Current Graduate Courses in French and Italian

3176 TR 7:15-8:45 BH 147 - GRADUATES ONLY (3 cr.)
3175 TR 7:15-8:45 BH 147 - UNDERGRADUATES ONLY (4 cr.)

Introduction to the structures of the language necessary for reading, followed by reading in graded texts of a general nature.

Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the language requirement for the B.A. in another language. Credit given for only one of F491 or any French course at the 100 level. Does not count as 400-level course credit toward the major or minor in French.

Please note: Auditors are not permitted in this course.

28918 TR 3:35-5:30 WH 203

Ce cours a pour objectif, dans un premier temps, de préparer les étudiants à la lecture et à la traduction à voix haute des textes en ancien français, préparation nécessaire à leur étude littéraire. Pour ce faire, nous étudierons en premier lieu les bases phonétiques, morphologiques et syntaxiques indispensables. Les textes d'étude retenus sont : les Lais de Marie de France (éd. Jean Rychner, texte en ancien français seulement, H. Champion, 1986) et la chanson de geste Ami et Amile (éd. Peter Dembowski, texte en ancien français seulement, H. Champion, 2000). Nous examinerons aussi le contexte institutionnel et social médiéval permettant de resituer ces œuvres de fiction dans leur contexte historique. La spécificité fictionnelle et générique de ces deux textes sera également soulignée. Autres ouvrages à lire et consulter : Sylvie Bazin-Taccella, Initiation à l'ancien français (Hachette, 2006) ; Stéphane Muzelle, 100 fiches d'histoire du Moyen Age (Bréal 2004) ; A. J. Greimas, Dictionnaire de l'ancien français (éd. Larousse, 2007). Notation : Présence, participation en classe, active et continue et exposé oral : 40% ; examen de mi-semestre : 30% ; examen final : 30%.

28919 M 5:45-7:45 BH 147
Films: R 7:15-10:00 LI 033

Topic: "Echos of the New Wave"

This course will compare key films from the past fifteen years with landmarks of the New Wave as a means of exploring the evolution of French cinema, society, and culture since the early 1960s. To what degree do these films express dissent or conformism? How are these discourses expressed cinematically and how have they shaped public consciousness? What continuities and ruptures--aesthetic, stylistic, and socio-political--can be identified between the New Wave and its « echoes » in contemporary French cinema? In line with our comparative approach, the course will be divided into several thematic sections, each of which will juxtapose a New-Wave classic (by Truffaut, Godard, Malle, Varda, Chabrol, Bresson, or Resnais) with a notable recent film (by Kassovitz, Dardenne, Moll, Cantet, Dumont, or Ozon). This course meets with CMCL-C 596.

28920 W 3:35-5:30 BH 235

The course will examine concepts and theories which have shaped the Western idea of literature throughout the ages. Each session will address a major moment in the history of literary thought. Readings from Plato, Aristotle, Longinus, Boileau, Du Bos, Rousseau, Diderot, Kant, Hegel, Freud, Lacan, Sartre, Barthes, Genette, Foucault, Derrida, Said, Bhabha, Spivak, Rancière, Casanova, and Attridge will cover a wide range of questions including but not limited to: How is literature defined though the ages? What is the literary canon? What is literary authority? What roles do authors, readers and critics play in the making of literature? What is the moral and political responsibility of the writer? What are the geopolitical borders of literature? Class discussions and readings in French and English.

3179 F 1:25-2:15 BH 141

Focused classroom observations followed by discussions; identification and evaluation of teaching techniques. Required of all new associate instructors.

28921 MW 11:15-12:30 KH 212

Study of French phonology and the phonology/ morphology interface within the framework of recent linguistic models, including solutions to major descriptive problems proposed from the early 20th century to the present.

