French Literature Research Articles (Page 1)

The word Bogrie in the Occitan language, Bougrie in the Oïl language, Bulgaria in Latin, entered French literature between 1198 and 1213, when Pope Innocent III called for the fourth crusade in the East, this from August 15, 1198, and against the Albigensians, in the West, in 1207-1208. The term is used in French by Robert de Clari and by Geoffroy de Villehardouin in their respective accounts of the conquest of Constantinople in 1204; then in Occitan by William of Tuledo and his anonymous successor in the Canso de la Crosada, the Song of the Albigensian Crusade between 1208 and 1219; and, finally, in Latin, in their chronicles, by Pierre des Vaux de Cernay and by William of Puylaurens, two witnesses of these events. The expression arises again in literature, in France and in Central and Eastern Europe, from 1965. How was “Bougrie”, medieval Bulgaria, evoked in these writings, by historians and writers, as a land of heresies, dissidences, different beliefs and abrupt amalgams?

University teaching is characterized by its dual mission: producing knowledge and preparing students for professional integration while considering the specific profile of learners. In Algeria, many students face persistent difficulties in reading and writing due to cognitive constraints, unequal access to cultural resources, and prior schooling gaps. In this multilingual academic context, it is essential to equip students with tools for success, enabling them to master written expression and apply disciplinary knowledge in various communicative situations. This article explores a pedagogical framework to develop lexical practices that enhance students’ academic writing, drawing on the concept of verbalization.

This research analyzes the impact of a pedagogical approach that integrates argumentation and emotional intelligence into the teaching of French literature in university-level French as a Foreign Language courses. The objective is to examine how this method may contribute to reducing conflictual behaviors and fostering micro-processes of peace in Colombia. The literature classroom thus serves as a testing ground within a university environment characterized by the presence of politically engaged student groups that occasionally express strong opposition to institutional decisions. Two pedagogical models were compared: a traditional approach focused on textual analysis and a new method centered on argumentation and emotional intelligence. The study uses a mixed-methods design combining academic assessments, Diploma in French Language Studies level B2 results, and qualitative interviews. Findings indicate that the new approach enhances oral argumentative skills and emotional regulation, although it may limit the depth of written literary analysis; it also appears effective in reducing conflictual behaviors within the classroom. The conclusions advocate for a hybrid model and explore its potential application to other academic disciplines and in broader spaces of public dialogue.

The Concept of Personality in the Work of Herve Bazin Summary The work of Herve Bazin, known in French literature as the “family novelist”, is closely related to the formation of personality, its internal psychological struggle and the system of social relations. In his works, the concept of personality is presented against the background of the influence of the institution of the family, the moral and ethical norms of society and the desire of the individual for inner freedom. Bazin does not idealize his characters, he shows them both their strengths and weaknesses, thereby revealing the contradictory nature of human nature. The writer's mastery of psychological representation, his dramaturgy based on dialogue and situation, clearly conveys to the reader a multifaceted, dynamic personality structure. In his works, personality is portrayed as a living, changeable being who seeks a balance between both individual choice and the pressure of family and society. Keywords: personality, concept, problematics, creativity, French literature

Objective: An attempt is made to explain the identity of “The Rus’ tribe’s ruler, Ye-lie-ban,” described in the Chinese-language primary sources from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Departing from past attempts to connect this figure to Yuri II of Vladimir or any individual at all, this article presents the argument that Ye-lie-ban originally referred to the city of Ryazan. Research materials: Primary sources were used, foremost among them the biographies of Subutai in the Yuan Shi (chapters 121 and 122), other sections of the Yuan Shi, Su Tianjue’s Yuanchao mingchen shilüe, the Novgorod First and Galician-Volhynian Chronicles, the Secret History of the Mongols, and Rashid-al Din’s Compendium of Chronicles. Secondary literature by leading figures in the field of Mongol history and nineteenth and early twentieth-century Chinese and French literature were consulted. Research results and novelty: It is argued here that Ye-lie-ban was an attempt to render the name of Ryazan in Mongolian, recorded by Rashid al-Din as “Irezan.” During the process of translation from Mongolian to Chinese or during copying that resulted in the creation of Sübe’etei’s biography in various recensions that have come down to our time, the East Asian author/scribe(s) were simply uncertain what the “Irezan” captured by Batu’s forces was. It appears that “Ye-lie-zan” (Irezan = Ryazan) was mistakenly altered to Ye-lie-ban at some early point in the creation of materials that resulted in Subutai’s biography, being described as an individual ruler rather than a city. Other unambiguous transcriptions of Ryazan in the Yuan Dynasty’s literature serve to corroborate this identification.

Étienne Achille and Oana Panaïté, <i>Fictions of Race in Contemporary French Literature: French Writers, White Writing</i>

The R. Gapper Undergraduate Prize-Winning Essay 2024 ‘Repetition and innovation are both integral parts of the invention so crucial to medieval French literature.’ Discuss.

