French (ROFR)

For students who have had no previous exposure to French. An introductory, first-year language sequence with equal focus on the four skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. An appreciation for French culture is also encouraged through readings and discussions. This course is to be followed by ROFR 10102.

The second-semester course of the beginning French sequence. Focus is on a balanced approach to acquisition and appreciation of French language and culture. Students must have a Language Exam Score between 231 and 300 to enroll in this class.

This course introduces students to the vivid, sonorous language of Kreyol, or Creole, and to the fascinating culture of its speakers. This intensive, beginning-level course is intended for students with no knowledge of Creole. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with basic reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical and phonetic techniques. Our study of Kreyol is closely linked to our anthropological exploration of how the language is tied to Caribbean society and culture. The course takes a holistic, anthropological approach to the history, political economy, and religion of Haiti. In addition to class work, audio recordings, music and video enhance the study of the Haitian language and culture.

Intensive Beginning French follows a hybrid format. The course is computer-enhanced and involves a combination of the traditional classroom and online instruction. Students will work independently to complete online assignments at home two days a week (Tuesday/Thursday) as well as participate in in-class sessions three days a week (Monday/Wednesday/Friday).

Creole is spoken by an estimated seventeen million people. Creole is spoken on the islands of the Caribbean and the western Indian Ocean that were former or current French colonial possessions and in the countries where many of these former island residents have emigrated, including the United States, Canada, France, Dominican Republic, Bahamas and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. Haitians are the largest Creole speech community of approximately eleven and a half million speakers. Creole language courses provide a valuable foundation for Notre Dame faculty, staff and students working to understand and address critical issues related to Haiti and the Francophone world, from language and culture to history and education, from engineering to public health. Creole language and literature are of increasing interest in the dynamic field of Francophone studies. Creole has also become a major area in the field of linguistics, especially in areas of language evolution, sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. This is a three-credit introductory language course. The instructor will balance both spoken and written Creole as well as exercise reading and listening.

ROFR 20201 course fulfills the language requirement. This is a third-semester second-year language sequence, with equal focus on oral and written production. It includes a review of basic grammar and then transitions into more difficult features of French. Students learn to discuss and write about French cultural topics, current events, and literary texts. This course is to be followed by ROFR 20202. Students must have a Language Exam Score between 301 and 350 to enroll in this class. Students who do not meet the prerequisites need to contact department DUS for approval.

A fourth-semester college language course. Includes review and expansion of basic grammatical structures, extensive practice in speaking and writing, and readings and discussions of a variety of literary and nonliterary text of appropriate difficulty. Students must have a Language Exam Score between 351 and 400 to enroll in this class.

This course is intended for students who have completed Beginning level Creole or who have attained equivalent competence in the language. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with basic reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical and phonetic techniques. Our study of Kreyòl is closely linked to our exploration of how the language is tied to Caribbean society and culture. Evaluation of student achievement and proficiency will be conducted both informally and formally during and at the conclusion of the course. Those looking to develop or improve their language skills are welcome to the class. The program is designed to meet the needs of those who plan to conduct research in Haiti or in the Haitian diaspora, or who intend to work in a volunteer or professional capacity either in Haiti or with Haitians abroad.

A two-semester sequence of intensive, comprehensive training in the language skills necessary for residence and study in France. Includes review of grammar, readings, civilization, and specific orientation for international study. For students with two to three years of high school French (with satisfactory achievement) preparing for the Angers international study program. Students must have a Language Exam Score between 301 and 350 to enroll in this class.

This course is intended for students who have taken one semester of Intermediate Creole Language and Culture. In small-group teaching sessions, students will be prepared for conversational fluency with enhanced reading and writing skills, emphasizing communicative competence as well as grammatical variety and phonetic acumen. Our study of Kreyol is integrated with an exploration of how the language is tied to Haitian society, culture, economy and politics and history. Evaluation of student achievement and proficiency will be conducted both informally and formally during and at the conclusion of the course. Those looking to develop or improve their language skills are welcome to the class. The program is designed to meet the needs of those who plan to conduct research in Haiti or in the Haitian diaspora, or who intend to work in a volunteer or professional capacity either in Haiti or with Haitians abroad.

This course is designed to further develop students’ conversational skills and grasp of styles and registers in French. Through French and Francophone films, students will be exposed to contemporary spoken French, as well as current and historical events in the French-speaking world. Spoken French will be practiced through various types of classroom activities and assignments. Through general class discussions, small group conversations, voice recordings, and debates where students learn how to defend their opinion, there will be many opportunities for everyone to express themselves in French. Taught in French. Pre-req: ROFR 20202 or 20215 or a CEFR score between 401 and 500.

This course will focus on the practical use of French in an international professional environment. Emphasis will be placed on developing communicative skills and cultural knowledge necessary for the professional world. Students will review relevant structures and vocabulary needed to accomplish specific tasks and skills necessary in a broadly-defined formal professional setting.

