Decadent Paris: Monsters and the Monstrous
INED 399/WGST 377: Monsters in Paris
LANG 400/401: Special Topics
Vampires, witches, werewolves, ghosts and deviant characters have all found their way into French novels and short stories, particularly in the nineteenth century, when France was coming out of the French Revolution and going through the Industrial Revolution. The sudden rise in urbanization and progress brought with it anxieties and notions of moral decline which ushered in the decadent movement in literature.
Decadence became a reaction to progress and expressed itself by embracing the monstrous and the supernatural by exploring the darker side of humanity. Authors will be selected from Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, J-K Huysmans, Rachilde, Guy de Maupassant, George Sand, Emile Zola, Gaston Leroux and Jean Lorrain. Points of interest include a tour of the famous Paris Opera house, Notre Dame Cathedral, Victor Hugo’s house, Montmartre, the Catacombs, and the Moulin Rouge.
The course will be conducted in Paris, where students will have lectures, and tours related to class discussion during the day, leaving ample time for general sightseeing in the late afternoon, evenings and weekends. Knowledge of French is not a requirement for the course, and lectures and tours will be given in English, and students may complete the required readings, journal and presentation in English. However, students will be able to take this course for French credit by reading the required texts in French, keeping a journal in the target language and doing the final presentation in French.
Instructor: Cynthia Jones, Department of Modern Languages (jones@fredonia.edu)
Program Type: Faculty-Led
Language of Instruction: English
Housing: Youth Hostels in Paris
Course Dates: June 3 - June 30, 2018
Eligible Participants: 2.5 GPA, Sophomores and above, FREN 115 Preferred
Application Deadline: February 16, 2018
$150 Deposit Deadline: March 2, 2018
Course Fee Deadline: April 13, 2018
Credits: 6 Undergraduate
Cost: 2018 Student Budget
Application: Submit an application, one faculty reference (included in application) and a copy of your transcripts to the Office of International Education.