3180 TR 2:30-3:45 BH 147

The general objective of this course is to impart to students with little or no previous introduction to linguistics knowledge of the main linguistic features of French and their relevance for the pedagogy of French as a foreign language in the United States. We will examine various aspects of the structure of French (lexicon, phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics) with emphasis on the spoken language and coverage of social, stylistic, and geographical variation, discussing implications of such variation for the FLE classroom. There will also be a sociolinguistically-oriented survey of the linguistic situation in France and in various Francophone regions. Other sociolinguistic topics will include language attitudes and linguistic insecurity; linguistic and pedagogical norms; language policy in France and the Francophone world; multilingualism and diglossia.

28922 TR 8:00-9:15 BH 147

F603 provides an introduction to the external and internal history of French. The course takes three different but related perspectives on the subject matter: synchronic (study of the structure of Old French), diachronic (development of sounds, words, & sentence structure from Popular Latin through early Modern French), and sociolinguistic (addressing both general questions of language variation & change and the particulars of the French case). In this first half of the 603-604 sequence, we focus mainly on the early development (through the 13th century) and on phonology (sounds) & morphology (words). Cross-listed with Medieval Studies.

28923 T 6:00-8:00 BH 321

Topic: Metamorphoses of the Muse

In spite of the rejection of classical poetics that, at the beginning of the 19th century, characterized the emergence of romantic literature in France, the figure of the lyric Muse—that is Erato—maintained its privileged status among the new generation of poets, assembled among the cenacle of La Muse française, such as Hugo, Lamartine, Vigny and Desbordes-Valmore. Even after Gautier declared the death of the inspiring Muse in his Comédie de la mort, this very figure continued to rise from her ashes throughout the century, never ceasing to transfigure herself. The multiple avatars of the Muse came to be identified, for instance, with the "Muse vénale" chanted by Baudelaire and the poets of the Parnasse satyrique, the "Venus Anadyomène" mocked by Rimbaud and, eventually, with the figure of Salome, the "decadent Muse" who, towards the end of the 19th century, became an obsessive subject for many writers, such as Flaubert, Mallarmé, Huysmans and Wilde, as well as for visual artists such as Gustave Moreau, Odilon Redon and Aubrey Beardsley. The purpose of this seminar is thus to follow the successive metamorphoses of the Muse figure in the 19th century, by reading selected works by the authors mentioned above, in connection with several visual examples. Readings and class discussion will be in French and in English.

32704 F 9:05-11:00 BH 208

In this course, we will familiarize ourselves with the structure of Picard, an endangered Gallo-Romance language spoken in northern France and southern Belgium. Even though this language closely resembles French, it differs from it in many ways, some fairly obvious, others rather subtle. We will discuss its phonology, morphology, syntax, and lexicon. The objective of the course is double: enable students able to read it fairly fluently and give them a chance to research one aspect of its structure. Requirements for the course are regular assignments that will be discussed in class and one term paper.

28924 TR 4:00-5:15 WY 111

By definition, a clitic is a linguistic unit whose behavior does not straightforwardly fall in line what is observed with affixes or what characterizes independent words. This course offers an in-depth study of problems relating to the analysis of clitics in the modern Gallo-Romance languages and dialects.

3181 - Times arranged

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course this semester, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain a permission form from the department office.

3182 – For on-campus students
8622 – For off-campus students. Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

3183 – Obtain on-line permission from the Director of Graduate Studies.

3214 Cancelled
3213 Cancelled

Introduction to the structures of the language necessary for reading, followed by reading in graded texts of a general nature.

Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the language requirement for the B.A. in another language. Credit given for only one of M491 or any Italian course at the 100 level. Does not count as 400-level course credit toward the major or minor in Italian.

Please note: Auditors are not permitted in this course.

28927 R 4:00-6:00 WH 205

"Dante's Purgatorio". This course explores the text, textuality, themes and the poetics of enigma of the central canticle of the Commedia.

9944 W 3:35-5:05 KH 200

Instructors of Italian develop, practice, and evaluate the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches and materials. They create and discuss a variety of assessments for evaluating language skills and cultural knowledge.

