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Academic Year 2005/2006

The Mirror in the Text
FREN 397 FA

The organizing topic of this course focuses on questions of repetition, of memory, of amnesia and of the role mirrors play in the creation of memory and of literature. Rhetorical, structural, and psychological aspects of these themes will be studied in a variety of texts. Marc TADIE says: "It's memory that makes man." Marc and Jean-Yves TADIE have published a book called LE SENS DE LA MEMOIRE, in which they study questions of memory from a scientific as well as literary point of view. What is seen and believed in mirrors? What role do mirrors play in memory of the self? Ovid's NARCISSUS is an example of seeing, believing, and creating erroneous conclusions about his reflection. "Fantastique" short stories reveal a variety of responses when protagonists look into mirrors. Topics relating to symmetry, as well as assymetry, important in the history of art (see Balzac's short stories), in music , and cinema, relate to form, function and the significance of the construction--as well as the de-construction--of the self. Marguerite Duras's novel and film on HIROSHIMA are telling in this regard. In the 20th century, the subject of amnesia is often related to war experiences. Giraudoux's and Anouilh's plays reveal this phenomenon. Ultimately, in this course, we will attempt to analyze works that question the representation of reality in texts that show the workings of memory as well as the phenomenon of forgetting.

MAJOR READINGS

Ovid, LES METAMORPHOSES
Balzac, SARRASINE, LE CHEF-D'OEUVRE INCONNU
Selected CONTES FANTASTIQUES
Proust, COMBRAY
Giraudoux, SIEGFRIED
Drieu la Rochelle, LA VALISE VIDE
Anouilh, LE VOYAGEUR SANS BAGAGE
Duras, HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR
Modiano, DU PLUS LOIN DE L'OUBLI

EXAMINATIONS AND ASSIGNMENTS

A number of 2-page papers, oral presentations, and class discussion.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS and/or COMMENTS

Only COL students will be allowed to take this course CR/U. Students will be asked to lead class discussions and should be prepared to participate actively. Their final grade depends, to a large degree, upon class participation.

This is an upper-level course intended for students who have completed two French courses numbered between 220 and 299, or who have studied abroad in a French-speaking country for at least a semester.

COURSE FORMAT: Seminar

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Level: UGRD    Credit: 1    Gen Ed Area Dept: HA RLAN    Grading Mode: Graded   

Prerequisites: NONE Links to Web Resources For This Course.

Last Updated on MAR-30-2006

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