Three quirky and extremely different novels, from 1842, 1910, and 2013 and by three quite different women novelists will allow us to explore questions of freedom and constraint, mobility and identity, across three centuries—not only on the level of the novels’ plots, but also in the way these writers play with what a (woman’s) novel can be. Along with reading the three novels, each student will also do some independent research related to one of the authors, or novels, or the history of women’s writing, or French social history or women’s history, or the history of feminism and present that research to the class.

Texts:
George Sand, Consuelo (Gallimard, Folio)

Colette, La vagabonde  (LGF, livre de poche)

Marie NDiaye, Ladivine (Gallimard, Folio)