Listed in: French, as FREN-356
Raphael Sigal (Section 01)
The coincidence of the “I” and the self might seem redundant, even self-evident. But, in the twentieth century, the very act of writing one’s life, of writing about the self, is often the starting point of a quest that brings authors to express conflicted, paradoxical, even violent ideas about themselves and the world. Whether they aim at revealing the naked truth about their life, or on the contrary attempt to conceal it, they use literature as a repository for their experience, as well as an echo chamber of their convoluted thought. Confronted with such texts, we, the readers, may react with puzzlement or skepticism, rejection or envy. In other words, reading a writer telling about her or his experiences engages our own selves. This class will be the occasion to examine how we read when faced with the “I” of the other. Primary readings may include texts by Charles Baudelaire, Antonin Artaud, Driss Chraïbi, Marguerite Duras, Georges Perec, Roland Barthes and Maryse Condé. Secondary readings may include texts by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Martin Buber, Philippe Lejeune, and Serge Doubrovsky. Students will engage with the material in three steps: writing a reading journal; presenting their work-in-progress in class; writing a final essay. Taught in French.
Requisite: One of the following--FREN 207, 208, 311 or equivalent. Spring semester. Professor Sigal.
Section 01
M 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM CHAP 101
W 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM CHAP 101
F 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM CHAP 101
| ISBN | Title | Publisher | Author(s) | Comment | Book Store | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'age d'homme | Folio | Michel Leiris | Amherst Books | TBD | ||
| Un homme qui dort | Folio | Georges Perec | Amherst Books | TBD | ||
| Journal de Deuil | Points Seuil (2016) | Roland Barthes | Amherst Books | TBD | ||
| La Preparation de la vie | Gallimard | Colette Fellous | Amherst Books | TBD | ||
| La Vie sans fards | Maryse Conde | Amherst Books | TBD |
These books are available locally at Amherst Books.