French (FREN)
Chair: Professor Scott D. Carpenter
Professors: Scott D. Carpenter, Cherif Keïta, Dana J. Strand, Cathy M. Yandell
Associate Professor: Éva Pósfay
Visiting Instructor: Hollant M. Adrien
Senior Lecturer: Cynthia Luck Shearer
Lecturer: Christine Lac
Visiting Lecturer: Annick Fritz-Smead
Language Courses:
Language courses 101, 102, 103, 204 are a sequential series of courses designed to prepare the student in the basic language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through the study of grammar, literature, and culture, and/or to provide the foundation for pursuing advanced work in language and literature. French 206 and 209 are designed to develop the student's spoken and written mastery of the language through compositions and intensive oral work based on cultural and literary topics. Admission to these courses is determined either by appropriate high school CEEB or Carleton placement test scores or by completion of the previous course in the sequence with a grade of C- or better.
Literature Courses:
We examine literary works for both their aesthetic and human values. Our literature courses have a number of goals: to refine and expand students' linguistic ability, to broaden their cultural understanding, to improve their ability to engage in literary analysis, to enhance their knowledge of literary history and criticism, and to help students better understand themselves and the human condition. In our discussions, we address universal themes and concerns, but we also try to uncover what is peculiarly French or Francophone about the works.
Requirements for a French Major:
Sixty-six credits including French 309, Literary and Cultural Studies 245 (usually in the junior year), French 398-399 (usually in the senior year), and the integrative exercise, French 400. Courses 101, 102, 103, 204 do not count toward the major. The sixty-six credits must include thirty-six credits at the 300 level (French 398, 399, or 400 does not count in this category). All courses conducted in French on the Paris and Mali programs count for the major. In addition to the sixty-six credits in the major, six credits are required in literature outside the major, read in the original language or in translation.
Concentration: See separate section for French and Francophone Studies.
Programs Abroad: Participation in a Carleton or in another approved foreign study program is highly recommended for students majoring or concentrating in the above areas. Students interested in study abroad should consult the section on international off-campus programs, and discuss alternatives with faculty in French and with the Director of Off-Campus Studies.
Certificate of Advanced Study in Foreign Language and Literature or Foreign Language and Area Studies: In order to receive the Certificate of Advanced Study in French, students must fulfill the general requirements (refer to Academic Regulations) in the following course distribution: six courses completed with a grade of C- or better in French beyond 103, including at least two upper-level literature courses (300-395). No more than 12 credits from non-Carleton off-campus studies programs may be applied toward the certificate.
Language Houses: Students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language by living in the Language House. The Associate is a native speaker, and students organize and participate in numerous cultural activities in the language houses.
French Courses
FREN 101, 102. Elementary French The goals of these courses are: a) to learn to speak, read, write and understand the fundamental structures of French grammar and vocabulary; b) to learn to create with the French language and express your thoughts in essentially correct French prose; c) to acquire an initial awareness of French and Francophone cultures. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall,Winter—Staff
FREN 103, 204. Intermediate French Through discussion of literature, cultural texts and films as well as a review of grammar, these courses aim to help students acquire greater skill and confidence in both oral and written expression. 6 credits cr., ND, Fall,Winter,Spring—Staff
FREN 206. Composition and Conversation Cross-listed with FRST 206. Designed to encourage students to express themselves orally and in writing while strengthening their knowledge of contemporary French through discussions of current issues in France. A wide range of topics and activities will allow students to function in diverse situations from practical tasks to much more specialized language situations. Students will learn useful and practical strategies for improving effective communication and refining their own writing style. Prerequisite: French 204 or equivalent. 6 credits cr., ND, Spring—C. Keïta
FREN 208. Paris Program: Conversation and Composition Cross-listed with FRST 208. Focusing on topics of current interest in French society, this course is designed to help students gain ease and proficiency in spoken and written French. The course will be conducted and supervised by local instructors assisted by recent graduates of the Program in French as a Foreign Language at the university of Paris X. In addition to regular in-class activities, the graduate assistants will meet with students for weekly tutorials. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—Non-Carleton Faculty
FREN 210. Coffee and News Keep up your French while learning about current issues in France, as well as world issues from a French perspective. Class meets once a week for an hour. Requirements include reading specific sections of leading French newspapers, (Le Monde, Libration, etc.) on the internet, and then meeting once a week to exchange ideas over coffee with a small group of students like yourself. Prerequisite: French 204 or permission of the instructor. 2 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Fall,Winter,Spring—S. Carpenter
