Francophone Culture and Literature

In this course, students will be introduced to the culture and way of life of several francophone countries as well as their literature and humor. Texts (excerpts of novels, poetry, plays) and other documents (comic books, articles, songs and films) from Quebec, North and West Africa, the West Indies and Europe will be used to study the social and geopolitical situation of these regions and their artistic esthetic. Topics like exile, colonialism, neocolonialism, ""négritude"", ""créolité"", women's rights, identity, tradition will be explored through the study and analisis of texts by Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Léopold Sedar Senghor, Léon G. Damas, Maryse Condé, Suzanne Dracius, Birago Diop, Kama-Sywor Kamanda, Anne Hébert, Roch Carrier, Mariama Bâ. Excerpts from a comic book by Marguerite Abouet, and movie clips like Abderrahmane Sissako’s Bamako will also be included.

Students will continue to perfect their reading and writing skills individually through short compositions and in group with documents’ analysis. A great emphasis will be given to reading comprehension and developping writing skills. Students will practice their oral competence in class. An individual oral presentation of one aspect of francophone culture will be required.

Required text: Césaire, Aimé. Une tempête, Editions du Seuil, 1969 ISBN 978-2-02-031431-2
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