Topic outline

  • General

    Collapse all Expand all

    This module centres on narratology, the structural study of fictional narrative. Narratological analysis addresses questions such as: How can we talk about the selection of detail in fiction? What are the implications of having characters narrate their own stories? You will study a major work of narratology and apply its principles to some classic French literary texts from the Middle Ages to the 19th century (COM6006 students will study the texts in translation). Creative writing work, based on the set texts — rewriting passages, composing additional episodes, etc. - plays an important part in the module, developing your understanding of texts and techniques as well as your skills in written expression.




  • General information

  • Assignments

  • Week 1. Introductions: narrative in theory and practice

    This lecture will introduce students to the core materials and assessment profile of the module. We will learn about the emergence of 'narratology' as an approach to studying narrative structure and techniques.


  • week 2. story: events and characters

    This lecture will cover 'story', the first aspect of narrative fiction as discussed by Rimmon-Kenan in Narrative Fiction, and the sub-categories of 'events' and 'characters'.

    In advance of the session, students should read and take notes on Chapters 2 and 3 of Narrative Fiction.

  • week 3. Story: events and characters (La Chanson de Roland)

    In this seminar, we will consider the narratological categories of 'story', 'event' and 'character' in relation to the 12th-century epic of military conquest La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland), which presents events and characters in ways heavily indebted to the tradition of oral recitation in pre-literate societies.  We will carry out close readings of two extracts from the poem.

    In advance of the session, students should read La Chanson de Roland (The Song of Roland). You should also take notes on the following questions, which we will discuss in the seminar:

    1.Some aspects of the Roland myth would be familiar to its medieval audience. How might this affect our view of events and characters? Give examples.
    2.A 12th-century public wouldn’t have read the Roland individually or in its entirety; they’d have been a collective audience for a partial recitation. How might this affect our view of events and characters? Give examples.
    3.Look at the sequence of events in laisses 58-62, where Ganelon nominates Roland to lead the rearguard of Charlemagne’s army. What are the constituent events in this sequence? Which of them could be seen as kernels?

    Vitrail de Charlemagne - Chartres

  • week 4. Text: time, characterisation, focalization (La Chanson de roland)

    This lecture will cover 'text', the second aspect of narrative as described by Rimmon-Kenan, and the sub-categories of 'time', 'characterization' and 'focalization'.  Continuing our reflection on La Chanson de Roland, we will analyse various narrative features of laisses 88-91.

    In advance of the session, students should read Chapters 4, 5 and 6 of Narrative Fiction. Students should also begin reading La Princesse de Clèves.

    Vitrail de Charlemagne - Chartres

  • week 5. Text: Time, Characterization, Focalization (la princesse de cleves)

    In this seminar we will deepen our understanding of narrative strategies at the level of text, especially aspects relating to time, characterization and focalization explored in the previous week. In this session, we will be asking how these might be deployed in an analysis of Madame de Lafayette's celebrated novel La Princesse de Clèves.

    In advance of the session, students should finish reading La Princesse de Clèves, as well as consolidating their notes on 'text'.


    bal a la cour des vallois



  • week 6. narration and reading/ practice narratological analyses

    This session will cover features connected to 'narration' as described by Rimmon-Kenan in Narrative Fiction. We will then carry out some practice narratological analyses of the Roland and La Princesse de Cleves in preparation for Assignment 1.

    In advance of this session students should read Chapters 7 and 8 of Narrative Fiction. You should also read through the extracts from the Roland and La Princesse de Clèves provided below.

  • week 8. Creative seminar on 'Un coeur simple' ('A simple heart')

    This will be a creative exercise based on the first of Flaubert's Trois contes (Three Tales). Before the session, student should read Un coeur simple (A Simple Heart).


    parrot

    • Extracts for analysis in class File
      3.5 MB
    • Creative writing task (200 words) + reflective commentary Wiki
      You should add your creative writing piece and reflective commentary here. The task is as follows: using roughly 200 words, describe a room in such a way that it evokes a character who inhabits that room. You should not directly describe the character (who could be yourself if you wish, or anyone that you fancy), but rather, you should use indirect presentation of the room to evoke that person or persons.

      Once you have completed your piece of creative writing, you should write a few sentences in answer to the following question: how can descriptions of interiors contribute to characterization?

      FRE6006 students are encouraged to write their creative piece in French, as they will be required to do so for the second assignment. Reflective commentaries should be written in English by all students.
    • Lecture and seminar slides File
      1.1 MB

  • week 9. creative seminar on 'Saint Julien'

    This will be a creative session based on Flaubert's 'Saint Julien l'hospitalier' ('The Legend of Saint Julian Hospitator'), which you should read in advance of the class.



  • week 10. creative seminar on 'Herodias'

    This session will involve creative exercises based on Flaubert's 'Herodias'

  • week 11. creative seminar on La Chanson de Roland and La princesse de cleves

    In this session we will undertake creative exercises based on La Chanson de Roland and La Princesse de Clèves.

  • Week 12: assignment 2 preparation (creative task and reflective commentary)

    This session will be dedicated to preparing for the creative exercise and accompanying reflective commentary.

  • Module Evaluation

    Here is the link to the evaluation form for this module that your module organiser will have explained to you. 

    Please follow the link for the module you are registered on (you can see this on MySIS).

    Module evaluation is an important way for us to gather your views on the module, so we can ensure we continue to develop our teaching. The results are published and will be discussed at your SSLC. You can read more about it in the ARCS website. If you are facing particular problems on a module, please raise this as soon as possible so we can try to resolve it earlier rather than later.  You can either raise it directly with the module organiser or take it to the Staff-Student Liaison Committee via your student rep, you can find out who that is on the Queen Mary Students' Union pages: QMSU course rep information