FREN 331 - Etudes thématiques

Credits: 3 Prerequisite: Three courses at the 200 level. This course gives students a general knowledge of the evolution of French literature and ideas over the centuries through the study of one main theme. Recent offerings include: L’Exil; Regards sur la ville; Le dépaysement; Le voyage dans la literature française; L’esprit critique au XVIIIe siècle. May be repeated for degree credit if the theme is different.

Fall 2020, FREN 331A-01: Études thématiques: Advent of the Arriviste (3). Prerequisites: Three courses at the 200 level. What do Eugène de Rastignac, Julien Sorel, and Madame Bovary all have in common? Aside from their characters all dating from great works of the same period (1830-1856), the name Rastignac remains a term in modern French lexicon synonymous with “social climber.” We study the image of l’arriviste from economic, social, and gendered perspectives to see what constitutes its character and why the image was so prevalent in this era. (HL) Roney. FDR: HL