Bodily Narratives in 17th and 18th Century French Literature

In early modern France,the body is at the center of emerging ideas within particular fields of knowledge (philosophy, aesthetics, anthropology, medicine, law). In this course, we will consider the ways in which various discourses construct the body as an object of knowledge, and to what ends. We will focus on the notions of maîtrise de soi, sympathy, and sensibilité, and the relation(s) between self and other. We will reflect upon ways in which bodies are hidden or exposed, marked as other, pathologized, gendered, disciplined and punished, in order to challenge the discursive construction of the body in 17th and 18th century French literature. Readings will include works by Racine, Lafayette, Montesquieu, Saint-Simon, Diderot, Rousseau, and Laclos. (FREN 0221 or by waiver). 3hrs. lect.dic.