Critical analysis of Texts : the French Language Novel

Teacher(s)

Dehoux Amaury;

Language

French

Prerequisites

Excellent knowledge of French language

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

Detailed analysis of one or more novelistic works, notably by confronting some interpretations elaborated by specialists. This analysis leads to situate the text into the historical, social and cultural configuration in which it has been generated ; To isolate operating tools in order to analyse the novelistic gender ; to estimate the value and limits of the various methods and theoretical orientations in use.
Focalisation on the novelistic gender is not exclusive : in relation with the particular questions treated, works from other genders, or other arts, could also be taken in consideration.
Students will work together in small groups which will allow other texts to be examined, facilitate learning and help students to have a practical involvement in their studies.

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	To be able to produce a relevant and illuminating analysis, with arguments, of a poetic text ; To situate it on stylistic, aesthetical, historical and cultural levels ; To evaluate the crossing between methodological tools and results ; To write an analysis.

Content

The course will focus on the forms and models of the novel in the French-speaking area. First, we will discuss and criticize some major theories of the novel (Bakhtine, Lukács, etc.). Based on this theoretical frame, we will then analyze several African and Caribbean novels in French. While describing the peculiarity of each work, we will more broadly consider the features that characterize the francophone novel of the Global South.

Teaching methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Formal lectures and working groups. Attendance in working groups is compulsory. Absence without a valid excuse will have an impact in the final examination.

Evaluation methods

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the information in this section is particularly likely to change.

Students will have to write a short paper analyzing a francophone novel (50% of the grade). The paper should be submitted on the first day of the exam period.
Students are required to attend 4 sessions of tutorial. Before each session, they will have to complete an assignment. Only the final assignment will be evaluated (50% of the grade), and will consist of a critical analysis submitted on the first day of the exam period. Please note that students will be allowed to submit their final paper only if they have attended the tutorial and completed all the previous assignments.
Evaluation methods remain the same from one exam period to another.

Other information

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Online resources

Some documents will be available on Moodle.

Bibliography

Lectures obligatoires :
- Sony Labou Tansi, La Vie et demie, Paris, Points, 1998.
- Alain Mabanckou, Mémoires de porc-épic, Paris, Points, 2017.
- Ahmadou Kourouma, Les Soleils des indépendances, Paris, Points, 1995.
- Patrick Chamoiseau, Un dimanche au cachot, Paris, Gallimard, 2009 (Folio).
- Dany Laferrière, Je suis un écrivain japonais, Paris, Librairie générale française, 2012 (Le Livre de poche).
- Maryse Condé, Histoire de la femme cannibale, Paris, Gallimard, 2005 (Folio).

Faculty or entity

ELAL