FREN 222. Speaking French A weekly discussion in French focusing on the films viewed for the course, Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema. The goal is to promote increased language proficiency while deepening understanding of cultural perspectives. The course is also intended to support the use of foreign language across the curriculum. Prerequisite: French 103 or permission of the instructor. 2 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 238. Border Crossings: Postmodern Perspectives on French and German Cinema Cross-listed with GERM 220,MEDA 238,FRST 220. In this course, we will explore the responses of French and German filmmakers to the challenges facing Europe as it redefined itself throughout the 20th century. Taking Foucault's and Derrida's theories about the center and the margin as a starting point, we will examine such issues as national identity, marginalization, shifting gender roles and technological change. Filmmakers to be discussed will be Jean-Luc Godard, Jean Renoir, Agnes Varda, Fritz Lang, Rainer W. Fassbinder and Helma Sanders-Brahms. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 240. Introduction to French Literature: Sexuality and Sagacity Cross-listed with FRST 240. What is the relationship between sexuality and knowledge? We will address this question through novels, poetry, and plays of such writers as Ronsard, Baudelaire, Sade, Sartre, Duras and Beyala, as well as films of Téchiné and Annaud. This course serves as an introduction to the study of French and Francophone literatures and aims to develop students' skills in analysis and discussion in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—C. Yandell
FREN 241. Introduction to French and Francophone Literature: Growing Up French Cross-listed with FRST 241. Students will read and discuss literary works selected from different historical periods. The works, representing a variety of literary genres, share a common preoccupation with a theme or problem that will provide the central focus of the course. Past course topics include voyage, exile and marginalization, transgression, and death. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—D. Strand
FREN 243. Topics in Cultural Studies: Language and Identity in France and the Francophone World Cross-listed with FRST 243. We will take a sociolinguistic approach to the study of French culture as we focus on the parallel evolution of the French language and the society that produced it and was created by it. After examining the concept of French identity from an historical and linguistic perspective, we will analyze specific elements of that identity in the contemporary world, notably, education, regionalism, postcolonialism (within and outside of France), and the influence of Europe and the United States. We will look at movies, songs, cartoons, recipes, toys, short stories, essays and other types of cultural artifacts as the object of our study. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Lac
FREN 245. Francophone Literature of Africa and the Caribbean Cross-listed with AFAM 245,FRST 245. Reading and discussion of literary works, with analysis of social, historical and political issues. Conducted in French. Prerequisite: French 204 or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL,RAD, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 246. Paris Program: City of Wonders: Paris in the Arts Cross-listed with FRST 242. Home of some of the finest and best-known museums in the world, Paris has long been recognized as a center for artistic activity. Students will have the opportunity to study French art of the last two centuries onsite: in-class lectures and discussions will be complemented by guided visits to the unparalleled collections at the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Centre Pompidou, local art galleries, and other appropriate destinations. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—Non-Carleton Faculty
FREN 249. Paris Program: Vivre à Paris Cross-listed with FRST 253. What does it mean, and what has it meant to live in Paris? This course will explore through literature, cultural readings, and experiential methods the multiple faces of Paris. Special attention will be given to the questions of beauty, idealization, immigration, and social change. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Yandell
FREN 250. Mali Program: Film and Society in Mali Cross-listed with FRST 250. This course will concentrate on the dynamics of traditional orality within the art of cinema in Mali. Feature films and documentaries by award-winning filmmakers such as Soulemane Cissé, Cheick Oumar Sissoko, Adama Drabo, Dany Kouyaté, and Abderrahmane Sissako will be screened and analyzed. Discussions with some of these filmmakers will introduce the student to the challenges and success of filmmaking in economically-challenged countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—Non-Carleton faculty
FREN 251. Mali Program: Negotiating the Past: The Challenges of Nation-building in Mali Cross-listed with FRST 249. This course will look at various issues in Malian history (ancient and modern) and the process of political and economic change. A component of this course will be an introduction to conversational Bambara, the lingua franca of Mali. 4 credits cr., AL, Winter—Non-Carleton Faculty
FREN 252. Mali Program: Literature and Society in Mali Cross-listed with FRST 252. This course will focus on the theme of social change in different genres of Malian literature, from the colonial period to the present. By studying oral and written works by traditional and modern poets, novelists, and playwrights such as Seydou Badian and Massa Makan Diabaté, Moussa Konaté, and Amadou Hampaté Bâ, the student will get an understanding of issues such as education, marriage, and traditional vs. modern political power in contemporary Malian society. Meeting will be arranged with many writers and oral performers. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—C. Keïta
FREN 290. Directed Reading Cross-listed with FRST 290. Directed reading during the month of December on Malian history and culture. 2 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Winter—C. Keïta