28928 T 3:35-5:30 BH 018 3 credits
33013 T 3:35-5:30 BH 018 4 credits (instensive writing; request permission from instructor)

Questo corso investiga il variegato sviluppo della poesia italiana del Seicento a partire dalla sua figura di maggiore rilievo, Giovan Battista Marino. Gli studenti avranno occasione di analizzare nel dettaglio diverse opere di Marino, e potranno soffermarsi sul troppo poco studiato capolavoro "L'Adone". Il corso procedera' poi a seguire i diversi tipi di reazione causati dalla pubblicazione di quest'opera. In particolare cercheremo di liberarci della definizione troppo generica e ormai sorpassata di "marinismo", dimostrando l'enorme varieta' di stili, soluzioni formali, intenti e posizioni ideologiche messe in atto dai poeti secenteschi a favore, contro o a lato del modello mariniano. Il corso comprendera', tra gli altri, esempi di poesia lirica, erotica, religiosa, didattica, civile, epica, satirica e burlesca.

3217 - Times arranged

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course this semester, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain permission form from the department office.

3218 – For on-campus students
8624 – For off-campus students. Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

3184 – Obtain on-line permission from the Director of Graduate Studies.

Prerequisite: F491 or consent of department. Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the B.A. language requirement in another language. Continuation of language and reading development from F491. Credit given for only one of F492 or any of the following: F150, F169, F200, F205, or F219.

Le Roman de Renart ou le charme d'une œuvre ludique et scandaleuse
Comme Renart lui-même, le titre de cette œuvre profondément originale et stimulante est éminemment trompeur. Ce titre ne désigne pas et ne recouvre pas en effet un roman d'aventures unique, mais une collection protéiforme d'épisodes (26 au total), au départ largement indépendants les uns des autres, appelées « branches », branches composées entre 1171 et 1250 par une vingtaine d'auteurs cléricaux d'inspiration fort différente. À travers la lecture d'une large sélection de branches de l'édition de J. Dufournet et A. Méline (édition bilingue, 2 vol.), nous explorerons la diversité de ton et l'originalité de chaque branche de cette œuvre destinée au départ à divertir et à amuser par les traits d'humour, par les effets parodiques, mais aussi, à l'occasion, à fustiger grâce à sa verve caustique et satirique. Nous explorerons également la manière dont ce « roman », œuvre à plusieurs mains, peut à la fois se présenter comme une œuvre individuelle et collective, comme une œuvre à contraintes et comme une œuvre ouverte et en devenir. Nous examinerons aussi comment, par bien des aspects, les divers auteurs du Roman de Renart, sous couvert de peindre un royaume animal, ont pris un malin plaisir à dévoiler crûment l'envers du décor contemporain : envers de la société guerrière magnifiée par l'héroïsme épique, envers de la société courtoise et policée de la fin'amors, envers des mœurs du clergé, des marchands, des juges et des vilains. Nous explorerons aussi, bien sûr, comment le personnage de Renart oscillant entre sa face d'animal sans cesse affamé et glouton, sexuellement actif, et sa face de grand baron de la cour, personnage rusé, tricheur, semeur de discorde, mais aussi personnage farceur, truculent et plein de verve, à l'occasion redresseur de torts, est lui-même un héros paradoxal, scandaleux et fascinant, qui avait et a encore bien des choses à dire et à enseigner. Devoirs et notation : 1) Participation en classe et travaux divers (écrits, oraux) (40%) ; 2) Devoir écrit de fin de semestre (15-25 pages) : 60%.

Above class meets with FRIT-F 451.

Il y a un demi-siècle, dans les sociétés occidentales, on a pu croire que les croyances dans la sorcellerie et dans la magie étaient en voie de disparition. Toutes sortes de signes indiquent qu'il n'en est rien. Peut-être correspondent-elles à un besoin anthropologique. Il est du reste frappant que la littérature, ou, plus largement, certaines pratiques langagières (chant, poésie, discours public) soient comparées à un charme, un envoûtement. L'hypothèse du séminaire sera que le développement de la littérature (d'un certain type de "foi littéraire") représente une solution à ce même besoin anthropologique. Au XVIIe siècle, on assiste à la fois à la décriminalisation de la sorcellerie et à l'institutionnalisation des Belles-Lettres: à partir de textes de démonologues et de textes littéraires, on montrera que ces deux faits peuvent être mis en relation ; on prolongera la réflexion en direction du conte de fée et des fables ainsi que de leurs illustrations.

