116-030 Paris: Capital of the Nineteenth Century

Note

Credit Points

HECS Band

Coordinator

Prerequisites

116-007 French I: Cultural Perspectives and 116-008 French I: Language in Context II or 116-011 Intermediate French C and 116-012 Intermediate French D or equivalent. European studies students wishing to enrol in this subject would normally have completed first year European studies, see Prerequisites.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

19th century Paris was considered by European artists, writers and musicians alike to be the cultural capital of the world. This subject will look at how artists and writers portrayed the evolution of Paris from its Romantic vie de quartier, through its restructuring under Napoleon III to become the city of spectacle and symbol befitting its role as the capital of a powerful colonial empire. Students will stay at the 18th century home of Mme. de Pompadour at Sèvres, just over the Seine in the former hunting park of the French kings at Saint Cloud. This is now the Centre International d'Etudes Pédagogiques de Sèvres. Specialist teachers from other Parisian universities as well as staff at Sèvres will participate in the lecturing and site visits. A detailed itinerary is available from the department. Scholarships are available to help some students with travel expenses.

Assessment

A 15-minute oral presentation in French to be delivered in Paris, a weekly record of the course in French totalling 1000 words, and a 2000 word essay to be researched in Paris and written up on return for submission in February.

Prescribed Texts

A booklet of maps and supplementary texts will be available from the Department.

• H de Balzac, Les Illusions perdues. Livre de poche [extracts].
• V Hugo, Notre Dame de Paris. Garnier, 1991 [extracts].
• G de Maupassant, Bel Ami. Livre de poche.
• E Zola, L'Assommoir. Livre de poche.
• E Zola, La Curée. Livre de poche.