THIS COURSE TAUGHT AT MILLS CAMPUS

Taught from a multidisciplinary perspective, this class will introduce students to the French Overseas Departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe, and the independent country of Haiti. Students will study the works of some of the great literary figures (Fanon, Césaire, and Glissant) of these regions in order to explore the different issues they tackle, their style and their role in shaping the thought process of their contemporaries. Special attentions will be given to the biographies of the writers, the environment in which they evolved as well as the literary movements to which they belonged (Indigenism, Negritude, Caribbeanness, and Creoleness). Students will also have the opportunity to learn about the political, religious, and social elements of these countries. The discussions, class presentations, and the writing assignments (essays) will help students develop the ability to think critically and improve their French language skills in reading, writing and speaking.

Required books:
Condé, Maryse. Le coeur à rire et à pleurer. Paris : Editions Robert Laffont, 1999. ISBN 2-221-08860-3
Confiant, Raphael. Mamzelle Libellule. Paris : LE SERPENT A PLUMES EDITIONS, 1994. ISBN 2-908957-45-0
Laferrière, Dany. L’énigme du retour. Paris : BERNARD GRASSET EDITIONS, 2009. [Les Editions du Boréal, 2009 for Canada]. ISBN 978-2-246-74891-5
Métellus, Jean. Anacaona. Paris: Hatier, 1986 (2002). ISBN 2-218-07538-5 or ISBN-13: 978-2747301893