French Culture I
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The aim of the course it to provide the student with several instruments to face the study and the research of some of the aspects of the French contemporary culture. At first, the student will be given a historic and sociological overview of the suburbs from the end of the Second World War until nowadays. Afterwards, we will focus on the literary and artistic representation from the Eighties until the recent literary phenomenon of the "banlieue literature". We will start from the historical-political contextualization in order to analyze the cultural roots and concentrate on some aspects that have conditioned the evolution of those places.
Expected learning outcomes
During the lessons the student will develop his skills through texts and videos in French, as well as his communicative abilities throughout the presentation and discussion of written texts and multimedia productions. It will be encouraged a critical thinking thanks to discussions, debates and group work.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
"The judicial chronicle in French culture and society in the 21st century: from the novel to the cinema"
This course will analyse three legal cases that have actual events in common and that have been revisited in literature and film. In particular, the famous trial of the killer Jean-Claude Roman (Emmanuel Carrère in L'Adversaire, 2000), the trial concerning the sexual violence suffered by a young girl of which the son of a family belonging to the Parisian intellectual elite is accused (Karine Tuil in Les choses humaines, 2019), and the terrorist attacks of 2015 which, in a single night and different locations in Paris, resulted in a massacre among young victims (analysed again by Carrère in V13, 2022).
Law, literature, and cinema share the practice of narrative as an elucidation and interpretation of the world, and they raise questions about morality in the judicial sphere. The course will alternate theoretical parts relating to the analysis of novels and film adaptations with a more practical reflection based on visual and textual documents (news reports, press articles, TV programmes), which not only summarise the information needed to understand the novels in the corpus but also offer an overview of contemporary French society and its issues.
This course will analyse three legal cases that have actual events in common and that have been revisited in literature and film. In particular, the famous trial of the killer Jean-Claude Roman (Emmanuel Carrère in L'Adversaire, 2000), the trial concerning the sexual violence suffered by a young girl of which the son of a family belonging to the Parisian intellectual elite is accused (Karine Tuil in Les choses humaines, 2019), and the terrorist attacks of 2015 which, in a single night and different locations in Paris, resulted in a massacre among young victims (analysed again by Carrère in V13, 2022).
Law, literature, and cinema share the practice of narrative as an elucidation and interpretation of the world, and they raise questions about morality in the judicial sphere. The course will alternate theoretical parts relating to the analysis of novels and film adaptations with a more practical reflection based on visual and textual documents (news reports, press articles, TV programmes), which not only summarise the information needed to understand the novels in the corpus but also offer an overview of contemporary French society and its issues.
Prerequisites for admission
Students must have basic skills in textual analysis.
Teaching methods
A collaborative method that encourages learners to take an active approach to knowledge based on curiosity and challenge rather than a passive attitude.
Teaching Resources
Novels :
Emmanuel Carrère, L'Adversaire, Paris, P.O.L., 2000 (also in Kindle format).
Karine Tuil, Les choses humaines, Paris, Gallimard, 2019 (anche in formato Kindle).
Emmanuel Carrère, V13, Paris, P.O.L., 2022 (also in Kindle format).
Critical bibliography : In addition to the PDF documents and links downloadable from the MyAriel portal, students attending the course should also study the following critical essays.
Read the 5 articles contained in the online journal "Literature of Trial, Trial of Literature", "Revue FIXXION" n. 26, 2023:
A. Gefen https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10416
A. Gautier https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10586
C. Baron https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10700
S. Cadinot-Romerio https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10810
A.M. Duquette https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10950
Emmanuel Carrère, L'Adversaire, Paris, P.O.L., 2000 (also in Kindle format).
Karine Tuil, Les choses humaines, Paris, Gallimard, 2019 (anche in formato Kindle).
Emmanuel Carrère, V13, Paris, P.O.L., 2022 (also in Kindle format).
Critical bibliography : In addition to the PDF documents and links downloadable from the MyAriel portal, students attending the course should also study the following critical essays.
Read the 5 articles contained in the online journal "Literature of Trial, Trial of Literature", "Revue FIXXION" n. 26, 2023:
A. Gefen https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10416
A. Gautier https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10586
C. Baron https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10700
S. Cadinot-Romerio https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10810
A.M. Duquette https://journals.openedition.org/fixxion/10950
Assessment methods and Criteria
The examination will consist of an oral interview in French to verify the acquisition of the theoretical notions transmitted and the ability to read the texts critically and rework the concepts.
L-LIN/03 - FRENCH LITERATURE - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Professors:
Capotorti Roberta, Riva Silvia
Educational website(s)
Professor(s)