French 530: Narratives of War (WWI)
Spring 2015
Dr. Mary Ann Lyman-Hager
COURSE INFORMATION
Class Days: Tuesdays
Class Times: 4-6:40 PM
Class Location: Storm Hall 213
Office Hours Location: Storm Hall 211D- (619-594-5480)
Office Hours Times Wed. 3:30-4:30 (and by appointment
Course Overview
530 is a variable topics course, which this time concentrates on the experience of the French during World War I, as reflected in
literature, film, documentaries, art, propaganda, historical references, and personal reflections (“témoignages” and letters).
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Purpose of the Course: Students will be exposed to the voluminous references recorded by the French who
participated in this troubled time, which occurred just over 100 years ago and which has few, if any, living first-hand
witnesses. It was the first “modern” war, introducing chemical weapons, early aviation and aerial bombing, and
shrapnel and other “Innovative” weaponry.
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Student Learning Outcomes: Students will demonstrate, orally and in written format, an appreciation for and
knowledge of the causes and effects of this first war of the Twentieth Century, primarily from the French point of
reference, but also as an international phenomenon. They will relate specifically how this war impacted literature, art,
film, and the daily lives or ordinary French people, whether at home or directly in the line of fire. Students will
compare, using relevant examples, how this war led to future conflicts, how it impacted Europe’s colonial empires,
and what the study of war can teach us about how to avoid conflicts in the future. Finally, they will reflect an
understanding of the culture and literature that preceded and followed World War I (la Belle Époque, les Années
Folles, etc.), outlining the relevant historical, artistic, literary, and cultural events that explain a nation’s reaction to
and recovery from international conflict.
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Real Life Relevance: Genocide and mass murders continue to thrive in many parts of the world in the Twenty-first
Century. War is not an abstraction: it personally affects millions worldwide each year, and nations historically take a
certain time to recover from these experiences--economically, politically, and culturally. Modern technology makes
us aware today of the immediate details of global conflicts; however literary works based on intensely personal
experiences related to conflicts emerge as a part of the healing process. Exceptions to this general rule are the letters
and journals of first-hand accounts, similar to our newspaper syndicated reports today. (There was no Twitter then.)
What literature will emerge from today’s conflicts, and will it help the afflicted countries’ healing process? Is that the
“work” of modern literature, as it was in Greek times with the classical tragedies of Sophocles?
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Relation to Other Courses: This course is related to offerings in European Studies and is a logical follow-up to a
general course on French Civilization (421 or 422).
Enrollment Information
Course requirements and prerequisites include:
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Completion of 302 and 421 or 422 prior to enrollment.
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Feb. 3 is the last day to drop, add, or change credit basis.
Course Materials available on BlackBoard
Texts:
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Novels: Extracts from the following: Le Feu (Barbusse); le Croix de Bois (Dorgelès); Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline);
Civilisation (Duhamel); La Fin de Chéri (Colette); Epilogue (Martin du Gard)
Poetry: Caligrammes (Apollinaire); (Eluard); (Reverdy); (Aragon)
Theater: Le Voyageur sans bagages (Anouilh);
Films: Joyeux Noel; Un Long Dimanche de Finançailles; La Vie et Rien d’Autre (Tavernier)
Critical texts from the French Review’s Special Edition on La Grande Guerre (Vol. 87, No. 4, May 2014)
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Documentaries
All materials can be found on BlackBoard. Students may print out materials or may choose to order textbooks online or from
the SDSU Bookstore. Some materials are also available on Kindle or Nook in e-format. Nooks are available from the SDSU
library.
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All materials will be available in downloadable pdf format, in “docx” format, and on YouTube. Many of the texts are
available through the university’s subscription to the ARTFL database, whose link is in our BlackBoard class website.
Other links to downloadable texts are provided on the BlackBoard website.
Course Structure and Conduct
Please provide information about the structure of the course including, but not limited to:
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This is a lecture-discussion formatted class, with some online reflections and writing
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Individual and Group Activities Required (Individual Weekly Blogs, Ted Talks and Class Presentations,
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Technology Utilized in the Course (Blackboard and Moodle)
Course Assessment and Grading
Your performance in this class will be assessed and graded according to the following deliverables:
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Weekly oral assignments, “short talks,” delivered in class, on specific topics related to the week’s readings: 52%
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3 blogs and 3 discussions (online): 36%
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Final paper: 12% (max. 10 pages, in French, on a pre-approved topic, related directly to the readings and movies in
the course.)
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As this is a weekly class, no absences are anticipated, except for extraordinary circumstances, such as illness or preapproved professional purposes or religious observances. Make-up work, for those three circumstances only, can be
arranged with the instructor’s consent.
Accommodations
The learning environment should be accessible to all. SDSU provides reasonable accommodations in the following situations:
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Disability: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your
responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your
accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that
accommodations are not retroactive, and that accommodations based upon disability cannot be provided until you
have presented your instructor with an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is
appreciated.