Beret, baguette, Marcel Marceau, Edith Piaf are images and icons that one associates with the French identity. But what does it mean to be French? What does it mean to be Francophone? What is this French "je ne sais quoi" ?This course will focus on the multi-faceted question of French identity in France and in the Francophone world, but also in America. French is intrinsically linked to the history of America and its people, but how? Why is there such an important French presence in the US and what does it mean from an identity standpoint? This course is taught in English, but students counting it towards the French major or minor will complete a portion of the assignments in French.

This course, taught in French, is designed for students (and future professionals) interested in the medical field. Participants will develop and acquire skills as well as communication strategies through active, task-based learning activities and authentic situations, taken directly from professional scenarios in the healthcare sector.

This course is designed specifically as a bridge between intermediate language courses and the offerings in literature and culture more common at the 30000 and 40000 levels. It will be organized around 4 "modules" conceived as individual "mini-course": 1) La presse actuelle; 2) l'œil cinématographique; 3) Initiation à l'analyse littéraire ; 4) interprétation orale (public performance). It will also feature formal work on grammar and expression, both oral and written.

This course explores journalism and media from French-speaking countries, deepening students’ understanding of cultural diversity within the Francophone world. Students will analyze media in different forms, such as online newspapers, videos, political cartoons, and social media. Each class unit will explore a current event in a French-speaking nation, examining how topics are presented across various media outlets. We will also gain insights into French and Francophone perspectives on global issues. The course will develop students’ French proficiency, as we build vocabulary to discuss journalism and current affairs. Students will increase reading and listening comprehension skills by analyzing media and will practice writing and speaking through reflections, presentations, and discussions. Taught in French.

“Let them eat cake” and “bon appétit” are common expressions used in English to either refer to Marie-Antoinette’s faux pas before the hungry revolutionary crowd asking for bread in front of the Versailles palace, or to traditionally tell somebody to enjoy their meal. More than mere food, French cuisine and dishes have become an art and an inspiration throughout the world. But how are food and cuisine at the core of French culture? How is food such a savoir-vivre for the French people? Brillat-Savarin said in the 18th century: “Tell me what you eat: I’ll tell you who you are.” How did/do French people eat? How did/does that define them? This course aims at better understanding the representations and the symbolic aspects of food and cuisine in French culture. Providing starters from the Middle-Ages, we will take our culinary discovery through the tasty 17th century to the spicy 18th century, adding a dash of table manners and theory in the 19th century, to modern diets and regimens, mixing a variety of formats and recipes. Taught in French.

This course focuses on diversity in contemporary France, paying special attention to questions of race, sex, and class, and the challenge of climbing the social ladder in various professions to gain notoriety and respect. We examine films, short stories, and essays in an examination of how traditional French culture is currently evolving thanks to multicultural influences.

Through a variety of activities (individual and in small groups) that include transcriptions, audio work, and listening practice, students will get to improve their pronunciation. Lab exercises will be conducted in DeBartolo Hall Language Lab. Students will assimilate the material of the target pronunciation (Standard French), through poem/fable readings and récitations. Students will be able to self-assess their progression through a corrective pronunciation using the short film (court-métrage) "14e arrondissement" from the film Paris je t’aime.

This course will give students a hands-on opportunity and experience to use their French language skills at Clay International Academy. Through this service learning, students will assist the main teacher with teaching French to young children. The goals of this course are: 1) provide students authentic learning opportunities to improve their speaking proficiency 2) provide a platform to use their language competence in a professional setting 3) give students valuable teaching experience. This service learning will thus shape student personal, academic and professional journeys.

From living with a host family to exploring a new city, your time abroad will bring you many opportunities and challenges. This pre-study abroad workshop will prepare you for study, residency, and travel in France. You will learn ways to understand and negotiate the challenges of a cultural and linguistic immersion experience. Throughout the class, faculty members and previous study abroad participants will introduce you to the remarkably rich history and culture of France. The workshop will also address practical questions, such as navigating French universities. These presentations will help you engage in your own academic and personal discovery while in France. The class is graded on a “Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory” basis, and no previous knowledge of French is required.

The French and Francophone Film Series will meet on Thursday nights in the Browning Cinema to watch a curated series of films sponsored by an Albertine Cinemathèque Festival grant from the FACE Foundation, followed by a discussion with guest speakers.

This mini-course in French offers both informal and structured conversation practice. Conversation on a variety of topics such as French politics, society, and culture will be based on authentic materials. This course meets for group discussions on contemporary issues and with guest speakers. Conducted in French.

Through hands-on discussions, writing activities, and presentations, all in French, students will learn the nuts and bolts of textual analysis and strategies for elaborating and supporting interpretations. They will also familiarize themselves with a wide range of literary and cultural works from French and Francophone cultures across the ages.

