MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY FRENCH LITERATURE

The class of "Littérature française" is one of the main classes of French of the Master Degree Course in European, American and post-colonial languages and literatures. It allows students to acquire an advanced knowledge of the history of French literature as well as mastery of theoretical-critical methodologies.

Teaching objectives:
Through a course structured in graduated training stages, students will be able to deal with complex literary and critical texts in French (to read, analyze, interpret and place them in their respective historical-cultural contexts) and to master the techniques related to literary studies and textual analysis (philology, history of genres, poetry, rhetoric, hermeneutics, stylistics, reception, theoretical-literary terminology

1. Knowledge and understanding
Knowledge of the historical and cultural context covered by the program ; knowledge of the history of classical and modern French poetics; knowledge of applied criticism.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
Ability to read, understand, analyze, interpret and situate in their respective historical-cultural contexts ancient and modern critical texts.
3. Ability to make judgments
Ability to evaluate different approaches, methods and interpretations of the texts under consideration; ability to exercise critical spirit and analytical skills; ability to navigate among different critical perspectives.
4. Communication skills
Ability to expound problems and analyses concerning the subject program with logical and chronological rigor, and to express concepts with clarity and terminological precision.
5. Learning skills
Ability to synthesize, connect, order, convey ideas, forms and data.

Knowledge of the general frameworks of the history of modern French literature acquired through the basic literary teachings of the three-year degree course in Languages, civilizations and language sciences.
Since the course is given in French, a mastery of the French language (written and oral) is required at level C1 of the CEFR, also in view of the examination.

Decisive moment, rupture in time, an event that is immediately poetic or potentially so, the epiphany played a key role in aesthetic developments between the 19th and 20th centuries. Originating in the religious sphere and intersecting with the notion of the sublime, the concept has spread into the literary field to the point of becoming elusive. What exactly does it designate? This seminar aims to revisit the origins of the concept, its shifting geography, its multiple transformations, changes in terminology, elastic definitions, and inherent ambiguities.

A selection of excerpts will be offered alongside full readings. A bibliography will be made available on the Moodle platform.

- Diderot, choix de textes
- Rousseau, choix de textes
- Wordsworth, choix de textes
- De Staël, « Les statues et les tableaux », Corinne ou l’Italie
- Baudelaire, choix de textes
- Flaubert, Un cœur simple
- Rimbaud, Les Illuminations
- Huysmans, Là-bas
- Proust, choix de textes
- Sarraute, Enfance
- Duras, Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein
- Ponge, La Rage de l’expression
- Michon, « Vie de Georges Bandy »

The test includes two complementary phases:
1. A paper (written in French) is to be handed in at least seven days before the oral test (50% of the assessment).
It should be around 15 pages, and will carry on a topic of your choice related to the course subject, to be agreed mainly with the lecturer. Setting, bibliographical tools, writing methods and typographical standards will be communicated during class.
2. An oral test in French on the subjects discussed during the course (50% of the grade).

oral

The minimum grade is 18, the maximum grade is 30 with honors.

Regarding the grading scale (criteria for assigning grades):

* 18–22: sufficient knowledge of the content; limited ability to discuss independently; limited knowledge of basic textual analysis tools; limited knowledge of the author's poetics; limited knowledge of the historical-cultural context and the issues present in the texts.

* 23–26: fair knowledge of the content; fair ability to discuss independently; fair knowledge of basic textual analysis tools; fair knowledge of the author's poetics; fair knowledge of the historical-cultural context and the issues present in the texts.

* 27–30: good or excellent knowledge of the content; good or excellent ability to discuss independently; good or excellent knowledge of basic textual analysis tools; good or excellent knowledge of the author's poetics; good or excellent knowledge of the historical-cultural context and the issues present in the texts.

* 30 with honors: honors are awarded when the knowledge of the content, the ability to discuss independently, the knowledge of basic textual analysis tools, the knowledge of the author's poetics, and the knowledge of the historical-cultural context and the issues present in the texts are all outstanding

Frontal lectures in French will be enriched by moments of exchange and shared reflection with students, on the topics covered. All teaching materials (texts and in-depth studies) uploaded during the course on the Moodle platform will be subject of study and their knowledge will be verified at the exam.

More details and additional critical bibliography will be provided in class. The literary corpus analyzed will consist of the main texts mentioned above and a selection of passages indicated in the syllabus or provided by the lecturer.
Lectures will be given in French.