Religion: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructors of affected courses of
planned absences for religious observances.
Official university activities (e.g., Athletics): Within the first two weeks of classes, a student who expects to be part of
an official university event or activity shall notify the instructors of affected courses. At that time, the student shall
request accommodation for any missed examinations or other assignments. If scheduling changes occur, the student
shall immediately notify the instructors.
Academic Honesty
The University adheres to a strict policy regarding cheating and plagiarism. These activities will not be tolerated in this class.
Become familiar with the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html). Any cheating or plagiarism will result in failing
this class and a disciplinary review by Student Affairs.
Examples of Plagiarism include but are not limited to:
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Using sources verbatim or paraphrasing without giving proper attribution (this can include phrases, sentences,
paragraphs and/or pages of work)
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Copying and pasting work from an online or offline source directly and calling it your own
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Using information you find from an online or offline source without giving the author credit
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Replacing words or phrases from another source and inserting your own words or phrases
Submitting a piece of work you did for one class to another class
If you have questions on what is plagiarism, please consult the policy (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/srr/conduct1.html) and this
helpful guide from the Library: (http://infodome.sdsu.edu/infolit/exploratorium/Standard_5/plagiarism.pdf)
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses. You are plagiarizing or cheating if you:
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for written work, copy down or cut anything from a book, article or website and add or paste it into your paper
without using quotation marks and providing the full reference for the quotation, including page number
for written work, summarize / paraphrase in your own words ideas you got from a book, article, or the web without
providing the full reference for the source, including page number
for an oral presentation, copy down or cut anything from a book, article, or website and present it orally as if it were
your own words. You must summarize and paraphrase in your own words, and bring a list of references in case the
professor asks to see it
use visuals or graphs you got from a book, article, or website without providing the full reference for the picture or
table
recycle a paper you wrote for another class
turn in the same (or a very similar paper) for two classes
purchase or otherwise obtain a paper and turn it in as your own work
copy off of a classmate
use technology or smuggle in documents to obtain or check information in an exam situation
In a research paper, it is always better to include too many references than not enough. When in doubt, always err on the side
of caution. If you have too many references it might make your professor smile; if you don’t have enough you might be
suspected of plagiarism.
If you have any question or uncertainty about what is or is not cheating, it is your responsibility to ask your instructor.
TAKE THE TUTORIAL:
Test your knowledge of what constitutes plagiarism through a tutorial offered by the SDSU Library. To access the tutorial go to:
http://library.sdsu.edu/guides/tutorial.php?id=28
Consequences of cheating and plagiarism
SDSU instructors are mandated to report all instances of cheating and plagiarism to the Center for Student Rights and
Responsibility. Consequences are at the instructor’s and the Center for Student Rights and Responsibility’s discretion. They may
include any of the following:
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failing the assignment
failing the class
warning
probation
suspension
expulsion
For more detailed information, read the chapter on plagiarism in the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th edition,
2003), visit the following website http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml and talk to your professors before
turning in your paper or doing your oral presentation.
The University of Indiana also has very helpful writing hints for students, including some on how to cite sources. Please visit
http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets.shtml for more information.
Exams and Assignments
13 Class Presentations (for classes 2-14). As there are significant numbers of texts on the reading list, we will employ the tactic
of “partage” (sharing) to lighten the reading load. Each class period you will “report back” on an assigned reading or topi, which
you will choose from a list in advance, showing what you have learned in a small talk of no more than 7-8 minutes. You may
choose your language (French or English), depending on your source materials, but French is preferred.
3 Blogs (published on BlackBoard, due before class #6, #10. #14). Please follow MLA guidelines for citing references. These are
“mini papers” which, taken together, may be revised to be included in the final paper, so the topics chosen for the blogs should
optimally be related to one another. They will be written in French, with the exception of those citations that are written in
English.
3 Discussions (published on BlackBoard, due before class #4, #8, and #12). Your writing AND responses to others will be
considered in this activity. French is preferred for these discussions, again, unless you are citing from English language sources.
The main purpose of the discussion board is to examine complex issues from several points of view, listing concrete justification
for your stances.
1 Final Paper (sent to instructor electronically in draft format the final day of class, reviewed by the instructor, submitted in
final form the day of the final, May 12th, before 6 PM). This should be essentially no longer than 10 pages long and should
adhere to the MLA format.