Fictions of Race in Contemporary French Literature: French Writers, White Writing by Étienne Achille and Oana Panaïté (review)

Pragmatics plays a prominent role in French language teaching, since it serves as the foundation for authentic communication that allows for interpretation beyond the literal meaning. This role is especially important in French language education, where different forms of language use often signal various levels of politeness. While songs have been generally used with children or school students, due to their characteristics that help with retention and rich use of mnemonics, there is a paucity of research investigating how songs can be used to teach French pragmatics at the university level. To address this gap, this study explored French Literature students’ reflections on pragmatic elements, such as speech acts, the cooperative principle, and deixis in songs. It draws on established theories by Austin and Warnock (1962), Searle (1969, 1975), and Grice (1975) to analyze how language use in lyrics serves communicative functions, not just artistic expression. Sixty French Literature undergraduate students enrolled in La Pragmatique (Pragmatics) classrooms in Indonesia participated in this inquiry. Data were obtained from interviews, reflective journals, and students’ reports on pragmatic analysis. This 15-week study employed thematic analysis across multiple data sources to investigate how French Literature students identified and interpreted pragmatic features in songs. The findings highlight that students analyzed songs not only at the level of lyrics but also by drawing on contextual cues such as emotion, cultural background, social situation, and personal experience in meaning-making. The findings further show that songs are favored among French Literature students, as they create a stress-free learning environment for A2 level French students. The implications and recommendations for the effective integration of songs into pragmatic instruction for French literature students are also provided

The perception of descendants of French immigrants by mainstream society and policymakers and the nature of the country’s security challenges have significantly changed in recent decades. This study explores these changes and analyses their impact on France’s social cohesion and security environment. The situation of the group concerned (who are often referred to, mistakenly, as second and third-generation immigrants) is particular since they were born in France (and, in many cases, already have French nationality). However, they often face discrimination, exclusion and social prejudice. During the research, I meticulously analysed the results of empirical studies on this topic in the French and international literature. The study is based on the comprehensive analysis of the former and actual French laws, analyses and studies, and the careful analysis of statistical data provided by the French Government. In the second half of the 20th century, immigrants typically arrived in France for economic and employment purposes, but their descendants faced a very different situation. In many cases, they start from a disadvantaged and marginalised position. In recent years, public attitudes towards the descendants of immigrants have been in transition, mainly due to the media, political discourse and current international events. Security challenges include the potential for radicalisation (which may stem from a sense of “belonging nowhere”, as in many cases they do not feel French and have few ties to their parent’s country of origin) and an increase in certain types of crime, particularly (but not exclusively) concentrated in the peripheral areas of large cities. These problems are often the result of economic and social exclusion, different educational and labour market opportunities and other (often misunderstood) cultural backgrounds.

This article studies the figurative system of the play “Night in Valonie” by the famous modern French playwright Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt. The key image of this work - the image of Don Juan - is examined in detail. This image is one of the so-called “eternal images” in world literature, it is not static, it is constantly changing, each author, taking this image with a key one, gives to this image new characteristics. That is why, the article used comparative-historical, comparative-typological and structural methods to study the stated issues, which made it possible to compare this dramatic work of Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt with other literary phenomena, to study in detail the features of the organization of plots, artistic images and their systems in the work of this author and to highlight precisely his creative achievements in revealing this image. In the literary field, the name Don Juan appeared in the 16th century, the first playwright who introduced this image was the Spaniard Tirso de Molina, who presented his character to the reader as a cynical deceiver for whom there are no moral principles and decency. After that, this image was transformed a lot through the works of many world artists - Giliberti, Moliere, D. Byron, L. Ukrayinka. Each author interpreted this image according to his own style in writitng - for some of them Don Juan is just a lecher who gravitates towards amorous adventures, someone uses this image to expose the shortcomings of the then society, and some of them endowed this character with the characteristics of an immoral and cynical person. In this way, this image came to modern French literature and Schmitt, taking Don Juan as the main acting character of his play “Night in Valonie”, endowed him with his own characteristics, studied in detail in the article. Don Juan by Schmitt is searching the true human feelings, he is trying to find his “Me”, although he appears before society as a stereotypical troublemaker and cynic. The image of a libertine in this play, on the one hand, is subject to cardinal changes in comparison with classical interpretations, and on the other hand, it does not bypass the traditions of Moliere’s ideological visions, which can be traced by analyzing the system of images as a whole.

Inventors and Black Sages, by Ives Antoine (2009). Ives Antoine is an intellectual whose works are dedicated to correcting historical and epistemological gaps related to the contribution of blacks to scientific and technical development. Graduated in Pedagogy and French Literature, with diplomas from the universities of Montreal and Ottawa, and winner of the Carter G Award. Woodson in 1999, the author offers a bold and invigorating view on the contribution of the black man to science, challenging the representations established by Western culture (Antoine, 2009).

Cost-utility analysis of second line acromegaly treatment in France.

