OVERVIEW

The course analyses the evolution of the novel in France from the end of the 19th century to the dawn of the 21st century. Always starting from the inclusion of authors and works within the historical and cultural context that forms their background, it addresses the figures, currents and main artistic and literary movements through the analysis of anthological excerpts, read and commented in class, taken from the most significant works. The programme includes at least four integral readings (6CFU) ; one more for 9 CFU. Material in the form of handouts will be available on aulaweb. Non-attending students will choose two textbooks from those proposed in the bibliography and will read the complete works.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students will know the general lines of the history of French literary culture in the XXth century, with particular regard to the evolution of the narrative genre.  They will be able to read and understand texts in French and, by the use of narratological methods and tools, to interpret the works of the main authors, contextualizing them in the culture and historical period of reference.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

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

- have solid knowledge on the general lines of twentieth century French cultural and literary history;

- have solid knowledge of the evolution of the narrative genre during the XXth century ; 

- read and understand complex texts;

- contextualizing literary productions in culture and in the historical period of reference.

- know how to use the methods and basic tools of the narratological analysis;

- use basic analytical methods and tools to interpret the works of the main authors.

TEACHING METHODS

Teaching will take place online with a weekly meeting in synchronous mode (lessons on Teams), and with the provision of content and materials on the Aulaweb platform. Group and flipped classroom activities are planned.

Students who participate in the lessons, online activities and group work may receive a bonus of up to two points on their final exam grade.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course aims to follow the evolution and development of the novel in France in the XXth century.  It deals with the main authors and currents through the analysis of anthological passages, read and commented during the course, taken from the most significant works.

The 3 CFU extension (18 hours in the first semester) will focus on the French novel extrême contemporain. Unabridged reading to be chosen from: M. Chaillou, 1945; P. Senges, Environs et mesures; C. Gailly, Be-bop.

CONTENTS

PROGRAM FOR ATTENDING STUDENTS

PARCOURS DANS LE ROMAN FRANÇAIS AU XXe SIECLE : auteurs et mouvements principaux affrontés :

• Le roman à la fin du XIXe siècle : le Naturalisme et la Décadence
• La première génération : M. Proust, A. Gide
• Le roman entre les deux guerres mondiales : G. Bernanos, A. Malraux, L.F. Céline
• Le roman surréaliste
• Le roman après la deuxième guerre mondiale :
  • Les tendances existentialistes : J.-P. Sartre, A. Camus
  • Le Nouveau Roman : A. Robbe-Grillet, M. Butor, N. Sarraute 
  • L’OuLiPo : G. Perec, R. Queneau
• Le roman à partir des années 1980.

ANTHOLOGICAL READINGS: the texts that will be read and analyzed during the lessons will be published on the aulaweb and will constitute exam material for the attending students. The final list of readings will be published on aulaweb at the end of the course.

INTEGRAL READINGS: For 6 CFU : the programme includes at least four integral readings. For 9 CFU : one more to be chosen among : M. Chaillou, 1945; P. Senges, Environs et mesures; C. Gailly, Be-bop. 

GROUP WORKS for the analysis of the integral readings and for the content of the course will take place during the entire duration of the course for attending students. How to participate and the contents will be illustrated in class and will be on aulaweb.

PROGRAM FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS

History of 20th Century French literature with a particular regard to the evolution of the novel. Students who do not attend will choose two manuals from those proposed in the bibliography and read the three works mentioned below.
INTEGRAL READINGS: The programme includes at least four integral readings.  For 9 CFU : one more to be chosen among M. Chaillou, 1945; P. Senges, Environs et mesures; C. Gailly, Be-bop. 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All documents used during the lessons and other teaching materials will be available on aul@web.

The books listed below are suggested as support texts for the attending students; one manuel from each list is mandatory for not attending students. The manuals must be used in relation to the subject of the course: PARCOURS DANS LE ROMAN FRANÇAIS AU XXe SIECLE 

Manuali di Storia della letteratura francese

• Histoire de la France littéraire, Tome 3, « Modernités XIXe et XXe siècles », Paris, PUF, 2006
• Histoire de la littérature française, Tome 8 – « De Zola à Apollinaire » et tome 9 « Du Surréalisme à l'empire de la critique », Paris, GF Flammarion.

Manuali di Storia e di analisi del genere narrativo

• B. Blanckeman, Le roman depuis la Révolution française, PUF 2011
• M. Raimond, Le roman depuis la Révolution, Paris, A. Colin
• P. Chartier, Introduction aux grandes théories du roman, Paris, Bordas, 2003
• Y. Reuter, Introduction à l’analyse du roman, Paris, Dunod, 1996
• V. Jouve, La poétique du roman, Paris, Sedes, 1999

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CHIARA ROLLA (President)

ELISA BRICCO

MARIE GABORIAUD (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

12th october 2022

Class schedule

FRENCH LITERATURE AND CULTURE III

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist of an oral examination in French on the contents of the course, through questions formulated by the Commission.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For attending students:

The candidate must choose an anthological extract from those scheduled and will have some minutes to prepare it. Following the presentation of the contents of the text, at least one question will be asked to the candidate concerning the readings. In the assessment of the exam will be taken into account, as well as the knowledge of the program to be performed (topics covered in class, reading and analysis of texts proposed during lessons, materials made available on the platform aulaweb and readings of the full texts), also of the exhibition capacity and accuracy in the use of the specific language of the discipline.

For non-attending students:

The candidate must demonstrate: to know the history of twentieth century French literature; to know the evolution of the novelin French literature during  the twentieth century ; to have carried out the readings of complete works and to be able to expose the contents, the literary and generic characteristics, the authorial and stylistic specificities. In the assessment of the exam will take into account, as well as the knowledge of the program to be carried out, also the exhibition capacity and accuracy in the use of the specific language of the discipline.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students with a certified DSA, disability or other special educational needs are advised to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course in order to agree on teaching and examination methods that, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account individual learning methods and provide suitable compensatory tools.