FREN 071. Frictions: Francophone Literature from the Arab World


We will examine novels from the Arab World, written in French, in order to explore and question francophone literature's ability to reflect, bolster, and interrogate the postcolonial nation. We will discuss (1) evolving notions of diglossia, Francophonie and world literature, and the role that French has come to play in voicing socio-cultural dissatisfaction, (2) how the changing realities of transnational migration challenge the postcolonial nation-state, (3) and the extent to which oppositional discourses run the risk of being commodified and participate in the 'postcolonial exotic.' Readings will be drawn from across the Maghreb, with particular attention paid to new voices that were catalyzed by periods of political unrest, including the Algerian war of Liberation, its decade-long civil war, the "Lead years" in Morocco and the 2011 Tunisian revolution.

Taught in English.
Humanities.
1 credit.
Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: French and Francophone Studies  
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/french-francophone-studies


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