Unit 2699: French Literary Movements from the Enlightenment to Postmodernism

1. The Enlightenment in French Literature

1.1 Historical Context

• Overview of the Enlightenment era (late 17th to 18th century)
• Philosophical foundations: reason, empiricism, progress

1.2 Key Writers and Works

• Voltaire: Candide and advocacy for freedom and reason
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau: The Social Contract, Emile
• Denis Diderot: Encyclopédie and promotion of knowledge

1.3 Themes and Influence

• Promotion of reason, freedom, and progress
• Critique of established institutions and religion
• Impact on subsequent literary and social thought

2. Romanticism and French Literature

2.1 Characteristics of Romanticism

• Emphasis on emotion, imagination, and individualism
• Celebration of nature and the sublime
• Reaction against Enlightenment rationalism

2.2 Prominent Authors and Works

• Victor Hugo: Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
• George Sand: novels emphasizing social issues and personal freedom

2.3 Themes and Stylistic Features

• Exploration of heroism and passion
• Use of symbolism and dramatic settings

3. Realism and Naturalism in French Literature

3.1 Defining Realism and Naturalism

• Realism: objective depiction of everyday life
• Naturalism: deterministic view of human life influenced by environment and heredity

3.2 Key Writers and Their Contributions

• Gustave Flaubert: Madame Bovary and narrative objectivity
• Émile Zola: Germinal and exploration of social issues

3.3 Social and Literary Impact

• Examination of social classes and conditions
• Use of detailed description and scientific approach to literature

4. Symbolism and Decadence in French Literature

4.1 Movement Overview

• Symbolism as a reaction against realism
• Emphasis on suggestion, mood, and the subconscious
• Decadence focusing on themes of decline and artificiality

4.2 Representative Authors and Works

• Charles Baudelaire: Les Fleurs du mal
• Arthur Rimbaud: Illuminations and A Season in Hell

4.3 Themes and Techniques

• Use of symbolism, metaphor, and synesthesia
• Exploration of taboo, eroticism, and spiritual decay

5. Existentialism and French Literature

5.1 Philosophical Background

• Existentialism: human freedom, choice, and absurdity
• Post-WWII intellectual climate

5.2 Key Figures and Texts

• Jean-Paul Sartre: Nausea, No Exit
• Albert Camus: The Stranger, The Myth of Sisyphus

5.3 Literary Themes

• Alienation and absurdity of existence
• Moral responsibility and freedom

6. Postmodernism in French Literature

6.1 Characteristics of Postmodernism

• Metafiction and self-referential narratives
• Intertextuality and pastiche
• Blurring boundaries between fiction and reality

6.2 Notable Authors and Works

• Italo Calvino (though Italian, influential in French postmodern circles): If on a winter's night a traveler
• Georges Perec: Life: A User's Manual

6.3 Themes and Techniques

• Playfulness and fragmentation
• Questioning of grand narratives and truth

Summary and Comparative Analysis

• Recap of all movements
• Comparison of thematic and stylistic evolution
• Discussion on the continuous dialogue between literature and society