Creole is the quintessential language of migration. This elective explores the multidirectional interplay of Creole narrative expression and transnational migration. How do Creole texts imagine and influence the experiences of migration, long-distance belonging and immigrant settlement? How, in turn, does the changing experience of diaspora affect the evolution of the vernacular at home (lakay)? In what ways do Creole writers and performers express struggles with xenophobia and racism abroad and oppression and poverty in Haiti? We engage these questions through study of Creole fiction, poetry, theatre, story telling and music. Among the Creole works we explore are the novels and poetry of Maude Heurtelou, Felix Morriseau-Leroi, Baudelaire Pierre, Patrick Sylvain and Denizé Lauture, stories by Jean-Claude Martineau and Kiki Wainwright, musical lyrics of Emeline Michele, Beethova Obas, Ti Corn and Wyclef Jean and Rap Kreyòl groups like Barikad Crew. The class is intended for students who have completed Intermediate Creole II or have reached the equivalent level of competence in speaking, reading and writing the language.

This course, taught in French, is designed for students who wish to improve their writing skills, and for students who seek additional assistance with grammar. It is aimed at students who are already at the 30000 or 40000 level in French. We will study different methods and styles of writing in French and conduct writing workshops in class. Throughout the course, we will: -Review and reinforce your knowledge of grammar -Study different methods and styles of writing in French -Improve your reading comprehension and your spoken and written French This course is recommended for the minor, major, or supplementary major in French. Students are recommended to take Conversational French or another 20000-level elective before taking this course.

This course will examine the rich traditions of French folk, popular and liturgical music. Songs (secular and religious) and musical styles from the Medieval to the modern period will be considered in examples of specific songs as well as in songbooks from the 18th century to the present. Among the themes considered will be: the role of music and songs in the establishment of cultural identity and in the process of cultural transmission, the role of songs and music in various films and texts, the musical adaptation of poetic texts and the fitting of lyrics (secular and sacred) to classical or popular melodies. In this class, emphasis will be on pronunciation and articulation of song lyrics and in some cases on the development of harmonies on simple melodies. No musical experience or knowledge is necessary. French level 20202 or higher is required. Taught in French. Readings will include works of: Hémon, Makine, Baudelaire, Nerval, and others as well as several films.

From country pastor to cathedral villain, from merciful bishop to weaselly lecher, the image of the Roman Catholic priest in French culture is nothing if not versatile. But what purpose does that versatility serve? Is the image of the priest simply all things to all people as a matter of utility, an easy target - for good or for ill - that provides to authors, artists, or directors a shortcut to a good laugh or to a character that their audience will love to hate? This course will explore the image of the priest in France from the Middle Ages to the present day in its varied manifestations in literature, film, and art. We will examine what the broad spectrum of representations reveals about the state of the French Church at any given moment in history, about the theology of the priesthood, or about clericalism and anticlericalism in a political or social context. In a moment when the meaning of the priesthood in the Catholic Church and beyond continues to be contested, a study of the French context will yield a deeper understanding of the priest and his role as an embodiment of the Church and its authority. Taught in English, with course materials available both in English and the original French.

Whether it is non-fiction graphic novels or traditional comics, the French and Francophone "bande dessinée" is extremely popular with a strong economic sector, a fast growing adult audience and a crucial influence on the public sphere. While cartoonists were targeted in January 2015, many graphic novels describe a difficult present. This course's goal not only consists of studying contemporary graphic novels in French, but also meet with young authors of the French scene with a special interest on intersections with literature, journalism and cinema.

From the sans-culottes of the French Revolution to the gilets jaunes (2018-....) and beyond, this course will examine how the people of France have voiced their dissatisfaction with the status quo and with their leaders, and elicited lasting political and social changes. Drawing from historical sources, films, fiction, and art, we will track and analyze recurring themes, images, and representations of French unrest and resistance to societies of control from 1789 to the present. We will also consider how gender, race, class, and socio-economic status intersect with the desire to see change and hinder or make possible the ability to obtain it. We will investigate the legacies of and challenges to French republican values (valeurs républicaines) and the debates around universalism in order to question what it means to be French today. Taught in French.

The English philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, described life outside civilization as "nasty, brutish, and short." During the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and seventeenth century, life inside civilization was more or less the same. Laughter offered a comfort, a means of escape, or of critique. From the carnivalesque to satire, the comic tradition tells us much about the hopes, fears, and the mortally serious of all of these periods. In this course, students will discover the richness of the comic tradition and how it manifests itself in all its gravity. Taught in French.

We tend to think about marriage as uniting two persons who love each other — but how did love and marriage combine before “love marriages” were a thing? In this course, taught in French, you will read and learn about some of the masterpieces of French literature from before 1800 to answer this question. By analyzing and contextualizing some key literary works, you will learn how love and marriage were often viewed as incompatible; what it took to combine the two; how jealous husbands dealt with open relationships; how faking one’s death, cross-dressing, or hiding in a religious house might have been the best way to escape an unwanted marriage; and how people in love strove to get married to consecrate their union. By the end of the course, you will walk away with a strengthened sense of the French literary canon and you will be ready to take advanced French literature and culture courses. Students are encouraged though not required to have taken ROFR 30310 “Between the Lines” prior to or during this course. Students in their Senior year should consider taking courses at the 40000 level instead.

