FRENCH LITERATURE 2

The teaching of French Literature 2 module 1 is part of the French course of Lingue e letterature europee, americane e postcoloniali (including the Master en études françaises et francophones). It allows students to acquire an advanced knowledge of the history and some aspects of French literature as well as a mastery of theoretical-critical methodologies, in line with the aims of the course of study and the learning area.
Given the change in French Literature 2 , the individual objectives refer to both years of the course, but in progress; the fullness of their achievement is therefore expected at the end of the second year.

1. Knowledge and understanding:
a. knowledge of notions of literature theory and narratology, as well as some instruments of stylistic and rhetorical investigation;
b. knowledge of the historical-literary field : literary genres of the French Renaissance and the Baroque period, with particular regard to the poetics of the novella and novel and the different interactions between French literary production and Italian models;
c. basic knowledge of book history and publishing processes in the Renaissance and Baroque periods;
d. basic knowledge of the criteria for a critical edition of literary texts;
e.ability to understand a literary text in moyen français/classical French.

2. Applied knowledge and understanding:
a. ability to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired to the works and texts dealt with during the course ;
b. ability to analyse and compare texts and to elaborate conceptual summaries;
c. ability to place a text and a literary phenomenon in their production and reception context;
c. ability to consult bibliographic directories and set up a bibliographic search.

3. Autonomy of judgement:
a. ability to exercise critical judgement;
b. capacity to formulate hypotheses and autonomous judgements argued in a coherent and effective manner.

4. Communication skills
a. developing the ability to understand literary texts (including ancient ones) and critical essays in the French language;
b. development of communication skills for coherent, clear, terminologically accurate and effective communication, both in oral class interaction on course topics and in academic written discourse (the elaboration of a "tesina").

5. Ability to learn: ability to infer, relate data, synthesize, organise coherent and autonomous analysis of a text and/or literary process.

Knowledge of the general lines of the history of French literature from the 16th to the 17th century, acquired through the basic teachings of the literary field of the three years of the LCSL degree course or through the study of manuals of literary history. Since the course is given in French, and also in view of the exam, a C1 level of French language (written and oral) is required.

Around the Heptameron of Marguerite of Navarre
Through the reading of Heptameron and the study of the narrative, structural, generic, thematic and stylistic components of this collection of short stories composed by the Queen of Navarre, sister of Francis I, our course aims to address and illustrate broader issues relating to the literary history of the Renaissance and the Baroque age, the poetics of narrative genres and the transmission and circulation of narrative materials and models in European literatures, particularly between Italy and France. The study of the editorial history of this work and its reception will also address the dynamics of the composition, reading and dissemination of a literary work in the 16th century, particularly with regard to the typology of short story collection. Our viewpoint will be both analytical and historical, with the aim of shedding light on the aesthetic and philosophical stakes of Heptameron and the role he played at the crossroads between the French and Italian narrative tradition and the narrative fiction of the Baroque age.
This course will also develop, in a complementary way, a reflection on the modalities of access to the literary works of the Early Modern Age for today's readers and the stakes linked to the use of digital tools in the diffusion and valorisation of these works. An introduction to the use of digital technology for publishing and for the exploration of literary texts in the context of university didactics is planned, in the form of seminars within the course, which will be enriched by the contributions of a specialist in Digital Humanities, responsible for scientific projects.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

a. Primary Fonti/Primary Sources ( a choice)
- Marguerite de Navarre, L’Heptaméron, édition de Nicole Cazauran, Paris, Gallimard, Folio classique, n° 3359, 2020 or Marguerite de Navarre, Œuvres complètes, Paris, Champion, 2013, t. X.
- Giovanni Boccaccio, Decameron.
- Conteurs français du XVIᵉ siècle. Édition de Pierre Jourda, Paris, Gallimard, coll. « Bibliothèque de la Pléiade » (n° 177), 1965.
Excerpts from other works progressively deposited in Moodle.
Further sources will be indicated during the course.

b. Secondary Fonti /Secondary Sources
- BAUSI, Francesco, Leggere il Decameron, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017.
- THOMINE, Marie-Claire, MONTAGNE, Véronique, L’Heptaméron de Marguerite de Navarre, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Atlande, nouvelle édition, complétée, remaniée, 2020.
- VIET, Nora, « Caméron, Décaméron, Heptaméron : la genèse de l’Heptaméron au miroir des traductions françaises de Boccace », Seizième Siècle, n° 8, 2012, Les textes scientifiques à la Renaissance, V. Giacomotto-Charra et J. Vons (dir.), p. 287-302. https://www.persee.fr/doc/xvi_1774-4466_2012_num_8_1_1058
- BERTRAND Dominique (dir.), Lire L'Heptaméron de Marguerite de Navarre, Clermont-Ferrand, Presses universitaires Blaise Pascal, Coll. CERHAC, 2005.
- LE CADET, Nicolas. Les « piteuses histoires » de L’Heptaméron et les histoires tragiques du XVIe siècle. In: Réforme, Humanisme, Renaissance, n°73, 2011. p. 23-39, www.persee.fr/doc/rhren_1771-1347_2011_num_73_1_3143
Further information will be provided during the course.

The examination interview, held in French, will focus on the topics dealt with during the course and will aim to verify the acquired knowledge (contents of the module, notions of literary theory and narration, knowledge and contextualization of the works read), the ability to understand and analyze the texts studied drawing inspiration for an independent critical reflection and validly argued, the communicative skills.
In order to favour the autonomy in the individual examination and to start the written production in view of the thesis, it will be required the writing of a paper of about 15 pages, in French, to be delivered at least 8 days before the examination. In agreement with the teacher, students may choose a subject relating to the course programme. The teacher will introduce the students to the bibliographic research and to the setting up of a work plan; the paper will be evaluated on the basis of the coherence in the articulation of the work and the discourse, of the relevance of the observations, of the correctness in the exposition, of the capacity of application of the acquired critical instruments, of the capacity of expressing a judgment based on valid elements.
The final evaluation will be based on the outcome of the oral test, the evaluation of the paper and the participation in the interactive online forum.

Blended teaching with support of the moodle platform. There will be an alternation between delivery moments (lectures), seminars and moments of guided reflection and in-depth study (at a distance), followed by presentations and discussion. The course will be held in French.
The teaching materials used during the course will be made available in the Moodle space, https://moodle.unive.it/login/index.php

If you are unable to attend the entire course, please contact the teacher before the start of the lessons.

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