Francophone Caribbean Literature

Catalog description

In this course, we study classic works of literature and film produced during the twentieth century on the Francophone Caribbean by some of its most prominent writers and filmmakers. Sharing a common history involving French colonial rule, the Francophone Caribbean comprises primarily of the French Départements d’outre mer (DOMs) of Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana, and the Republic of Haiti, which has been independent since 1804. However, these territories also diverge economically, culturally, and in terms of their political status. This course introduces students to the Francophone Caribbean’s complex history as well as its fascinating and dynamic culture in novels by Jacques Roumain, Marie Vieux Chauvet, Dany Laferrière, and Maryse Condé, poems by Aimé Césaire, and films by Raoul Peck and Euzhan Palcy. We also extend our exploration in the Francophone Caribbean world to other artistic expressions, such as paintings by Edouard Duval-Carrié and Frankétienne. In examining these cultural productions, we analyze representations of race, class, identity, gender, sexuality, politics, and exile. We additionally learn about crucial theoretical movements that have shaped the Francophone Caribbean intellectual thought, which begins with Césaire’s Négritude , moves through Glissant’s Antillanité , and leads to Créolité . Prerequisites & Notes This course is taught in French and is open to advanced undergraduate students.