F582 introduces students to issues in the interpretation of French. The course focuses on major interpretive phenomena in French and on the nature of semantic representations as revealed by these phenomena. The goal is to show how fairly simple assumptions made precise by the tools of logical inquiry can reveal deep insights into knowledge of French and related issues of language acquisition.

In this course we will explore in greater theoretical and empirical depth some issues introduced briefly in F603, focussing especially – but not exclusively -- on syntax and on the later medieval and early modern periods. We will read texts from the 11th-18th centuries, develop (partial) accounts of their grammatical and phonological systems, and compare these accounts to the comments of 16th and 17th-century grammarians in an attempt to understand the origins of the spoken and written French of today. The semester projects may be on any aspect of the history of the French language as long as it involves close scrutiny of texts from several centuries.
Prerequisite: F603

Quoique regardées avec méfiance depuis l'antiquité, supposées nocives pour la vie publique, les passions (colère, tristesse, peur, joie, etc) interviennent dans la définition de la poétique (ainsi la tragédie doit-elle susciter terreur et pitié, la comédie de la gaieté voire le rire, etc.) et dans celle de la rhétorique, puisqu'elles font partie des preuves destinées à persuader l'auditoire.

Si ce rappel suffit à indiquer qu'elles présentent par là une espèce d'évidence transhistorique, au moins pour la culture occidentale, il n'est pas sûr pour autant que toutes les époques, toutes les sociétés les mobilisent et les combinent de la même manière, ni ne les associent aux mêmes rôles sexuels ou soiaux : les hommes, les femmes, ne rient pas toujours des mêmes sujets, ne pleurent pas avec la même liberté, ne s'apitoient pas sur les mêmes malheurs, etc. Et ceci doit s'entendre tant du point de vue du régime des discours et de leurs effets publics que du point de vue plus général des interactions de la vie sociale.

On partira de textes – tragédies, comédies, récits, réflexions, etc. – qui mettent en scène des émotions pour se demander quels bouleversements dans l'économie affective permettent d'expliquer les bouleversements esthétiques, moraux et politiques qui caractérisent ce qu'on appelle l'âge baroque et l'âge classique.

Paris noir
As early as the 1800s, free New Orleanians of color journeyed to France, a country that seemed to offer them greater freedom. Since then, countless African Americans, including writers, musicians, visual artists, and performers, have made Paris (or France)--however temporarily—their home. By examining the lives and work of figures such as our own David Baker, Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, Chester Himes, Lois Mailou Jones, Claude McKay, Richard Wright, and African, Caribbean, and French intellectual counterparts (Aimé Césaire, Jean Genêt, Paulette Nardal, Jean Paul Sartre, Léopold Senghor, Boris Vian), we will consider the broad intellectual issues arising from this displacement: the historical and cultural ties of New Orleans to the Caribbean and France, migration and exile, "African primitivism" and the jazz age, the Harlem Renaissance and the négritude movement, transnationalism, race and the performance of identity.

From the marginal glosses of medieval manuscripts to the bilingual lexicons of Renaissance classicists to today's electronic and on-line dictionaries such as the Trésor de la langue française informatisé and the OED, dictionaries have been essential repositories and even shapers of language. This course will survey major issues and techniques in lexicology (the scientific study of words), and lexicography (dictionary making). Looking first at lexicology, we will consider topics such as componential analysis; semantic primitives (do all languages have a common semantic core?); prototype theory (why are some birds more "birdy" than others?); semantic relations including problems of homonymy and polysemy, metonymy and metaphor (in English, time is money; in French, money is food) and how these are deployed creatively throughout the lexicon of a language. Turning our attention to lexicography, we will examine, inter alia, definitions (how are they constructed and what is Aristotelian about them?), sense distinctions (do words really have separate enumerable definitions or is this a convenient fiction?), and problems of etymology. We will examine the nature and techniques of lexicographic evidence, from 19th century volunteer readers to electronic concordances and corpora. Issues in the compilation of bilingual dictionaries, dictionaries of collocations, learners' dictionaries, and research on the dictionary user will also be examined. Meets with L630

Independent study of a topic in French or Francophone culture/civilization not offered in a regular course this semester, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain permission form from the department office.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course this semester, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain a permission form from the department office.

