This course proposes to study monsters as a critical lens for examining sociocultural tensions, hopes, and anxieties in French literature and culture from the Renaissance to the present day. Dwelling across borders and boundaries, the monster is a paradoxical figure: it is unsettlingly close to us yet also marked by radical otherness. Throughout the semester, we will explore this dual dynamic: on the one hand, it is a figure that threatens social, moral, and cultural norms, and on the other, the monster exposes the failures and blind spots of the very structures that try to contain it. From fairy-tale villains and vampires to the postmodern zombie, we will examine what the monsters tell us about being human and about our perceptions of reality. Class readings include a variety of genres (fairy tales, short stories, poetry) and media forms (literature, visual arts, film). Class work will combine close readings of literary and visual texts with theoretical frameworks, as well as creative writing.
Readings, written assignments, and class discussions will be conducted in French. Any student who has completed FREN 215 (with a minimum grade of B) or has placed out of FREN 215 through the placement test may enroll in this course. It is an advanced course intended for students who have not yet studied abroad in a French-speaking country. Students who are not admitted to the course during pre-registration are strongly encouraged to submit an enrollment request and attend the first class meeting. This course counts toward the French Studies major and minor, the Romance Studies major, and the COL major. It also fulfills the language requirement for the ARHA major and the GEM (Global Engagement Minor). |