FREN 111. Désir (post)colonial

This course addresses how the colonial encounter has shaped modern perceptions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality through the production, circulation and consumption of deformed images of its colonial subjects. From noble savages and whimpering slaves to hideous monsters and seductive harem girls, we will examine the dynamics of representation embedded in colonial narrations and visual constructions of the "Other," focusing on conceptualizations of power as they relate to race, sexual politics and the gendering of the colonial subject. Primary texts include literature of the slave trade, orientalist fictions and photographs, colonial films, museum exhibitions and world's fairs, and contemporary works of fiction that deal with the legacy and sometimes continue the colonial desire.
Has a Francophone component. May be taken for 1 credit with permission from the instructor.
Humanities.
2 credits.
Eligible for BLST, ISLM, GSST, GLBL - Paired
Catalog chapter: Modern Languages and Literatures: French and Francophone Studies
Department website: http://www.swarthmore.edu/french-francophone-studies

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