French 3060, Composition, “L’Écriture et le Cinéma au XXe siècle.”
“Intériorisation, Autour de La Salle de Bain de Jean-Philippe Toussaint, 1985.”
The main component of French 3060 is composition. We will explore advanced French grammar, composition technique, reading of literary texts and oral communication. Classes are conducted entirely in French. Grammar is considered as “review,” and therefore the pace is quick; in-class and at-home writing exercises will be used to reinforce grammatical expertise. Composition assignments are designed to encourage thematic analysis, thesis writing, and explication de texte of reading selections. The reading of La Salle de Bain by Jean-Phlippe Toussaint, of articles and the watching of selected movies will provide material for written exercises as well as class discussions.
There will be very short quizzes (on movies, grammar, vocabulary, verbs, authors…) matching the material covered. In addition, two exams will have grammar and composition components (the format of the exam will be precisely described.) There will be short writing homework, five compositions, oral participation and final oral exam (during which the student defend his critique littéraire. All compositions will be written in 7 steps. : problématique and sources. 2: Introduction and plan. Day 3-5: corps du texte. 6: Conclusion. 7: version finale complète.
Our semester will be divided in 5 “écritures”
Le Descriptif, le narratif, l’Argumentatif, l’Explication de texte et la Critique littéraire.
Each “écriture” will be organized around 8 days. Almost every day we will read couple pages of La Salle de Bain, write a short essay, will take a very short quiz and speak around the subject of the day in small groups.
Lecture principale : La Salle de Bain, Jean-Philippe Toussaint. Extraits d’auteurs. Critiques littéraires
Auteurs étudiés : pour chaque auteur, les étudiants doivent : faire des recherches biographiques, lire un extrait de l’œuvre puis lire une critique littéraire sur l’auteur .
Jacques Prévert, déjeuner du matin, vidéo sur Prévert
Marguerite Duras, premières pages du roman “L’Amant”, interview de Duras.
Jean-Paul Sartre, l’Existentialisme, “Nous sommes condamnés à être libres” et interview de Sartre.
Nathalie Sarraute, Enfance, incipit, extrait d’une pièce de théatre “Elle est belle la vie”.
J.P. Toussaint. Interviews.
Films: Descriptif: Ridicule, P. Leconte: 1996. Narratif: Tous les matins du Monde, A.Corneau: 1991.Argumentatif: Il y a longtemps que je t’aime, . P. Claudel: 2008. Explication de texte: A l’origine, X.Giannoli: 2009. Critique Littéraire: La Patinoire, JP Toussaint: 1998.
Documentaires: interviews des auteurs étudiés.
Juliette Blue Bourdier, Medievalist 
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