Monographic Seminar on French-Language Literature
Code: 106620 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2504393 English and French Studies | OB | 3 |
Contact
- Name:
- Xavier Blanco Escoda
- Email:
- xavier.blanco@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
It doesn't apply.
Objectives and Contextualisation
- To read and get to know in depth a key work of French literature.
- To know the historical, socio-economic and cultural context of a key work of French literature.
- To be able to reflect critically on the reading done.
- To be able to write, from a given literary fragment, a text commentary.
- To be able to orally present the main characteristics of a major work of French literature.
Competences
- Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
- Carry out effective written work or oral presentations adapted to the appropriate register in different languages.
- Evaluate and propose solutions to theoretical or practical problems in the fields of English and French literature, culture and linguistics.
- Recognize the most significant periods, traditions, trends, authors and works of literature in English and French in their historical and social context.
- Students have the ability to gather and interpret relevant data (normally within their study area) to issue judgments that include reflection on important issues of social, scientific or ethical.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
- Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
- Use digital tools and specific documentary sources to gather and organise information.
- Use spoken English and French correctly for academic and professional purposes related to the study of linguistics, history, culture and literature.
Learning Outcomes
- Acquire an awareness of the diachronic dimension of French and of the conditions of creation, dissemination and preservation of major French literary texts belonging to the initial stages of the language.
- Demonstrating a personal stance over a problem or controversy of philosophical nature.
- Distinctiate and assemble the basic critical bibliography that makes up the field of study of a work or author of French-language literature.
- Identify and explain the basic features of literary texts
- Identify the context in which historical and cultural processes are inscribed.
- Identifying and explaining the basic characteristics of literary texts and the interpretation process.
- Identifying main and supporting ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
- In a responsible and reasoned way, apply the appropriate computer techniques for the consultation and management of specific documentary sources.
- Maintain an attitude of respect for the opinions, values, behaviors and practices of others.
- Present arguments and evaluate the relevance of the analysis of a linguistic, literary or cultural phenomenon.
- Produce works in which the fundamental digital and bibliographic tools for the field of study are applied.
- Use the techniques of literary commentary.
Content
LES MISÉRABLES by Victor Hugo
Unit 1: Introduction to the work and its historical context
Reading suggestions and recommended editions
Biography of Victor Hugo
General presentation of the author's work
Historical panorama of France in the 19th century
Introduction to the main social issues addressed in Les Misérables
Unit 2: Analysis of the main characters (1)
Jean Valjean: character, facts, moral and personal evolution
Javert: figure of order and "justice"
Fantine: victim of social injustice
Unit 3: Analysis of the main characters (2)
Cosette: from an abused childhood to a conditioned youth
Marius: origins and political commitment
The Thénardiers: crime and misery or misery and crime?
Unit 4: The main themes of the novel
Poverty and social injustice
Redemption and forgiveness
Justice and law
Love and sacrifice
Politics and history
Unit 5: Stylistic and narrative analysis
The structure of the novel
The language of Victor Hugo: the prose of the poet
Digressions and interventions by the author
Unit 6: The historical context in the novel
The French Revolution and its consequences
19th century society in France: economic, political and cultural context
The Napoleonic Era: Waterloo
The revolution of 1830
Unit 7: Impact and reception of work
Reception of critics and the public
Theatrical, cinematographic adaptations, etc.: the question of transmodality
Posterity of the work. Les Misérables today: relevance and topicality
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Classes with ICT support and collective discussion | 47 | 1.88 | |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Exercices | 12 | 0.48 | |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Study and Readings | 85 | 3.4 |
The teaching methodology will be based mainly on:
- Lectures with ICT support and collective discussion.
- Reading and commenting on fragments of literary texts and texts of literary criticism.
- Viewing and commenting on audiovisual documents.
- Oral presentation, by the students, of proposed topics and activities, which may give rise to questions and debate. These presentations will be carried out according to the flipped classroom model, preferably in small groups and will include the participation of all the students present in the classroom (who, previously, will have worked with materials related to each topic presented). Linguistic engineering techniques applied to the analysis of literary text can be included.
Note: 15 minutes of a class will be reserved, within the timetable established by the centre/title, for the complementation by the students of the assessment surveys of the teaching staff's performance and the assessment of the subject.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active participation in classes | 20% | 0 | 0 | 1, 10, 2, 12, 5, 6, 4, 9 |
| First formative exam | 20% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 10, 2, 3, 5, 6, 4, 7, 9 |
| Oral presentations in class | 40% | 3 | 0.12 | 1, 8, 10, 2, 3, 11, 12, 5, 6, 4, 7, 9 |
| Second formative exam | 20% | 1.5 | 0.06 | 1, 10, 2, 3, 5, 6, 4, 7, 9 |
The evaluation of the course will be continuous (except in cases where a single assessment has previously been requested according to current regulations) and will include tests, comments and presentations delivered throughout the semester, and active participation during classes. It will include two exams, one of them partial and one of synthesis (preferably an oral test).
The single assessment will consist of a single test (oral) and will require the delivery of a presentation (which will also be given orally within the framework of the aforementioned test) and a written work that develops the subject of the presentation. The same assessment method as continuous assessment will be used.
To participate in the reexamination process (that will consist in a global remedial exam), the students must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose weight equals a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade. Only students who, having failed, have at least a final average grade of 3.5 out of 10 will have the right to reexamination. Oral presentations and tasks related to daily teaching activities are non-recoverable. Students who have completed less than 2/3 of the evaluation activities will be considered 'NOT EVALUABLE'.
At the time of the completion of each evaluation activity, students will be informed of the procedure and date of review of the evaluation. Plagiarism: The total or partial plagiarism of any exercise, examination or paper will automatically be considered FAILURE (0). PLAGIARISM is to copy from unidentified sources, either a single phrase or more, presenting it as your own production. It constitutes a serious offense.
In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.
Inthe event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB's virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc.Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.
Bibliography
This is a very succinct bibliography that will have to be consulted by the whole class group. During the course, specific bibliography will be provided according to the aspects of the work that different students or groups of students wish to analyze.
Bibliographie primaire
Hugo, Victor (1862) : Les Misérables. Édition présentéé, établie et annotée par Yves Gohin, 2 volumes. Éditions Gallimard (Folio Classique), Paris, 1999.
Hugo, Victor (1862) : Les Misérables. Édition d'Henri Scepi avec la collaboration de Dominique Moncond'huy. Éditions Gallimard (Bibliothèque de la Pléiade, nº 85), Paris, 2018.
Hugo, Victor (1862) : Les Misérables. Émile Testard, Paris, 1890. [Disponible sur Wikisource].
Bibliographie secondaire
Fillipetti, Sandrine (2011) : Victor Hugo, Paris : Éditions Gallimard (Folio biographies).
Spitzer, Sébastien (2023) : Dictionnaire amoureux de Victor Hugo, Paris : Éditions Plon.
Vanderborght, Harmony (2016) : Les Misérables de Victor Hugo, Bruxelles : Profil littéraire.
Winock, Michel (2018) : Le monde selon Victor Hugo, Paris : Tallandier.
Software
NooJ (free downloadable from https://nooj.univ-fcomte.fr/downloads.html)
Language list
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM) Seminars | 1 | French | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | French | second semester | morning-mixed |