FRENCH 279 : Special Topic: Panorama of the French Novel

Arts

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of the changing forms of the novel from the representations of the seventeenth century court in Madame de Lafayette's La Princesse de Cleves to the twentieth century experiments of the French 'new novelists'. Taught in French.

Course Overview

Since a Frenchwoman wrote what is widely regarded as one of the earliest and greatest modern novels in 1678, the novel has both reflected and shaped French cultural and social history. This course examines the theme of desire in fiction at key moments in French history – from Henri II’s royal court in La Princesse de Clèves; to the realism of the nineteenth century in Un Coeur simple; to the experimental “New Novel” of the turbulent mid-twentieth century (Djinn); and to the contemporary postmodern novel, Biographie de la faim. All these novels challenge and transform existing literary conventions, just as they offer us invaluable insights into French society through their close engagement with the theme of desire.
Guided readings will assist to develop students’ reading skills in French, while comparative studies of film versions of the two earlier texts will help with comprehension and reveal the different ways in which these stories have been read across time and place. Desire written by both male and female authors will allow us to examine gendered perspectives of desire and the obstacles it meets at various times in French history.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 15 points from FRENCH 204, 269, 304 Restriction: FRENCH 341, 741

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate knowledge about the texts on the reading list and awareness of their historical and cultural context (Capability 1.1)
  2. Develop skills in critical literary analysis, specifically of French-language texts (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  3. Develop active understanding of French rhetorical devices and be able to analyse how form is linked to meaning (Capability 1.2)
  4. Analyse and comment in detail on cultural products and social practices by using frameworks established in French studies (Capability 2.1, 2.3 and 3.1)
  5. Develop and demonstrate linguistic competency (vocabulary and grammar, oral expression and writing skills) in French at an appropriate stage-two level (Capability 1.1, 1.2 and 4.2)
  6. Be able to combine diverse elements of the course (linguistic, cultural, critical) into a unified and coherent understanding of its subjects of study (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 5.2)
  7. Discuss, in written and oral French, thematic aspects of the curriculum (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1 and 4.2)
  8. Situate the cultural products studied in relation to key trends in French social and literary history (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)
  9. Research and present critical analysis of the course's prescribed texts and/or theoretical frameworks. (Capability 2.3 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Essay 25% Individual Coursework
Reflection 20% Individual Coursework
Test 35% Individual Test
Assignments 10% Individual Coursework
Tutorials 10% Individual Coursework

Next offered

Semester 1, 2024

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week on each 15 point course that they are enrolled in, including class time and personal study and assignment preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities, including tutorials, to complete components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is required for the tests. The final test will be taken online as a Canvas quiz.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Required Texts
Nothomb, Amélie. Biographie de la faim. Paris: Librairie générale française, 2006.
Robbe-Grillet, Alain. Djinn. Un trou rouge entre les pavés disjoints. Paris: Editions de minuit, 1951.

Other required texts will be freely available on Canvas:
Flaubert, Gustave. "Un Coeur simple" in Trois Contes, 1877.
Madame de la Fayette. La Princesse de Clèves, 1678.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 22/12/2020 04:45 p.m.