Representing the Self in Modern French Culture
In this course we will explore the art and artifice of self-representation and how it has been used by writers, artists, and others in modern France. Our readings will include works of literary self-fashioning (e.g., Proust, Duras) as well as autobiographical narrative in French cinema, self-portraiture by French painters and photographers, and new avenues of digital self-representation online. Throughout, we will consider the works in context to uncover their relevance to historical and cultural circumstance. Assignments will consist of three papers and one longer creative essay in which students write on a personal experience using narrative strategies discussed in class. (FREN 0221 or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./disc.