Francophone Graphic Novels: Text, Image and the Spaces In-Between
FREN 242
Fall 2025
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01
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This course introduces students to Francophone graphic novels (bandes dessinées) from regions such as Côte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, Belgium, Quebec, the French Caribbean, and France, showcasing their cultural and artistic diversity. After an introduction to key concepts in comics studies, students will engage with acclaimed works like Persepolis (Satrapi, 2000), Aya de Yopougon 1 (Abouet & Oubrerie, 2005), and Péyi an nou (Oublié, 2017). These texts serve as a lens to examine pressing debates on identity, migration, memory, race, gender, and religion. Coursework includes critical readings, visual and textual analysis, and creative writing/drawing. By discussing the content of these graphic novels, students will become familiar with a broad range of human experiences as well as major global events. By also focusing on their multimodal form, they will develop a toolbox for analyzing this unique textual/visual medium on its own terms and in relation to other media, especially visual art, cinema, and literature. The class is taught in French. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
HA RLAN |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: None |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
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