OVERVIEW

The course is divided into two parts:

• First semester (36 hours): “Literature and the Press from the Revolution to the End of the 19th Century.”
  In 19th-century France, the development of literature was closely connected to that of journalism. The course will examine literary movements and authors in relation to their practice of literary journalism. Anthological readings and complete works will focus on the writers’ journalistic activity and the reception of their works in the periodical press.
• Second semester (18 hours): “Literature and Cinema.”
  The course explores the connections between music and cinema, with particular attention to the film adaptation of 19th-century literary works.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the student has a satisfactory knowledge of general issues and individual aspects of the history of literature. He/she is able to understand and translate texts in the original language, has acquired the basic theoretical knowledge necessary for the critical interpretation of their contents and is able to comment on and expound texts according to specific methodologies for the analysis of literary texts.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Attendance and active participation in the proposed training activities and individual study will enable the student to:

- know the general outlines of the development of nineteenth-century French culture;

- know the general outlines of the history of nineteenth-century literature;

- be able to read and understand texts in French;

- use analytical methods and tools to interpret texts;

- contextualize literary productions in the relevant culture and historical period;

- develop group work strategies.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of the history of Ancien Régime literature. Knowledge of the French language at the B1 level of the QCFR.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures during which multimedia tools and aids will also be used. Group textual and intermediate analysis activities are planned. The performance of these activities will be evaluated and may be worth up to a maximum of two points to the final grade.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

FIRST PART: “Literature and the Press from the Revolution to the End of the 19th Century” (36 hours – 6 ECTS – first semester)

The course will focus on presenting the relationship between the development of the periodical press and literary writing and publishing in the 19th century. The main cultural elements that shaped the specificity of French culture during this period will be examined: the emergence of the modern idea of the nation, the birth and development of the press, and the rise of literary modernity. Constant reference will be made to the reading of theoretical and literary texts.

Course topics:

1. History of the press in France from the Revolution to the end of the 19th century
2. Literary forms connected to newspapers: the serial novel (roman-feuilleton) and reportage
3. The different literary movements and their use of the press: Romanticism, Realism, Naturalism
4. Writer-journalists: Théophile Gautier, George Sand, Balzac, Delphine de Girardin, Séverine, Maupassant, Zola

Required complete readings:

• Alexandre Dumas père, Black, any edition
• Guy de Maupassant, Bel-Ami, any edition

SECOND PART: “Literature and Cinema” (18 hours – 3 ECTS – second semester)

The course explores the relationship between cinema and literature. Work will be based on extracts from 19th-century works such as Madame Bovary, Bel-Ami, and Germinal.

There is no difference between the syllabus for attending and non-attending students.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All documents used during lectures and other supporting teaching materials will be available on Aulaweb.

The books below are suggested as study support texts that the student can consult to check the adequacy of his or her preparation for the exam. 

TEXTS

The history of literature textbooks indicated are in the library and should be used in relation to the course topic:

- La littérature et la presse des Lumières à l'Affaire Dreyfus. (1789-1899). Histoire de la littérature française, GF Flammarion, 1996

- M. Delon, R. Mauzi et S. Menant, De l'Encyclopédie aux Méditations (Pt. I et II) ; 

- M. Milner et C. Pichois, De Chateaubriand à Baudelaire (Pt. I et II) ; 

- M. Décaudin et D. Leuwers, De Zola à Apollinaire (Pt. I and II).

- X. Darcos, Histoire de la littérature française, Hachette, 2019

- Histoire de la France littéraire, Paris, PUF, 2006 (vol. 3 " Modernités. XIXe-XXe siècles ", the first part)

- D. Bergez, Précis de littérature française, Paris, A. Colin, 2010.

REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN LITERATURE AND JOURNALISM FROM 1789 TO 1899

• Abraham P., Histoire littéraire de la France, Tome III de 1715 à 1789, Tome IV de 1789 à 1848, Tome V de 1948 à 1913, Paris, Messidor Les éditions sociales, 1973. 
• M. Boucharenc, D. Martens & L. van Nuijs (dir.), Croisées de la fiction. Journalisme et littérature, Interférences littéraires, n° 7 - novembre 2011. URL: http://http://www.interferenceslitteraires.be 
• B. Diaz, « Stendhal face à la presse de son temps » in M.-È. Thérenty, A. Vaillant (éds), Presses et plumes. Cit., p. 28-46. 
• L. Gonon, « De l’influence d’un style du fait divers criminel, sur le roman au XIXe siècle », dans Interférences littéraires/Literaire interferenties, nouvelle série, n° 7, p. 63-80. 
• M.-F. Melmoux-Montaubin, L'Ecrivain journaliste au XIXe siècle : un mutant des Lettres, Les Cahiers intempestifs, 2003. 
• G. Pinson, « L’imaginaire médiatique. Réflexions sur les représentations du journalisme au XIXe siècle », COnTEXTES, 11 | 2012, mis en ligne le 16 mai 2012, URL : http://contextes.revues.org/5306. 
• G. Pinson, « L’impossible panorama : l’histoire fragmentée du journal au XIXe siècle », Études françaises, vol. 44, n° 3, 2008, p. 109-119. URL: http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/019535ar. 
• M. Stein, Hugo journaliste. Articles et chroniques, Paris, GF Flammarion, 2014. 
• M.-È. Thérenty, Pour une histoire littéraire de la presse au XIXe siècle, « Revue d'histoire littéraire de la France » 2003/3 Vol. 103, p.625-635. URL: http://www.cairn.info/revue-d-histoire-litteraire-de-la-france-2003-3-page-625.htm. 
• M.-È. Thérenty, A. Vaillant (éds), Presses et plumes. Journalisme et littérature au XIXe siècle, Paris, Nouveau Monde Éd., 2004. 
• M.-È. Thérenty, Balzac journaliste. Articles et chroniques, Paris, GF Flammarion, 2014. 
• M.-È. Thérenty (dir.). George Sand journaliste, Saint-Étienne : Presses universitaires de Saint-Étienne, 2011 Disponible sur Internet : <http://books.openedition.org/puse/1013&gt;
• A. Vaillant, Baudelaire journaliste. Articles et chroniques, Paris, GF Flammarion, 2011. 
• A. Wrona, Zola Journaliste. Articles et chroniques, Paris, GF Flammarion, 2011. 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

lessons start on :

Schedule first semester:

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral examination by interview in the French language.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The oral examination will test the effective acquisition of basic knowledge of nineteenth-century French culture and literature, the development of the periodical press in France, literary movements and authors in relation to their practice of literary journalism.

Analytical skills of literary text will be tested by reading and commenting on a text, with a preparation time (1 hour).

The interview will also focus on the reading of the full texts and will aim to assess not only whether the student has achieved an adequate level of knowledge, but also whether he/she has acquired the ability to contextualise the texts in the historical and cultural period in which they were written.

Expository capacity and precision in the use of the specific language of the discipline will also be assessed.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Registration required on aulaweb.

Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.