Early Modern French Drama and the Arts (1571-1691)
This French theater seminar aims to explore the battle between the arts on the French stage from the creation of the Academy of Poetry and Music by Pléiade member Antoine Baïf in 1571 to Racine's final tragedy, Athalie, published in 1691.

Each week, we will read a dramatic work, parallel to critical writing, drawings, recordings and audiovisual examples, in an effort to contextualize each work's production and reception. We will pay special attention to the diverse artistic components that made these composite works test the threshold of acceptability in their time: architecture and set design, machines, dance, costumes, music, poetry.

The genres we will read include masquerades, court ballet, machine tragedy, pastoral, tragedy, comedy-ballet, and musical tragedy (early opera). The authors we will read include Ronsard, Corneille, Molière and Racine as well as the lesser-read Baïf, Jodelle, Beaujoyeulx, d'Urfé, Mairet and Quinault.

Course grades will be based on an oral presentation and final research paper. Readings in French. Class discussion in English or French.

Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Obtain on-line permission from the Director of Graduate Studies.

This course has been cancelled for Spring 2012.

Prerequisite: M491 or consent of department. Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the B.A. language requirement in another language. Continuation of language and reading development from M491. Credit not given for both M492 and either of the following: M150 or M200.

Macaronico e 'altro' Rinascimento
Leggeremo l'opera di Teofilo Folengo: per intero le egloghe, la Zanitonella e il Baldus e una buona scelta antologica delle altre opere: macaroniche, latine e volgari. La nostra premessa metodologica sarà di considerare il macaronico non solo in quanto fenomeno linguistico in senso stretto (ossia come combinazione di latino e volgare), ma in quanto poetica (ossia concezione dell'arte) e pratica o strategia discorsiva (ossia concezione della cultura). In tal modo il macaronico ci servirà come prospettiva da cui leggere altri generi letterari e fenomeni culturali di età rinascimentale: non solo la produzione bucolica, il teatro comico, la novellistica, la satira, il poema eroicomico, la letteratura religiosa, ma anche la cultura figurativa e il mondo della stampa. Non si richiede la conoscenza del latino. Il corso si terrà in italiano.

In this course we will explore a variety of theoretical issues and best practices relevant to the fields of foreign language teaching methodology and second language acquisition. Students will read and discuss a variety of scholarly materials pertaining to all L2 skill areas, including teaching for cultural proficiency. Discussions will connect theory with practice so that we gain a better understanding of how several theoretical frameworks guiding current research subtend our daily classroom practices.

Additional components of this course include how to teach for of critical thinking and analysis, multiple intelligences theory, an introduction to teaching literature, an introduction to applied linguistics research methods, teaching foreign French and Italian through theater, and developing the teaching dossier.

Students will be involved in a variety of short assignments, from short critical commentaries, to brief bibliographies, to leading discussions. The course will include an oral mid-term exam, a final written exercise, and the creation of a "working" teaching dossier.

This course explores the entire cinematography of F. Rosi whose films consistently and directly address the themes of political and institutional corruption, complex relationships between the individual, the mafia and the state. Rosi's political-documentary works have created a new genre, but have also enjoyed box-office success and wide critical acclaim. The films will be studied from cinematic and multicultural approaches. The course will also include and show interviews with the director. The instructor will provide a course pack.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course this semester, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain permission form from the department office.

Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Obtain on-line permission from the Director of Graduate Studies.

