literary texts and works of art, and hands-on experience with medieval manuscripts and materials used to make them. Conducted in French.

444/544 Seminar in Medieval French Studies (3)

Focuses on current criticism in the area of medieval French studies. Topics vary. Readings in French and English. Old French readings accompanied by modern French translations. Conducted in French.

451/551 19th Century Prose Fiction to 1850 (3)

Novels of Stendhal, Balzac, and Hugo; short narratives of Nodier, Gautier, and Mérimée. Offered infrequently.

452/552 The Romantic Movement in French Literature (3)

The development of romanticism in poetry and drama of France in the first half of the 19th century. Offered infrequently.

453/553 French Poetry from Baudelaire to Valery (3)

spects of modernism in the works of five major poets of 19th century and early 20th century: Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Mallarme, Valéry. Offered infrequently.

454/554 The French Realist and Naturalist Novel: Flaubert to Zola (2)

Study of theme and literary form in major French realist and naturalist writers of the second half of the 19th century. Offered infrequently.

460/560 Topics in French Cinema (3)

In-depth and concentrated study of French cinema. Focus on specific topics such as film’s relation to society, its relation to the other arts and artistic movements, and its productive role as an object of philosophical thought. Topics may also include the work of particular directors, historical periods, and comparative social and aesthetic studies. Taught in English translation. Available in French for French majors and French graduate students. Cross-listed with FST 460/560.

462/562 The 20th Century Novel: Contemporary Explorations Beyond Existentialism (3)

Study of the novel’s most recent attempts to redefine itself. Texts include works by Ciline, Leiris, Beckett, Robbe-Grillet, Queneau, Sarraute. Offered infrequently.

600 Seminar in French Literature (1-4)

Intensive study of selected authors and critical perspectives. Recent offerings included:

600A Literature and Loss

Examines the relations between loss and writing, especially in literary texts. How do different works conceptualize, confront, and attempt to palliate the problems of loss? Texts by Sophocles, Ovid, Chateaubriand, Musset, Nerval, and Claude Simon, along with theoretical and historical writings by Abraham and Torok, Philippe Aries, Baudrilland, Guy Debord, Blanchot, Freud, Hegel, Heidegger, Lacan, Emmanuel Levinas.

614 Introduction to the Study of French Literature (3)

Introduction to concepts of literary history and assumptions and practices of literary criticism by studying significant examples of literary theory.

617/618 Intensive Course for Graduate Students (3,3)

Provides reading knowledge of French for graduate students in other disciplines. (617) No speaking component in this course. Vocabulary building, through readings, with emphasis on French grammar for recognition purposes. (618) Readings of increasing difficulty with emphasis on idiomatic usage in student’s own discipline.

680 Independent Study (1-6)

Independent work in French literature or language.

689 TA Orientation Seminar (1)

Required of new graduate assistants. Directly coordinated with organization of the beginning French course and deals with practical problems involved in this method of language instruction.

700 Research for Master’s Thesis (1-10; usually 6)