FR40420 (Post)Colonial Lives in French

Academic Year 2022/2023

*** Not available in the academic year indicated above ***

This module will focus on four postcolonial French narratives of colonial lives in Vietnam (Duras), Indian Ocean and Cameroon/Nigeria (Le Clézio), Tunisia (Fellous) and the Caribbean (Condé). Students should have a reading knowledge of French, as some of the discussion will be in French and as the study of language, including of 'untranslatability' will be central to the way that we will read the set works. However, the prescribed works and much of the secondary reading material are available in English, so the constituency will by no means be limited to students of French. The purpose of the course is to focus on how the colonies and colonial life are represented in the four late 20th, or early 21st century works. Questions of identity, power and freedom will lie at the heart of the reading of the four works, as will issues of race, language, place, community and gender. A variety of critical approaches will be central to the discussion, as will the specificity of postcolonial discourse, both literary and theoretical, in French. The module's focus will be broadened by contributions from several visiting speakers and by several film screenings.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will deepen their writing, presentation and analytical skills.
2. They will also gain an understanding of the ways in which the realities and the imaginary of European
imperialism (cultural displacement, cultural assimilation etc) have been put into words and images.
3. They will gain critical and theoretical familarity with the discourses that have sought to conceptualise
what European colonialism was and did, and how the places, languages and communities where it was imposed
were affected by it and responded to it.
4. They will enhance their reading fluency in French and learn to think also about translation and about how English works.

Indicative Module Content:

Francophone Literature versus French Literature
Postcolonialism à la française
Imagining colonial lives in (French) word and Image
The work of 2008 Nobel Laureate, JMG Le Clézio
The writing of 2028 'Alternative Nobel' laureate, Maryse Condé
The work of Tunisian Jewish author, Colette Fellous
The Vietnamese oeuvre of Marguerite Duras, writer and filmmaker

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

0
Seminar (or Webinar)

24
Specified Learning Activities

76
Autonomous Student Learning

120
Total

220
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Key study approaches will be regular reflective journaling in response to specific prompts; student presentations; guest speakers;
parallel film screenings. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Journal: Students will write five reflective Journal entries of c. 400 words in response to prompts. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

30
Essay: Students will write an essay of approx. 3000 words. Coursework (End of Trimester) n/a Graded No

50
Presentation: Students will make two short in-seminar spoken presentations and will respond to questions afterwards. Throughout the Trimester n/a Graded No

20

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will be provided with detailed and timely individual feedback, both written and spoken, on all assessment elements.