FRN 3012, The Nineteenth-Century French Novel

Professor Binita Mehta

Office: Founders G-26B

Phone: (914) 323-5407 (on campus dial x5407)

Course Description

The course will introduce students to key French novels of the nineteenth century paying particular attention to the social, political and literary contexts of these fictional narratives. We will study the different forms of the nineteenth-century novel- romantic, realist, naturalist – through works by Benjamin Constant, Honoré de Balzac, Gustave Flaubert, Emile Zola, and Guy de Maupassant. In addition to the novels, we will read short historical and critical texts related to the nineteenth-century.

Texts (available in Campus Bookstore)

Benjamin Constant. Adolphe. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1989

Balzac, Honoré de. Le Père Goriot. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1995

Gustave Flaubert. Madame Bovary. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1986

Emile Zola. Thérèse Raquin. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1970

Guy de Maupassant, Pierre et Jean. Paris: Garnier-Flammarion, 1999.

A grammar reference.

A monolingual dictionary. Recommended: Le Robert Micro, Dictionnaire de la langue française, 1998.

A bilingual dictionary.

Course Schedule

FRN 3012/5012 meets one day a week

Class Participation

Active participation in class and, therefore, regular attendance is required. More than one absence without an official excuse will automatically lower your class participation grade. The class participation grade will be based on attending class and participating in discussions. This implies good preparation and demonstration of interest in the material, the instructor’s comments and the contributions of your fellow students.

Homework and Response Papers

You are responsible for reading the assigned texts before every class. You will be handing in short 2-3 page reaction papers to 4 novels and one film, in addition to other homework assignments. The response paper to the film will be on one of the films to be screened as part of the French Film Festival, Tournées (dates will be announced in class). All homework must be TYPED and DOUBLE-SPACED and should include accent marks.

Midterm

The midterm will consist of 1 or 2 essay questions to be written in class in French.

Oral Presentations
You will be expected to do one oral presentation over the course of the semester. For the presentation, you will lead a 5-10 minute discussion of one of the reading assignments from the syllabus.

Final Research Paper

Each student will pick a nineteenth-century French novel not read in class and write a final research paper (7-10 pages) that will be due on the first day of final exams. Students will write their own analysis of the novel and support and/or refute their arguments using at least two other sources/critics. Please let me know right after Spring Break what novel you have selected. You will hand me a 1-2-page outline of the paper (5% of final paper grade) on April 12, and present your final paper to the class during the last class meeting on April 26 (see syllabus).

Grades:

Homework and Class Participation: 15%

Response papers to novels and film: 40%

Oral Presentation: 10%

Midterm: 15%

Final Paper: 20% (Outline 5%)

Useful websites:

FRENCH MEDIA

www.lemonde.fr -- French newspaper, le Monde

www.liberation.fr --French newspaper, Libération

www.rfi.fr-- French Radio Station, Radio France Internationale

http://www.france-amerique.com -- See “Actualité”

www.france.com -- See “Agenda New York”

French News, Le Journal, every evening from 7 – 7: 30 p.m. on WNYE.

FOR FRENCH EVENTS IN NYC THE TRI-STATE AREA

http://frenchculture.org/events/newyork --Links to French events in NYC and the Tri-State area

www.fiaf.org -- French Institute/Alliance Française of New York

http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/french/Mbase.html - NYU, Maison Française

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/french/maison/ Columbia University, Maison Française

http://www.mri.gouv.qc.ca/usa/en/new_york/affaires_publiques/publications.asp - Quebec Update, newsletter of the Délégation Général du Québec

www.bam.org -- Brooklyn Academy of Music

Schedule of Assignments: (This schedule is subject to change)

Week 1

Introduction

Week 2
Benjamin Constant, Adolphe

Week 3

Balzac, Le Père Goriot

Week 4

Balzac, Le Père Goriot

Week 5

Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

Week 6

Flaubert, Madame Bovary

Week 7

Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

Week 8

Vacances de printemps, pas de classe

Week 9

Examen du mi-semestre

Week 10

Film, Claude Chabrol, Madame Bovary (1998)

Week 11

Zola, Thérèse Raquin

Week 12

Zola, Thérèse Raquin

Week 13

Guy de Maupassant, Pierre et Jean

Outline of final paper due

Week 14

Maupassant, Pierre et Jean

Week 15

Student Presentations; Concluding Remarks