Download an Introduction to French History and Culture through Literature

COURSE SYLLABUS
Title: From
Montesquieu to Hugo : an introduction to French history and culture
through literature
Professor: Dr Florence GAILLET
Credits: 8
Language of instruction: English
Course objectives:
-to familiarize students with the major French writers of the Enlightenment and the first half of the
19th century
- to read and analyze extracts / books and understand how they reflect the main social and cultural
trends of their time
-to provide students with an understanding of the main literary and intellectual movements of the
period
-to give students an overview of French history from the 1720s to the middle of the 19th century, and
in particular, to provide them with an understanding of the French revolution of 1789.
Course description: Based on the study of extracts from the writings of prominent French writers
from the 1720s to the middle of the 19th century, this course is an introduction to French history and
culture through literature. Enabling students to discover major French writers and thinkers, the
seminars also provide knowledge of a vibrant period marked by the emergence of new ideas and, of
course, the 1789 Revolution. Tracing back the origins of some of the cultural and social trends that
still shape France today, the course also ultimately provides students with keys to a better
understanding of the country in which they are studying.
Overview of the authors / periods studied in the seminars:
-The French "philosophes" of the 18th century: Montesquieu, Voltaire (with a focus on Candide),
Diderot (and the Encyclopedia), Rousseau (with a focus on his Confessions)
-Choderlos de Laclos, Dangerous Liaisons
-The French Revolution and its legacies, both in France and in Britain
-The 1830 July Revolution, the 1832 uprising: Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
To complement the readings, students will also be shown movies (a short one on Candide; Stephen
Frears' Dangerous Liaisons, and a version of Les Misérables)
Bibliography: Students are provided with all the necessary reading materials.
In addition to the writings of the authors mentioned above, reference will be made to the following:
CENSER, Jack R., and HUNT, Lynn, eds., "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. Exploring the French Revolution"
(http://chnm.gmu.edu/revolution/): a very useful website, providing valuable background
information (notably through topical essays and a timeline) and granting access to a wealth of
primary documents
CHARTIER, Roger, The Cultural Origins of the French Revolution, trans. L.G. Cochrane, Durham (North
Carolina): Duke University Press, 1991.
Evaluation: The course evaluation will be a combination of continuous assessment and a final
examination:
Continuous assessment will be based on:
-- commitment to the course: attendance, substantial reading done to prepare for each class
(background reading and/ or extracts from literary works), and active participation in class
-- short presentations given in class (e.g. on paintings, an author, a book, etc…),
Final examination: written exam (3 short questions requiring 250-word answers).
Available on moodle: to be determined