FREN 173 SC - Wit and Ridicule in the French Salon

This course will examine the role of wit and its counterpart, ridicule, in nineteenth century French society through an analysis of Stendhal's novel Le Rouge et le noir, Balzac's novel Illusions perdues, Patrice Leconte's film Ridicule. We will explore how wit is characterized in these works and investigate the role of language in social success and self-definition. We will also consider the process by which France's national identity became tied to its language and how wit arose as an aristocratic value and came to embody key cultural capital. The course will include critical readings as well (Hesse, Lilti, Corbin, Foucault). Satisfies the pre-1900 requirement. Taught in French.

Prerequisite(s): FREN 044  or equivalent.
Course Credit: 1.0

This course information is from the 2024-2025 SCRIPPS CATALOG. View this catalog.
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