Revolt and Resistance
S07
Isabel Roche
In this course, we will explore the concepts of revolt and resistance, focusing specifically on how they are central to the writer and to writing in World War II France. From Camus’ reworking of Descartes’ cogito (“I revolt, therefore we are”), to texts in which resistance is offered as an implicit or explicit stance in the face of social crisis, we will study a variety of genres (novel, poetry, film, memoir) in an effort to better understand these ideas and their interplay. Writers studied include Camus, Anouilh, Sartre, Duras, and Vercours. Films include Au Revoir les Enfants and Le Dernier Métro. With regular writing assignments and presentations, emphasis will be placed on oral and written language skills, such as developing ways to construct an argument, to analyze literary and nonliterary texts, and to support one’s ideas. Students will also undertake a research project related to the topic of the course. Conducted in French. High-intermediate level.