Reading of selections and complete works of outstanding French authors from major genres and periods. All majors are required to take this sequence, or equivalent advanced courses. Students are expected to have already taken 30310 or to take ROFR 30310 concurrently with the first survey taken.

In this class, we will examine the French presidential election that will take place in April 2022. To better understand its stakes, we will study the French political system, the institutions of the Fifth Republic, and recent electoral history. We will also consider key questions that are currently debated in France: work and unemployment, environmental issues, French secularism, the future of social programs, education, immigration, and France's place in the European Union. Taught in French.

Eight sessions of 90 minutes, twice a week. Students will watch a film before each session that introduces that session's topic and come prepared for a presentation by the professor on the topic followed by a discussion of the film, and a general question-and-answer period. A variety of visual materials will be integrated into the course sessions, including art, clips from films, music videos, and short reading assignments will be included in the coursework as well. The course will be in English.

In this course, under the guidance and supervision of French Studies faculty and the University Archives, students will transcribe and translate (French to English) the letters sent and received by Father Edward Sorin between the years 1839-1893. These letters will become part of a digital exhibit on the history of the University of Notre Dame.

With a view to establishing a regular choral group and building a repertoire of hymns for the monthly French Masses, this one-credit class will focus on learning, practicing and rehearsing about 35 hymns from which the entrance, offertory, communion, and concluding musical pieces for the Mass will be drawn. Practice in pronunciation and articulation and developing harmonies on simple melodies will account for the greater portion of the classroom activities. Musical expertise, experience or ability is less important than a good level of French (20202 or higher) and a willingness to participate. Participation in the choir of the French Mass is encouraged though not obligatory for the enrolled students.

This one-credit course is dedicated to cultivating a rich appreciation of liturgical music and of the Holy Mass in the French and global francophone tradition. It will include two tracks. For students who have not already taken ROFR 33501 "Les Chants de Messe," the course is an introduction to the range of the French sacred music tradition. You will develop great confidence in your ability to read, recite, and sing in French and make time to refine your pronunciation and intonation in ways few other classes can afford. For students who have already taken "Les Chants de Messe" in a previous semester, the course will be dedicated to taking on greater leadership and responsibility towards the cultural treasure of French liturgical music. In consultation with the professor, students will propose and execute a capstone project. It may range from conducting the choir for one or more of the semesterly masses in the Basilica to composing and performing/recording an original work of French sacred music. Students enrolled in the course are not required to attend the four French masses of the semester to get full credit for participation.

In this course, taught in French, you will examine how love and gender were debated in French and Occitan literatures from before 1500. Debates appear everywhere and they often convey the idea that arguing is intellectually, socially, and emotionally beneficial to those involved. So in this class, we will ask ourselves: How might arguing be good for you? Through the lens of debates on love and gender, we will survey some of the most important works of medieval French literature and unpack a range of thought-provoking texts. Questions that we will examine include: What does a woman know that a man doesn’t? Is it better for a man to be faithful while being cheated on or should he be promiscuous? What are the limits of mansplaining? Can a man convince a woman to love him through reasoning? Is the best type of man brave or wise, pushy or patient, braggy or humble? What are the terms of an open relationship? Where does happiness fit in with love and marriage?

This advanced undergraduate seminar examines the fluid boundaries between humans and non-human animals in medieval French and Occitan literatures. Combining literary texts and manuscripts with modern scholarship and theoretical thinking, we will explore how medieval people thought about animals and placed themselves in relation to them through texts and books. Sources will range from lyrics, bestiaries, and encyclopedic treatises to romances and fables in text and manuscript, and the course includes an optional, free trip to the Newberry Library in Chicago, where we will examine relevant medieval manuscripts and rare prints. The course is taught in French, with readings in modern French or modern English translation.

This course will explore how the reign of Henry VIII has been viewed in the imaginary landscapes of early modern literature (16th-17th centuries) originally written in English, French, and Italian. We will examine poems, plays, short stories, and other narrations as literary constructs that recreate the geographically and/or temporally distant space of England in the Henrician era. All foreign texts discussed as a class will be read in English translation, but will be made available in the original language for students wishing to sharpen their foreign language skills. Students with proficiency in Italian, French or Spanish will also have an opportunity to develop their expertise through personalized assignments and the final project. In addition to our key primary sources, we will read a number of critical analyses of these works. Special attention will be given to writing and research skills. We will also consider one modern film, A Man for All Seasons, to provide some contrast to these early modern written texts. Furthermore, we will also consider material culture, print culture, art (paintings, sculpture, and tapestries), architecture, music, and religion as a complement to the study of literary texts. The College of Arts and Letters and the Nanovic Institute are highly subsidizing an optional fall break trip for students enrolled in this course (more information provided later). The trip would include visits to the National Gallery, Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Hever Castle (Anne Boleyn's childhood home), Westminster Abbey, Windsor Castle, and relevant walking tours of London, to provide greater context to the class and to enrich the final project. IMPORTANT: Students enrolled under ROFR for the French major will be required to write one paper and do some readings in French.

