French 372 - Literature and the News: Writing France in the Age of Print Capitalism

In nineteenth-century France, the emerging periodical press lay at the epicenter of public and cultural life. This course will explore the press from a number of perspectives: the technological breakthroughs and social upheavals that spurred its growth, the major figures and seminal publications that marked its
evolution, the debates and scandals sparked by its rise, and the changing roles of hommes and femmes
de presse. Readings include articles from major newspapers and magazines, contemporary literary and
cultural criticism, and selections from “novels of journalism” by Balzac and Maupassant. Class will
introduce students to research in online databases of digitized newspapers. (E)