Awakenings of Desire in French Literature and Film
Readings/Films:
Readings: Colette, Le Blé en herbe; Diderot, La Religieuse; Duras, L’Amant; Laclos, Les Liaisons dangereuses; Sagan, Bonjour Tristesse
Films: Audrey, Gigi
Malle, Le Souffle au cœur
Paronnaud, Persepolis
Sciamma, Bande de filles
Téchiné, Quand on a 17 ans
Course Description:
How have French writers of different time periods told stories about sexual exploration and discovery? How are writing and reading connected to learning about sexuality? In order to think about these questions, we will study a variety of textual representations of awakenings of desire and investigate intersections of the coming-of-age story with the formation of sexual identity. These textual representations include novels and films from the eighteenth, nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. We will analyze portrayals of desire, rejection and shame in various cultural and historical contexts, and discuss questions of sexual orientation and sexual violence in French literature and cinema.
Prerequisites:
French 102 or consent of Instructor.
Additional Information:
Satisfies 1 “Literaure/Genre” or 1 “Elective” course requirement in French major; satisfies 1 course requirement in French minor. Satisfies Letters and Science breadth requirement in Arts and Literature or International Studies.