Ambition, Fate Self: 19C Lit

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Over the course of the nineteenth century, France saw seismic evolutions in understandings of the human self and, more precisely, of what sort of control people could exert over their own lives. Secular and scientific modes of reasoning came to replace religion, which diminished as a form of social organization and control diminished. At the same time, the rise of bourgeois capitalism introduced paths to financial and social mobility that had previously not existed. Along with these elements, massive political upheavals and abrupt reversals in discourses and ideologies gave people a sense of constant volatility. Broad opportunity combined with looming meaninglessness. Through study of the major works of nineteenth-century French realism (Stendhal, Balzac, Flaubert, Zola), we will analyze the development of the self as a modern idea, as well as the parameters of individual agency. Topics will broadly include: the role of political ideologies in individual understandings of the self; the weaponization of religion and its decline, the role of the narrator in creating impressions of fate and arbitrariness; social definitions of femininity and endeavors to surmount them; marriage as aspiration and as limitation; the rise of industrial production and capitalism; the growth of consumerism; genetics, psychiatry, and medical notions of destiny. The course assumes no prior familiarity with these topics or with nineteenth-century French literature. It will be conducted entirely in French, and all written work will be composed in French. Prerequisites: Either FREN 3350 or FREN 3351 must be completed prior to taking this class. Learning Goals: Students will develop a broad understanding of the self as a psychological, moral, political and economic phenomenon, one developed and shaped through nineteenth-century narrative. Students will also become familiar with the best-known writers and novels of the French nineteenth century. Through close reading work and through analytical practice both in class discussions and presentations and through a variety of written assignments, students will improve both their fluency in French and their skills in literary interpretation and critical thinking.