This course will constitute an in-depth examination of the French lyric tradition primarily during, but not limited to, the sixteenth century. Students will begin by exploring the Italian origins of the French tradition before tracing its development through the Rhetoriqueurs, the Ecole lyonnaise, the Pleiade, and beyond. Through a close analysis of primary literary texts and through exposure to some salient works of secondary literature, students will not only engage the poetry but also broader questions about imitation, originality, and meaning during a dynamic but somewhat unstable period of literary production. Taught in French.

This seminar constitutes quite simply an introduction to seventeenth-century French theater. Considered the golden age for the genre in France, with the ‘Big Three’ playwrights Molière, Corneille, and Racine, this period produced the greatest tragedies and comedies in the French tradition. We will ride the highs of the tragic heroes, descend with them into the depths of their lows, and then learn to laugh at these ups and downs with our study of some of the most famous comedies in Western literature. While we will primarily approach these plays as literature––for the text is usually the star––we will also explore their embodiment as a living, breathing work of art. Taught in French.

Jansenism, a conservative movement within the Catholic Church, was at the center of the intellectual life and literary production of the 17th Century. Its preoccupation with free will, the self, and determinism make it a subject that reaches well beyond the boundaries of a "local" theological querelle. Authors to be studied: Corneille, Racine, Pascal, La Rochefoucauld, La Bruyere, Lafayette; in other words, the biggies.

What is the point of contact between creative writing and cinema? What does it mean when Agnès Varda indicates that her main impulse to make La Pointe Courte (1955) at the age of 26 was the structure a novel by Faulkner? What kind of an indictment is it when Michael Haneke states that today's cinema is still far behind the literary innovations of the 20th and 21st Centuries? Starting with the filmmaker precursor Robert Bresson, the idea behind "filming the text" consists of a deconstruction the concept of "adaptation." From a reflection on the notion of "trace" and to what extent this concept might also be a cinematic one, we will study forms of proto-cinema (for ex. prehistoric paintings, Plato's Cave, Magic Lanterns') in conjunction with a study of theories of writing, literary texts and poetry. While attempting to refine a concept of general grammatology of cinema our goal will be to examine the porosities that lie between literary notions, literary texts and films. We will read novels, poetry and watch films! My dream was to "film her texts." This course originates from my creative endeavors, and especially the work I engaged between 2012 and 2018 when I directed a feature-length so-called "documentary film" with the writer, poet, playwright, activist and theorist H'l'ne Cixous (evercixousmovie.com).

Shortly after Varda had passed away on March 29, 2019, the subject made the headlines during the Cannes film festival 2019: "New Wave of French Female Filmmakers Hit the Festival Circuit" (Variety, September 2019). In the footsteps of Alice Guy and Germaine Dulac, of Chantal Ackerman and Agne's Varda, legendary filmmakers like Claire Denis, leading figures like Agnes Jaoui and Julie Delpy, are now inspiring a whole generation of contemporary French and Francophone female filmmakers like Celine Sciamma, Mati Diop, Alice Winocour, Emmanuelle Bercot, Rebecca Zlotowski and many, many others who help reinvent the French cinema today. This "wave" is not only reshaping a whole cinematic tradition and language, it is also profoundly transforming a highly masculine and macho film industry in France, not to mention... the French society as a whole. Our class will be entirely devoted to female filmmakers in French. We will both analyze their works and conditions of production while discussing the lasting impact of the recent feminist movements (Me-too/Balance to porc) on the industry. This will offer a window to a culture and society in which until recently, the word "feminist" had tended to be passe' de mode (outmoded)... Two French female directors as well as a feminist activist (whose work influenced the Cannes film festival) will join our class and discuss their works and the topic. Two written assignments, oral presentations as well as active participation in our class will constitute the basic requirements.

From country pastor to cathedral villain, from merciful bishop to weaselly lecher, the image of the Roman Catholic priest in French culture is nothing if not versatile. But what purpose does that versatility serve? Is the image of the priest simply all things to all people as a matter of utility, an easy target - for good or for ill - that provides to authors, artists, or directors a shortcut to a good laugh or to a character that their audience will love to hate? This course will explore the image of the priest in France from the Middle Ages to the present day in its varied manifestations in literature, film, and art. We will examine what the broad spectrum of representations reveals about the state of the French Church at any given moment in history, about the theology of the priesthood, or about clericalism and anticlericalism in a political or social context. In a moment when the meaning of the priesthood in the Catholic Church and beyond continues to be contested, a study of the French context will yield a deeper understanding of the priest and his role as an embodiment of the Church and its authority. Taught in English, with course materials available both in English and the original French.