FREN 309. Beyond Words: The Fine Art of Writing in French Cross-listed with FRST 309. Designed to help students develop strategies to master the writing of literary essays, "exposés" and "explications de texts" in French, while perfecting their own writing style through creative writing and translation. Required for the major in French. Prerequisite: at least one course above French 204. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—É. Pósfay
FREN 349. Paris Program: Vivre à Paris Cross-listed with FRST 349. What does it mean, and what has it meant to live in Paris? This course will explore through literature, cultural readings, and experiential methods the multiple faces of Paris. Special attention will be given to the questions of beauty, idealization, immigration, and social change. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—C. Yandell
FREN 351. Topics in the 16th Century: Metamorphoses: Love, War and Monsters in Early Modern France Cross-listed with FRST 351. The French Renaissance continues to intrigue students and critics by its propensity for paradox, ambiguity, and contradiction. Just as literature and the arts reached new levels of aesthetic achievement, the bloodiest civil war in French history was taking shape. Simultaneously producing lyric poetry praising beautiful bodies, bawdy tales, moralizing dialogue, and chronicles of monsters, French 16th century culture was in a constant state of flux. Through such authors as Rabelais, Marguerite de Navarre, Ronsard, Louise Labé and Montaigne, as well as contemporaneous artistic and musical works, we will investigate the meaning of these metamorphoses. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 352. 17th Century Literature: Eccentrics in Classical France Cross-listed with FRST 352. . 17th century France is often touted as the pinnacle of French grandeur. Under Louis XIV's absolutist rule, France supported an astounding number of normative measures-from founding academies to policing codes of behavior-designed to help the French nation to become a political, economic and cultural world power. But in the midst of all these pressures towards normativeness, could one express any dissent in the age of Versailles? We will explore the creative strategies used in a whole range irreverent writings by Molière, Racine, Perrault, Lafayette, Choisy and many more. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Winter—É. Pόsfay.
FREN 354. Literature of the Other Cross-listed with FRST 354. What is the division between Us and Them? The way we define the groups we belong to and those we differ from has always been of capital importance, and these definitions change over time. By looking at texts and events of the 18th and 19th centuries, including travel literature, tales of the supernatural, texts from the Revolution and documents of colonization, we will investigate the creation and manipulation of various "Others," as they have been defined socially, culturally, and sexually. Authors may include Mme de Graffigny, Diderot, Sade, Mme de Staël, Balzac, Flaubert, Baudelaire, among others. Conducted in French. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Spring—S. Carpenter
FREN 356. Topics in 19th Century Literature Cross-listed with FRST 356. The 19th century in France is a tumultuous period, punctuated by the aftershocks of the Revolution and preoccupied with massive social restructuring. Such events are played out in a field of power that is political, institutional, economic, sexual and cultural. This course focuses on the way discourses of power are inscribed in literary and other cultural texts (caricature, sculpture, etc.), and pays particular attention to the strategies mounted in opposition to power. Care is taken to relate past practices to the present day. Recommended preparation: French 240-level course or above. Conducted in French. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 359. 20th Century Literature Cross-listed with FRST 359. . Marcel Proust's quest to retrieve the past set the stage for future writers who, in their turn, have undertaken the challenging task of probing what bell hooks has referred to as "the debris of history." Memory, whether real or imagined, experiential or experimental, has been a central concern in the works of such 20th century authors as Maguerite Duras, Patrick Modiano, Charlotte Delbo, and Albert Camus. In this course we will pay particular attention to the high stakes of remembering (and forgetting) at the intersection of story (personal) and history (collective). Conducted in French. 6 credits cr., AL, Not offered in 2003-2004.
FREN 395. Autobiographical Lenses: Self/Other/Culture Cross-listed with FRST 395. While "writing the self" may first appear to be a uniquely narcissistic enterprise, autobiography also reveals much about the culture from which it emerges. Readings may include Montaigne, Musset, Romain Gary, Annie Ernaux, Hervé Guibert and Azouz Begag, as well as cultural and theoretical texts. Throughout the course, students will also engage in an autobiographical project of their own. Prerequisite: Fench 240-level course or the equivalent. 6 credits cr., AL, Fall—C. Yandell
FREN 398. Senior Essay Cross-listed with FRST 398. The planning, preparation and writing of a significant paper in French or French and Francophone Studies under the direction of the department. Devoted to formulating a thesis and establishing a critical bibliography. 3 credits cr., S/CR/NC, ND, Fall—S. Carpenter
FREN 399. Senior Essay Cross-listed with FRST 399. The planning, preparation and writing of a significant paper in French or French and Francophone Studies under the direction of the department. Discussion of drafts with other seminar members and the completion of the essay 3 credits cr., ND, Winter—S. Carpenter
FREN 400. Integrative Exercise A colloquium in which students present and defend their senior essays and discuss the essays of others. 3 credits cr., S/NC, ND, Spring—S. Carpenter