The course provides an introduction to structures of the language necessary for reading, followed by reading in graded texts of a general nature. Credit given for only one of F491 or any French course at the 100-level.

Independent study on a specific topic not taught in one of the department's regular courses. If interested, complete the permission form.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain a permission form from the department office.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Independent study on a specific topic not taught in one of the department's regular courses. If interested, complete the permission form.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain permission form from the department office.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Prerequisite: F491 or consent of department. Open with consent of the instructor to undergraduates who have already completed the B.A. language requirement in another language. Continuation of language and reading development from F491. Credit given for only one of F492 or any of the following: F150, F169, F200, F205, or F219.

Independent study on a specific topic not taught in one of the department's regular courses. If interested, complete the permission form.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain a permission form from the department office.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Independent study on a specific topic not taught in one of the department's regular courses. If interested, complete the permission form.

Independent study of a topic not offered in a regular course, under the guidance of a faculty member. Requires departmental authorization. Consult with the professor you would like to work with, and then obtain permission form from the department office.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Introduction à l'étude du roman français au XVIIIe siècle. L'accent sera mis sur les deux formes narratives qui ont dominé le siècle: le roman-mémoires et le roman épistolaire.

Œuvres au programme:

• Prévost, Manon Lescaut
• Crébillon, Les Égarements du cœur et de l'esprit
• Marivaux, La Vie de Marianne
• Rousseau, La Nouvelle Héloïse
• Charrière, Lettres de Lausanne
• Laclos, Les Liaisons dangereuses

F577 introduces students to issues in French syntax and to syntactic theory. The aim is to develop an understanding of syntactic categories, the principles governing syntactic representations and syntactic operations. Major syntactic differences between French and English will be examined and characterized in those syntactic principles.

The general objective of this course is to impart to students with little or no previous introduction to linguistics knowledge of the main linguistic features of French and their relevance for the pedagogy of French as a foreign language in the United States. We will examine various aspects of the structure of French (lexicon, phonology, morphology, syntax, and pragmatics) with emphasis on the spoken language and coverage of social, stylistic, and geographical variation, discussing implications of such variation for the FLE classroom. There will also be a sociolinguistically-oriented survey of the linguistic situation in France and in various Francophone regions. Other sociolinguistic topics will include language attitudes and linguistic insecurity; linguistic and pedagogical norms; language policy in France and the Francophone world; multilingualism and diglossia.

In the mid fourth century BC, the comic playwright Antiphanes wrote a work entitled paroimiazoménos or The Man who Spoke in Proverbs. His play has been lost, but the conceit has flourished throughout the ages so much so that paremiology, or the study of proverbs supplies a fascinating and indeed indispensable guide to literary tradition. This course approaches the proverb as a linguistic form, as a privileged site of humanist scholarship, and especially as the nucleus of fictional episodes which derive from the tension between the timeless wisdom of proverbial speech and the narrative immersion in time. We will also attend to the visual representation of proverbs and the concomitant fascination with hieroglyphs that is so characteristic of Renaissance culture. We will begin by surveying the role of Erasmus' Adages in the definition and diffusion of proverbs in Renaissance Europe. This seems to be an opportune time to do so since in recent years independent teams of scholars have completed an English translation, a critical edition, and, just last year, a French translation of the Adagia, thus assuring them a prosperous place in Renaissance studies. After this preliminary phase, we will study four of the most seminal and sententious texts of the Renaissance: Erasmus' Praise of Folly, Rabelais' Gargantua and Quart Livre, and the first part of Cervantes' Don Quijote. On the basis of the issues that arise from our study of this common corpus of paremiomania, students will be expected to develop their own research projects adapted to their own linguistic background and disciplinary interests. Every student will do an in-class exposé and write a term paper on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor.