This course will examine the period of the Second World War known as the Vichy regime (1940-1944). We will explore France's complex history through sources of the period as well as through representations of the Vichy regime in contemporary cultural productions; course materials will be drawn from primary sources such as testimonies, novels, memoires, newspapers, documentaries, paintings, German and Vichy propaganda. The course will address the myth of "la France résistante" (a resisting France); the relationship of France to its empire in the colonies (de Gaulle and the Free French Forces); anti-Jewish legislation and the deportation of Jews; as well as the memory of the period from amnesia and negationism to the "devoir de mémoire" (the duty to remember). We will conclude the course by exploring the contemporary legacies of such figures as the Général de Gaulle and the Maréchal Pétain in French politics. Taught in French.

This course will focus on the development of the genre of short narrative during the nineteenth century in France. Representative works of Balzac, Nerval, Barbey d'Aurevilly, Flaubert, Gautier, Mérimée, Maupassant, Nodier and Villiers de l'Isle Adam will be considered. We will examine distinctive features of the various aesthetics of Romanticism, Realism and Symbolism as well as generic considerations relating to the <i>conte fantastique</i>.

Whether it is non-fiction graphic novels or traditional comics, the French and Francophone "bande dessinee" is extremely popular with a strong economic sector, a fast growing adult audience and a crucial influence on the public sphere. While cartoonists were targeted in January 2015, many graphic novels describe a difficult present. This course's goal not only consists of studying contemporary graphic novels in French, but also meet with young authors of the French scene with a special interest on intersections with literature, journalism and cinema.

From the sans-culottes of the French Revolution to the gilets jaunes (2018-. . . .) and beyond, this course will examine how the people of France have voiced their dissatisfaction with the status quo and with their leaders, and elicited lasting political and social changes. Drawing from historical sources, films, fiction, and art, we will track and analyze recurring themes, images, and representations of French unrest and resistance to societies of control from 1789 to the present. We will also consider how gender, race, class, and socio-economic status intersect with the desire to see change and hinder or make possible the ability to obtain it. We will investigate the legacies of and challenges to French republican values (valeurs republicaines) in order to question what it means to be French today. Taught in French.

Britney Spears. Anna Nicole Smith. Janet Jackson. We thought we knew their tragic stories; we thought they only had themselves to blame. In recent years, however, we have reappraised these maligned women and the pervasive misogyny to which they were subjected in a supposedly post-feminist era. In this seminar, we will examine the gendering of celebrity in France and its former colonies over the course of the long nineteenth century, engaging with legacies of famous women from Marie Antoinette to Aïssa Maïga. Each week, we will study conflicting depictions of a public figure, seeking to understand the structures with which commentators controlled women’s narratives—and how women in turn developed their own strategies of resistance. Drawing from a range of sources including sculptures, choreographies, films, and autobiographies, we will engage with interpretive approaches that interrogate hierarchies of memory, history, and culture. Taught in French.

The nineteenth century saw the rise of print media and professional institutions. Old-fashioned whisper networks came to be viewed suspiciously as a dangerous, “feminine” pastime for those without lives of their own. Yet the enduring popularity of gossip—in society columns, romans-à-clef, communal laundry rooms, and political caricatures—meant that informal social networks thrived, fueled by a heightened interest in the private lives of famous people. The learning goals of this class extend beyond those of textual analysis and the researched argument to media literacy. Following several scandals across a variety of sources, we will study how information was transmitted via different genres, spaces, and voices in nineteenth-century France, looking at a range of texts from broadsheets to Offenbach operettas. While reinforcing social mores, gossip also provided a means of resistance to the status quo, a way for the marginalized to reframe official narratives and point to the humanity shared across classes and identities. Taught in French.

The enviable “French work week,” long lunch-breaks, the numerous holidays and paid vacations come readily to mind when we think about French policies and attitudes towards work. In this course, we will focus, however, on crucial contemporary issues: unemployment, mental health and corporate culture, and the rise of so-called precarious jobs. Through French literature and film, and with a particular emphasis on representations of gender and racial disparity in certain types of precarious work (nannies, maids, security guards, and nuclear plant workers, among others), we will examine what it takes to work in France today. We will also look at how these questions are discussed in the press, and follow current events and ongoing social movements. Taught in French.

This course closely examines Francophone works of literature and film that grapple with the difficulties of promoting peace in various locations around the world today. Not only are activism and peacebuilding crucial questions in the creative texts we study, but they are also the focus of discussions that extend "beyond" the text, as we explore the efforts of writers and filmmakers to serve as advocates for positive change in very real ways. Various concepts of "engagement," as well as relationships between language and politics, are at the center of our reflections. There is a substantial theoretical component to this course, including works by French thinkers Pierre Bourdieu, Hélène Cixous, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Serge Margel, alongside the writings of postcolonial critics and recent publications in the area of peace studies. Taught in French.

