Unit information: French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century in 2021/22

Unit name	French Fiction: from Realism to the 21st Century
Unit code	FREN20048
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Stephens
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of French
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit examines the development of French fiction from the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the rise of the novel as the dominant literary genre in nineteenth-century Europe, the unit examines the importance of narrative fiction to the modern French cultural consciousness by considering its status as both critical device and commercial object. Students will explore how and why writers in France have used the novel as a means of engaging with the artistic and ideological changes of the modern period. Particular focus will be given to the novel’s wide-ranging capacity for commentary within various contexts (socio-historical, political, psychological, and philosophical) and across a range of genres, notably Realism, Modernism, littérature engagée, and postmodernism. This focus is sharpened through a series of thematic lenses, including gender, ethics, authorship, and consumerism, so as to stress the French novel’s interest in experiment and innovation. In these respects, the unit aims to:

• Examine the novel’s significance as a literary form in the cultural history of modern France
• Highlight the different artistic and socio-historical contexts in which writers have developed and experimented with fiction since the nineteenth century
• Draw on key critical and conceptual approaches towards the study of narrative
• Increase student confidence when reading French and analysing its stylistic feature

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will, at the end of the unit, be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the novel’s moral and historical importance within French culture as a vehicle for both artistic experimentation and social commentary.
2. Understand and use key critical terms associated with narratology and cultural studies, such as Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism.
3. Demonstrate sophisticated comprehension skills in French language to facilitate detailed analysis of French prose fiction through both close reading and thematic discussion'
4. Select and effectively synthesise relevant critical material and theoretical approaches for analysis.
5. Respond to questions or problems by presenting their independent judgements in ways that prepare them for other working environments as appropriate to level I.

Teaching Information

Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities, including seminars, lectures, formative tasks, and collaborative as well as self-directed learning opportunities supported by tutor consultation.

Assessment Information

1 x group presentation (25%), testing ILOs 1-5.

1 x 3000-word essay (75%), testing ILOs 1-5.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. FREN20048).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.