ATS3976 - Histoire(s) de rire: The stakes of literary laughter in France - 2018

This capstone unit introduces students to a range of French comic writings, across genres (novel, short stories, theatre) and centuries (16th to 20th century), and how these texts interact with each other in their creation, redefinition and manipulation of humour. Students will be encouraged to develop their understanding of literary humour, its varied facets (satire, parody, humour noir, stage comedy, etc.) and, equally importantly, its functions: what is specifically French in the use of humour, and what is really at stake. The unit will provide the critical tools to understand these forms of humour in their respective historical and cultural contexts, and to elaborate on the concept of 'comic writing' as a whole. Students will not only deepen their linguistic and cultural knowledge through the study of seminal and influential French texts and authors (from Rabelais to Vian), but will also strengthen their analytical reading skills, as well as their presentation skills and their essay-writing techniques. Students taking the third-year version of this unit will be expected to demonstrate in their work a more explicit and sophisticated grasp of the concepts germane to the analysis of the texts studied, as well as the use of a more demanding range of sources.

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will have:

1. Gained a better grasp of French language and a broad range of registers.
2. Well-developed literary analytical skills, as well as communication skills, especially in the area of exposition and argument.
3. Familiarized themselves with a broad range of comic writings and genres seminal to French culture, and developed a non-stereotypical understanding of different forms of humour.
4. Historically contextualised the studied texts, and their respective use of humour.
5. Demonstrated an understanding of how humour is constructed in literary, political and aesthetic terms.
6. Related and articulated comic writings to other genres, and also to other "national" humours.
7. Demonstrated a cultural awareness of the relevance of humour to contemporary French issues.
8. Applied knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy and independence in thought and research, well-developed judgment and responsibility.

Within semester assessment: 60% + Exam: 40%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

French studies