Syllabus (detailed on the Emploi du Temps in BlackBoard)
CLASS SESSION
Topics and Texts
1. Jan. 27
Intro to the course
Historical Build-up to the Great War (going back to Charlemagne, Louis XIV, the two
Napoleons, the Franco-Prussian War); La Belle époque
Film: Chéri (Colette)
Colonialism, Internationalism, Nationalism, and Global Unrest
2. Feb. 3
1914: Immediate Causes of the Great War
The War of Movement; The Miracle of the Marne
Nationalistic Propaganda and Dissidents (handouts)
Vocabulaire et Expressions de 1914-18
Texts: Letters from Eyewitnesses and Recruits; (partage)
Celine (Voyage au Bout de la Nuit), Chap. 1 (all); Chap. 2-5 (partage)
Film: Documentary (le Bruit et la Fureur: 1914)
3. Feb. 10
1915: Trench Warfare Settles In
FILM: Joyeux NOEL
Discussion #1: Was this war avoidable? How was it different from every other war
in France’s history? – Due Feb. 14, with comments to others due by Feb. 17
Texts: Les Croix de Bois (Dorgelès); Chap. 1-4 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline); Chapter 6-9- (partage)
4. Feb. 17
1915-1916: Horrors of the Twentieth Century’s Industrial War
Documentary: Le Bruit et La Fureur: 1915 and 1916
Texts: Les Croix de Bois (Dorgelès); Chap. 5-8 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline); Chap. 10-14 (partage)
Guillaume Apollinaire, Selected poems from Caligrammes
5. Feb. 24
Women in the War and the War’s Effect on Civilian Populations
Marie Laurencin. Coco Chanel (Clips from Coco avant Chanel); Sarah Bernhardt
Texts: Les Croix de Bois (Dorgelès); Chap. 9-12 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline); Chap. 15-19 (partage)
Lettres des Poilus (and from Civilians) (partage)
BLOG #1- Your choice of main topics- War and Literature; War and Society; War and
CLASS SESSION
Topics and Texts
Nationalist Propaganda; or Topic of your choice – Due before Class 6
6. Mar. 3
1916 –1917 Mutilations, Rebellion, and Revolution
Film: Un Long Dimanche de Fiançailles
Texts: Les Croix de Bois (Dorgelès); Chap. 13-17 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline); Chap. 20-23 (partage)
7. Mar. 10
Shell Shot: PTSD and other Casualties of War
Documentary: Le Bruit et la Fureur: 1916
Text: Civilisation (Duhamel), Chap. 1-5 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline), Chap. 24-27 (partage)
Discussion #2: What are the costs of war to the individual, as seen in specific
examples or portraits from literature, art, and film? – Due March 14, with
comments on others’ work due by Mar. 17
8. Mar. 17
Poetry, Art, and Theater in War
Text: Civilisation (Duhamel), Chap. 6-10 (partage)
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline), Chap. 28-31 (partage)
Selected poems from Aragon, Eluard, Reverdy, Apollinaire (partage)
The Artist and the Photographer in War
Secondary Sources: Readings from the French Review and other journals:
“What is this thing called literature – what work does it do?”
9. Mar. 24
1917: The War Intensifies: America Enters the War
Documentary: Le Bruit et la Fureur: 1917
Text: Civilisation (Duhamel), Chap. 11-15 (partage); Chap. 16 all
Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline), Chap. 32-35 (partage)
Blog #2: Second installment of your topic of choice, related to Blog 1 – Due before
Class 10
10. Apr. 7
1917-1918: The End is in Sight
Documentary: Le Bruit et la Fureur: 1918
Text: Anouilh: Le Voyageur Sans Bagages
Text: Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline), Chap. 36-39 (partage)
War Memorials in France, Belgium, and Britain
11. Apr. 14
1918: An Uneasy Truce
Text: Voyage au Bout de la Nuit (Céline), Chap. 40-45 (partage)
Epilogue (Roger Martin du Gard) (partage)
The Clairière de l’Armistice
Discussion #3: What do artists, poets, scientists, and politicians tell us about war?
Why is there a “décalage” between the cessation of war and the appearance of
writings about war, in some cases?
12. Apr. 21
1919: The Aftermath of War
Film: La Vie et Rien d’Autre (Tavernier)
Epilogue (Roger Martin du Gard) (partage)
CLASS SESSION
Topics and Texts
13. Apr.28
Text: La Fin de Chéri (Colette)
Epilogue (Roger Martin du Gard)
Film: La Chambre des Officiers
Blog #3: Third installment of your topic of choice, related to previous Blogs – Due
before Class 14
14. May 5
Text: La Fin de Chéri (Colette)
Epilogue (Roger Martin du Gard)
Conclusion and discussion of final paper
15. May 12
Final Paper
In Class Talks: Guidelines and Grading
12 points for each in-class talk (4=excellent to 0=not present). Rubric used for grading on 4 traits.
Optional Texts
Barbusse, Henri. 1917. Le Feu: Journal d’une Escouade. Paris: Flammarion.
Bleu Horizon (text online in pdf. Format)
Guéno, Jean-Pierre and Yves Laplum. 1998. Paroles de Poilus: Lettres et carnets du front 1914-1918. Librio.
Loez, André and Nicholas Offenstadt. 2013. La Grande Guerre: Carnet du Centenaire. Paris: Editions Albin Michel.
Rouaud, Jean. Les Champs d’Honneur. 1990. Paris: Les Editions du Minuit.