DUKE UNIVERSITY COURSE SYNOPSIS - FALL 2006
DEPARTMENT Rom. Stud. PROGRAM/STUDY : Francophone
COURSE NUMBER FR 132 COURSE TITLE French in the New World
PROFESSOR Jean-Jacques Thomas
If this course is cross-listed with another department or program, please list the
DEPARTMENT AND COURSE NUMBER: C-L: Canadian Studies, Comparative Area Studies,
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION, if any:
Prerequisistes: none
Permission Required: n.a.
Other:
SYNOPSIS OF COURSE CONTENT:
The purpose of this course is to study the different types of French, French based Creoles and Francophone languages and cultures in Canada, New England, Louisiana and the Caribbean. The origins, history and linguistic characteristics as well as current political, linguistic and cultural issues in each area will be studied from fictional texts, documents or audio-visual productions. Contemporary works by Acadiens, Québécois, Américains, Cajuns and Caraïbes writers (Nelligan, Caron, Maillet, Miron, Proulx, Tremblay, Blais, Des Rosiers, Laferrière, Ancelet, Glissant, Césaire, Depestre, Condé, Damas, Confiant, etc. ) and filmmakers ( Arcand, Pool, Lepage, Lauzon, etc.) will help understand the nature of this important Francophone cultural domain in the New World. The entire Francophone area of the New World will be studied both locally and globally so as to study it as a diverse and complex macrocosm of varied sedentary and nomadic interests and identities. In French.
READING ASSIGMENTS:
Required
Course's Web site and links
Maillet, Antonine: Pélagie la charette
Proulx, Monique: Les Aurores montréales
Des Rosiers, Joël : Metropolitan Opéra suivi de Tribu
Ancelet, Barry J.: Cajun and Creole Folktales
Bernabé, Chamoiseau and Confiant: Eloge de la créolité
Césaire : Cahier d’un retour au pays natal
Condé, Maryse : La traversée de la mangrove
To be consulted:
Depestre, René, Le Métier à métisser
Condé, Maryse, La Parole des Femmes
Jack Kerouac : On the Road
Dictionnaire Hachette de la Francophonie
EXAMINATIONS:
Two short papers or one short paper and one exposé (60%); one long research paper (30%)
Class discussions and active participation (10%).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / COMMENTS:
THE DEPARTMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGE
S.