Although everyone recognizes the reign of Louis XIV as the peak of French absolutism, it is important to remember that the term "absolutism" itself was never used in the period. As an analytic tool, the term is useful less on account of its indexical value – pointing to a stable definition or sparking discussion on what that definition should be – than because it brings into focus the practices of self-representation that found and sustain the power of the king. Indeed, the only place where absolutism incontestably exists is in its manifestations, in the image of itself that royal power projects outwards but also inwards. This course will study this dynamic by looking closely at various artistic expressions of absolutism (theater, poetry, architecture, portraiture, etc.) that respond to and help construct the image of Louis XIV. In doing so, we hope to take up the challenge formulated by prominent French historians Fanny Cosandey and Robert Descimon when they concluded a recent book-length survey of the immensely rich and varied research on French absolutism with the following surprising statement: "We end up, then [after 200 pages of reviewing recent scholarship], with the contradiction of an absolutism that we know incomparably well in its details but without a good grasp of its totality or coherence." The collective and interdisciplinary endeavor of the course, where each participant will specialize in a specific expression, is organized in the firm conviction that if not the totality, then certainly the coherence of French absolutism under Louis XIV best can be grasped through a careful examination of the various aspects of its expressions. Readings will include primary texts by Molière, Racine, Boileau, La Fontaine, Félibien, and Louis XIV himself, as well as critical essays by Louis Marin, Peter Burke, Roger Chartier, and Norbert Elias, among others. Weekly response papers and scaffolded final research project.

The course is cross-listed with LING-L625.

This course will focus on the linguistic and social phenomena surrounding language contact. We will examine the typology of contact situations and a broad range of phenomena including language maintenance, shift and death; diglossia; koineization; pidginization and creolization; language intertwining or the creation of mixed languages such as Michif, Ma'a, and Media Lengua; Sprachbunds and language areas; codeswitching, lexical borrowing, and grammatical borrowing including calquing and replication. We will also examine some of the basic findings on bilingualism: definitions, typologies of bilingualism, issues of bilingualism and the human brain, and issues of bilingual or multilingual speech communities. Much of the material examined in this course will be drawn from situations where French is one of the languages in contact, whether in North America, Africa, Europe or the South Pacific, and students will have opportunities in course assignments and a term paper to explore these varieties in greater detail.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.

Renaissance Classicism: Theories & Practices
Oggetto del corso sarà il Classicismo come codice di forme e significati maturati in seno alla cultura umanistica e alla sua pratica imitativa dell'Antichità, e come modello culturale che si definisce nei primi decenni del Cinquecento per poi caratterizzare la modernità letteraria in Italia e non solo. Indagheremo questo modello culturale nelle sfere linguistiche, retoriche, stilistiche, etiche e politiche. Leggeremo testi di Bembo e altri petrarchisti, di Castiglione e Della Casa, di Machiavelli e Guicciardini e infine di Castelvetro. Il corso si terrà in italiano.

This course investigates how Italian cinema embodies the essence of the Italian political and ideological collective consciousness after World War II when the cultural milieu surrounding the anti-fascist Resistance became a cultural and political foundation for postwar Italian national identity as well as the ideological basis of the 1946 Italian constitution. The major issues in Italian cultural and cinematic changes from the end of WW II to 1959 will be studied, including modernization, the transformation of traditions, social institutions, the pre-economic boom, the end of neo-realism and the birth of pink neo-realism, the Italian style comedy, the Cold War, fashion and internal immigration. Particular attention will be given to the relationship between traditional values and the new cultural models imported from abroad, which gave rise to the new movie star system.

Required texts:

• Gian Piero Brunetta, Storia del cinema italiano. Dal neorealismo al miracolo economico 1945-1959. Volume terzo. Roma: Editori Riuniti, 1993. ISBN 88-359-3787-6.
• Incontri con il cinema italiano (a cura di Antonio Vitti). Caltanissetta: Sciascia Editore, 2003, ISBN 9-788882-411480.
• Peppe De Santis secondo se stesso (a cura e con saggi di Antonio Vitti). Metauro, 2006, ISBN 9-78887-543889.
• Marta Boneschi, Poveri ma belli . Milano: Mondadori, ISBN 97-8880- 4423591.

*Obtain on-line permission from the Graduate Secretary.