French Studies 397MN - ST- Lit, Film & Fundamentalism

This seminar examines a wide range of French and Francophone responses to fundamentalism (of all kinds). Our corpus includes novels, essays, films, and graphic novels from North Africa, Iran, Afghanistan, and France, with occasional comparative readings from different contexts. We begin by considering the rise of Islamism in Algeria during the last decades of the 20th century and the diverse ways in which authors and filmmakers have responded. We then turn to examine French debates over the place of Islam in the secular nation. Finally, we will evaluate how Francophone writers have sought to address 9/11, the ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine, the Charlie Hebdo attacks, the Syrian crisis, and the rise of ISIS. Students will encounter the work of major authors and filmmakers such as Tahar Ben Jelloun, Kamel Djaoud, Tahar Djaout, Assia Djebar, Yasmina Khadra, Boualem Sansal, Chahdortt Djavann, Marjane Satrapi, Ian Buruma, Jonathan Sfar, and Merzak Allouache. Strong reading knowledge of French is essential; class discussions will be conducted in English. Students may submit their papers in either English or French.