"Francophone Migrations and Nations" examines transnational travel in a contemporary global context affected by factors ranging from climate change to genocide. We will focus on migrant movements in different Francophone settings (ranging from France to Rwanda), providing perspectives on the myriad motivations to leave one's homeland and take up residence elsewhere, and studying the subsequent challenges that migrants face in the places where they end up. Novels, short stories, articles, and a number of films will shed light on the current dynamics and profound questions that are created by migration. We will focus on issues related to language and identity in relation to larger inquiries into human rights and peace studies in a world where a sense of society and a commitment to community are uprooted and unsettled more and more by migrations that put into question the nature of the nation. The course will be taught in French.

In this course, the full title of which is Taking Liberties: From Book to Libretto, or French Literature Goes to the Opera and which is taught in French, we will be looking a series of parent texts, written originally in French, and their operatic offspring. Works include <i>The Barber of Seville</i> (Beaumarchais/Rossini); <i>The Marriage of Figaro</i> (Beaumarchais/Mozart); <i>Don Juan</i> (Molière) and <i>Don Giovanni</i> (Mozart); Manon Lescaut (Prévost/Puccini), <i>Carmen</i> (Mérimée/Bizet).

Whether we "dress for success" or wear our pajamas to the grocery store, the clothes we are putting on our body all have a meaning. Though clothes are an essential part of our everyday life, do we really stop and think about what they really signify, how they are perceived by people who look at them? In urban environments, where millions of fellow city-dwellers can scan the clothes that everyone is wearing, fashion often has a more significant meaning. Dressing up is such a mundane action we barely wonder why we do it, but shouldn't we consider this act an art? Fashion has been a crucial aspect of literature, cinema, paintings, and graphic novels. Text and textile both mediate a form of language, and fashion is indeed an idiom in itself. In this course, you will explore the representation of fashion in literature, cinema and the arts. We will dive into a range of texts, films, paintings, and graphic novels that will enable us to better grasp the importance of clothing surfaces, their meaning, implication, and significance regarding issues related to gender, social class, sexuality, and (post-) colonialism. An individual's identity, personality, and desires are both inscribed on and influenced by the clothes he or she is wearing. The large set of signs that are carried by fashion therefore constitute a closed system of signification, linked with culture itself as well as the senses. The course aims to give students an insight into a broad range of visual and textual materials, as well as to develop their analytical and critical skills. During each class, students will be asked to discuss the themes emerging from the visual and textual materials, supported by the critical readings related to them. The objective of this interdisciplinary course is also, through materials spanning across a broad variety of genres, media, places and periods, to provide the students with an open and intercultural approach of the humanities. Finally, the course aims to develop the students' awareness of their place within a globalized world in which the image of the self - often carried by clothes - is predominant. This puts into perspective the socio-political questions of gender, race, class, colonialism, and sexuality. Taught in French.

In this course, we will be looking at French poetry, from early to recent, through a particular lens: the theme of the poet him or herself. An organizing principle will be the "life" (birth, work, suffering, adventure, death) of a fictive poet drawn from the texts we will be examining. As our main work will be on poems, the readings will be short. It would be useful, but is not a prerequisite, that the students have already taken "The Art of Interpretation." If not, this course will train them (you) in the techniques and joys of close reading. Taught in French.

This course focuses on literary works in French that have received illustrious prizes, from the Nobel Prize to the Prix Goncourt, and it examines questions related to the prestige of publishing houses and the role of marketing techniques meant to package and sell books alongside questions of influence and imitation, and of possible accusations of plagiarism. The course’s tripartite emphasis on the ways in which authors and their textual creations are celebrated, circulated, and questioned is complemented by an analysis of how these award-winning attempts to decolonize literature in French constitute a contemporary quest with profound historical and intertextual resonances. We read literary works of a great variety, including novels by Nobel prizewinning authors Annie Ernaux (the first Frenchwoman ever to win this award in 2022) and Jean-Marie Le Clézio, Goncourt prizewinning authors Mohamed Mbougar Sarr (the first Sub-Saharan African to win this award in 2021) and Leïla Slimani, as well as works by other writers who are caught up in telling striking stories that involve intersecting understandings of the complexities of race, class, and gender that have too often been missing from the literary landscape in French.

This course involves the close study of novels, films, and essays that examine the evolving realities of refugees and migrants in the French-speaking world today. It explores what it means for so many individuals to leave their homeland behind and seek asylum in France, and it focuses on the stories of these global movements and their implications for identities, whether the protagonists wind up in Paris — or in another location, such as South Bend, Indiana. This is the first course of its kind to incorporate engagement with Francophone families who live near Notre Dame and who lack knowledge of the English language and American customs. Once every two weeks, students will meet with local refugees who speak French and need assistance with learning English as well as with a number of other aspects of life in the United States. Tutoring and providing information, as well as assisting in practical tasks like filling out forms will make up some of the activities that students participate in with refugees, but another crucial component of these interactions will entail becoming familiar with their stories and putting them to paper in creative form, in French. Listening to and valorizing the personal narratives of people from Francophone Africa will be an important aspect of the time spent with them, and hearing these oral accounts may give new resonance to the French-language books and films on our syllabus that constitute creative contemporary renditions of migration.

