Between The Wars / Entre-deux guerres

The interwar years in France and in Europe, notably in Germany, are an extremely rich period in every domain, and at the same time a pivotal epoch, in the sense that the old and relatively happy world ends, and a new world begins, modern it is said, and possibly tragic. In France it is a particularly rich time of literary and artistic creation. Yet at the same time it is a period of great tension and political and historical upheaval.

The course intends to view this period through the prism of four major texts, representative of the trends and the events of the times. Charmes, by Valery treats poetry of the past. Nadja by Breton, is the new literature, a concret manifesto of surrealism. La Guerre de Troie n’aura pas lieu , a play by Giraudoux, uses the Greek myth to echo the events taking place in Europe in the 1930’s. L’Espoir, by Malraux, portrays the Spanish Civil War as a prelude to World War II. Poetry, the novel, theater, the autobiographical form, antique and new forms will all be the focus of the course, which will strive to give them coherence in their context.

Required texts: 1) Paul VALERY, Poésies – collection blanche ISBN 2-07-030282-2, Ed. Gallimard; 2) André BRETON, Nadja Folio plus ISBN 978 2 07 034619 6, Ed. Gallimard; 3) Jean GIRAUDOUX, La Guerre de Troie n'aura pas lieu, Livre de poche ISBN 978 2253 004 899, Ed. Grasset; 4) André MALRAUX, L'Espoir Folio ISBN 978 2 07 036020 8, Ed.Gallimard

This course offers two options, one methodological (A) and the other literary (B).

Section A will help social science and literary students master analytical methods and textual commentary, enabling them to construct a personal approach to reading and understanding varied texts in depth, while broadening and exercising their written skills through varied methodological exercises, summaries, technical explanations, structured commentary, the argumentative dialectical essay, or oral thematic presentations.

Section B offers in depth reading of the texts on the syllabus, and their context, through an approach which is historical, literary, cultural, philosophical and social.