Expressions of France: Love and Marriage in French Literature before 1800

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

We tend to think about marriage as uniting two persons who love each other — but how did love and marriage combine before “love marriages” were a thing? In this course, taught in French, you will read and learn about some of the masterpieces of French literature from before 1800 to answer this question. By analyzing and contextualizing some key literary works, you will learn how love and marriage were often viewed as incompatible; what it took to combine the two; how jealous husbands dealt with open relationships; how faking one’s death, cross-dressing, or hiding in a religious house might have been the best way to escape an unwanted marriage; and how people in love strove to get married to consecrate their union. By the end of the course, you will walk away with a strengthened sense of the French literary canon and you will be ready to take advanced French literature and culture courses. Students are encouraged though not required to have taken ROFR 30310 “Between the Lines” prior to or during this course. Taught in French.