In this seminar we will consider the fascination with the exotic--with foreign landscapes, customs, and culture--in 19th-century French fiction, particularly in the genre of the short story. Discussions will focus on the representation of foreignness, the construction of the exotic woman, and the status of the European gaze. Major authors may include Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Chateaubriand, Balzac, Merimee, Loti, Flaubert, Hugo, Baudelaire, and Théophile Gautier. Although a 20th-century text, we will also read Duras's L'Amant. |