This course focuses on French-language films that transcend national boundaries, depicting movements - and individuals - that go beyond borders and allow us to understand how current cinematic creations are not limited to "Franco-French" actors and productions, but extend around the globe. We study a number of films that deal with questions of immigration and migration in the French context, recent films that reveal the current multicultural environment within the hexagonal space of France. We also examine films that come from the larger francophone world, from locations such as Algeria and Senegal. Assignments include brief written responses to each of the films under study, an oral presentation, two short papers, and a final paper. We will read two novels that are related to very recent films as well and explore the relationship between the written work and the cinematic creation. The goals of this course are not limited to increasing students' knowledge and understanding of the art (and the politics) of filmmaking; they are also are meant to enhance their appreciation of diverse cultural settings that interact and intersect with France in important ways in a contemporary world marked by postcolonial tensions and "globalized" transnational relations. Taught in French.

Women writers from around the world, from places as diverse as Algeria and Vietnam, Slovenia and South Korea, are currently exerting an influence on the Parisian literary landscape. These singular individuals hail from very different locations, but many of their experiences as French-language authors in the French capital are quite similar, particularly when it comes to perceptions of them as foreigners. Even if they often feel excluded and even ostracized, these writers continue to write, pouring their creative energies into innovative texts that are transforming the publishing world and adding layers of depth to what it means to be a Francophone author today. In this course, we will read a variety of publications by such women writers as Nathacha Appanah, Bessora, Hélène Cixous, Maryse Condé, Julia Kristeva, Anna Moï, Pia Petersen, Zahia Rahmani, Leïla Sebbar, Shumona Sinha, and Brina Svit. Our readings of primary texts will be complemented by a series of interviews with these authors (http://francophonemetronomes.com and an accompanying critical volume (Oxford University Press, December 2021). We will also address the process of literary and academic publishing in our discussions. Taught in French.

Blue lagoons and white sand beaches: we are all familiar with the idyllic image associated with Tahiti. But do you see the mushroom cloud in the distance? If the island’s beauty is undeniable, the depiction of Tahiti as a tropical paradise is linked to, and makes possible, a darker side: that of two centuries of French colonial occupation and three decades of atomic testing. Where, then, does this representation come from and how was it shaped? How have settler and Indigenous actors sustained and resisted this image? In this class, we will explore the complex and multifaceted representations of Tahiti and its inhabitants through both the European and the Polynesian lenses. From 18th-century philosophical reflections to 19th-century paintings and contemporary novels written by Indigenous Francophone writers, we will discuss and critically analyze the political and environmental stakes of representation in Mā’ohi Nui/French-occupied Polynesia. Taught in French.

What does it mean to paint oneself in prose? This was the great project of Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1533-1592), a selection of whose famous essays will constitute the object of study in this course. The first essayist and arguably the first real Modern, his texts on subjects as wide-ranging as friendship and fear, as cannibals and coaches, have made him a subject of praise and controversy in equal measure. In this course, we will explore the essays themselves, but also the phenomenon that is Montaigne in French culture and beyond. Taught in English, with texts available both in French and English.

“Liberté, égalité, fraternité” — with these three words, the French motto is powerfully evocative. Born from the Revolution, France would be a nation whose commitment to justice, equality, and the universality of Human Rights constitute the bedrock of its democracy. Yet, if the revolutionary ideals have been the ideological underpinnings of the Republic for more than two centuries, France was also largely consolidated through its material investments in slavery and colonialism, a historical reality that has been consistently silenced. To what extent, then, can the fictions of universalism continue to hold in light of the past? What might it mean to bring back the imperial and racial memory of France, and think through the postcolonial stakes of its present? How might we think of race and colonialism in a country that denies the reality of both? Through a wide array of artifacts, ranging from political speeches to manifestos, paintings, movies, theoretical texts, and novels, we will explore how colonialism and race — the Republic’s “doubles” — have contributed to the development of France and French identity since the 19th century, but also how contemporary artists, authors, and activists have challenged this haunting legacy in the present. Taught in French.

Students will complete an internship in the country of their choice, working in the target language. Students who participate in the program will: -Increase their marketability in a competitive job market by developing unique skills including intercultural communication, language skills, and other skills that cannot be directly taught in the classroom -Build an international network of contacts in their chosen field -Develop interpersonal skills in addition to the technical skills necessary to compete in a global market -Learn to communicate effectively in a professional setting with people from other languages and cultures

Specialized reading related to the student's area of study.

This course is designed with the purpose of allowing students to engage in an individual or small group study under the direction of a departmental faculty member.

This course may cover an in-depth study of a particular author, theme, genre, or century. In addition to primary texts, some critical material will be required reading. This course culminates in a substantial research paper.