Bates College: The College Catalog: Classical and Romance Languages and Literature: French

The material on this page is from the 2000-01 catalog and may be out of date. Please check the current year's catalog for current information.

French

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

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.

French Language and Culture.

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.

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 that 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.

Pass/Fail Grading Option. There are no restrictions on the use of the pass/fail option within the major or secondary concentration.

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, and on the acquisition of vocabulary, basic grammar, and reading and writing skills. In the second semester, students concentrate 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. R. Williamson, K. Read.

201. Intermediate French I. The course focuses on proficiency in speaking, with intensive review of grammar. Students read and analyze selected texts. Class discussions in French explore both literary and cultural topics. Prerequisite(s): French 102. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 22 per section. F. Coussin-Deininger, M. Rice-DeFosse.

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. Students prepare oral and written reports. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 30. R. Williamson.

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. K. Read.

205. Oral French. Designed to develop oral fluency and aural acuity, the course introduces French phonetics, diction, intonation, and elocution. Students discuss topics of contemporary interest. In individual conferences, attention is 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. F. Coussin-Deininger, K. Read.

235. Advanced French Language. The course is designed to develop facility in conversing in idiomatic French with ease and fluency. Students review linguistic structures with attention to correct written expression. Prerequisite(s): French 205. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 15. R. Williamson.

240. Introduction to French Studies. In this course, students examine literature in its social, political, historical context with emphasis on the cultural interrelationship of text and society through short critical papers and class discussion in French. Open to first-year students.

240B. "Mon pays, c'est l'hiver": Québec Culture and Literature.

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.

240D. La France et les Français à l'aube de l'an 2000: liberté, égalité, fraternité? A study of recent changes in French society with focus on the family and youth. Readings are selected from selected texts published during the last twenty years by such authors as Annie Ernaux, Dan Franck, Hervé Guibert, Alexandre Jardin, Amélie Norhomb, and Leïla Sebbar. In addition to these literary texts, students also study the phenomenon of a cultural identity crisis in France through an analysis of such recent films as Les Nuits fauves, La Crise, Gazon Maudit, Bye-bye, and La Haine and through a study of contemporary French music. Conducted in French. Open to first-year students. F. Coussin-Deininger.

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. M. Rice-DeFosse.

261. French Civilization: The Changing Face of 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. Students consider 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, through 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. Translation: Theory and Practice. 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. Discussions of recent events in France and in Francophonic areas are 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. Attention is given to 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. 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 Nègres 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 is given to questions of gender. Prerequisite(s): French 250 or 251. R. Williamson.

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.

365A. Femmes, Ecrivaines.

365D. Colon/Colonisé: Récits de l'Expérience 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. Written permission of the instructor is required. K. Read.

365E. Oppression, Exile et Refuge: Togo. This course, taught in French, explores the struggle for democratization in Africa in the case of Togo. Themes include: the history of Togo’s colonization and independence; the rise of dictatorship, democratic opposition and oppression, life in refugee camps, and the search for possible solutions. Taught by Andre Teko, law professor from Togo, and political refugee living in Lewiston. Recommended background: fluency in French reading, writing, and speaking. A. Teko.

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 semesterÕs 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

s26. France fin de siècle. In a letter to a friend in 1886, André Dérain 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 begin the twenty-first 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 Nervoses), of weird scientific inventions (Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, L'Eve future and Verne, Robur le conquérant), and of xenophobia (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 limited to 15. R. Williamson.

s30. Retracing the Pilgrimage Route. Of the three great pilgrimage routes in the Middle Ages the one leading from various locations in central France to the tomb of St. James in Santiago, Spain continues to attract much attention. To the faithful the experience of enduring the hardships of such a long walk was just as vital as finally praying on the tomb. In this unit, we retrace, on mountain bikes, the 1,400KM route from Pau to Santiago and explore the important role of the pilgrimage in medieval art, literature, and culture. Prerequisite(s): two years of college-level French or Spanish. This unit is the same as Spanish s30. F. Lopez, 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 Moliere, 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. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Recommended background: adequate oral fluency in French, good reading comprehension. 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. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Open to first-year students. Enrollment limited to 25. Written permission of the instructor is required. M. Rice-DeFosse.

s38. Des Dinosaures et des Eléphants. In this unit, students engage in the cultural disputes both between and within the United States and France. Claude Berri's French epic film Germinal was made with a huge, nationally-subsidized budget and was destined to reanimate the French cinema. What were the consequences when its premiere coincided with the arrival of the very American import, Jurassic Park? The films are metaphors for the French, underdog film industry struggling against the monstrous, omnivorous American action movie. The unit analyzes a number of cultural debates: What can we learn from the way American directors remake popular French films, such as Three Men and a Baby versus Trois Hommes et un Couffin? Are the popular children's heroes Babar and Tin-Tin standard-bearers for the "glories" of French colonialism, or charming, innocent, storytime companions? How do these two cultures use fiction (both text and film) to address social issues differently? Discussion and most readings in French. Prerequisite(s): French 201. Enrollment limited to 30. K. Read.

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.