ABSTRACT The topic of forest–water interactions has a lengthy and fascinating history. Yet historical work in many languages remains unknown to most researchers. Using the primary literature in French, German, Czech, Japanese, Russian, and Turkish, this paper examines the pretext and describes notable examples of forest–water interactions research in each of the above six languages through historical vignettes that are of relevance today. For example, the French vignette focuses on the search for the hydrological role of forests, while the Russian vignette conveys an interesting example of phytoremediation and the role of evapotranspiration in decreasing malaria risk. In conjunction with a timeline for historical context, along with the identification of some seminal papers, these vignettes convey the important hydrological work of these earlier researchers, bringing some largely unrecognized work to light, thereby illuminating the historical scientific development of forest–water interactions and giving rightful credit to those pioneers who conducted the work.

This paper examines Renaud Camus’s trilogy (Roman roi, Roman furieux, Voyageur en automne) as a multifaceted literary and theoretical intervention within the framework of a political and queer political novel. The analysis argues that Camus interrogates the intersections of aesthetics, politics and representation, particularly focusing on the notion and dynamics of presence and absence, thus challenging both contemporary queer discourse and dominant political paradigms. The study situates his trilogy within a broader critique of the increasing (de/re) politicisation of French Literature, as Camus’s refusal to adhere to progressive norms, which positions him as both an anachronistic and controversial figure. The trilogy offers an alternative approach to the traditional political novel by prioritising ambiguity and the interplay of presence and absence, rather than explicit engagement with overt activism or political movements. Through its narrative exploration of memory, exile and historical and fictional displacement, and by integrating layers of absence, memory gaps and metaphors, the trilogy suggests a novelistic form that critically interrogates the dynamics of political representation (even his own), the very fabric of identity and politics as iterative, metaphorical processes, rather than static linear narratives that draw on memory as a fraught and unstable mechanism for constructing meaning.

This article looks at the genre of biofiction, or “imaginary life” as it is more commonly known in French, reflecting on its origins and considering its cultural meanings through examples drawn from French literary production in the early 21st century. It tries to highlight how biofiction redefines the boundaries of biography and fiction, creating a genre that emphasizes individuality, memory, and cultural reflection. Focusing on the genre's rise as a preferred mode of storytelling in recent decades, the article traces its roots to a broader cultural and aesthetic shift emphasizing subjective narratives and the interplay of memory, identity, and imagination. Drawing from notable works by authors such as Pascal Quignard and Pierre Michon, biofiction is examined as a transformative space where the boundaries between biography, autobiography, and fiction dissolve. Through its reconfiguration of narrative structures, biofiction challenges the dichotomy between fiction and referential truth, creating hybrid texts that engage readers in reflective and empathetic encounters. The article discusses key characteristics of biofiction, including its reliance on fragmented storytelling, the manipulation of historical and fictional discourse, and its potential as a medium for emotional and intellectual engagement. Ultimately, biofiction is positioned as a vital literary form that responds to modernity's fragmented identity and reclaims the narrative power of individual lives, underscoring the enduring interplay between literature, memory, and the self. It appears as a key element in the literary landscape of postmodernity.

Marxist theory is an important philosophical concept that has had a profound impact on French literature. This article aims to explore the relationship between Marxist theory and the study of French literature, analyze the manifestation of Marxist theory in French literature, and how to apply Marxist theory to the study of French literature. This article is divided into six chapters. The first chapter serves as an introduction, mainly introducing the research background, research objectives and significance, as well as the structure of the paper. Chapter 2 will outline the main content of Marxist theory and its application in literary research. Chapter 3 will analyze the current situation and problems of French literary research. Chapter 4 will explore the relevance of Marxist theory to the study of French literature, including its impact on literary criticism, literary creation, and literary reception. Chapter 5 will analyze the application of Marxist theory in French literary research through specific examples. Finally, Chapter 6 will summarize the reference significance of Marxist theory for the study of French literature and look forward to the future development trends of French literary research.

François Bégaudeau is, in contemporary French literature, among the most recognized writers who are cinephiles. This article seeks to show, mainly through the analysis of film reviews published by the writer, how a materialist aesthetic constitutes the guiding thread of this cinephilia. I begin by unfolding the characteristics of Bégaudeau’s materialism applied to cinema. Three motifs in particular stand out: the body, the celebration of matter, and above all the raw, in which situations are staged as nakedly as possible. I then examine the formal options that Bégaudeau criticises, which could be described as “anti-materialist”; from these I deduce five axioms that form the basis of his materialist aesthetic, in particular long shots, the dilation of sequential duration, and the availability to one’s environment at the time of shooting. Finally, I seek to bring to light the political dimension that Bégaudeau's cinematic materialism can take on in certain cases. He thinks in particular that the capture of matter in a film allows us to see society better. As a Marxist, he also argues that the material conditions of existence must be taken into account when understanding films.

THE IMAGE OF WOMEN IN FRENCH LITERATURE: FROM ARCHETYPE TO INDIVIDUALITY

This article examines the emergence and development of postmodernism in French literature during the second half of the 20th century. The study identifies the key philosophical and aesthetic premises of postmodernism, analyzes their manifestation in the works of leading French writers, and explores the interplay between postmodernism and the broader socio-cultural context of postwar France. The study highlights the contributions of authors such as Alain Robbe-Grillet, Marguerite Duras, Philippe Sollers, and Jean-Philippe Toussaint, among others, and situates their works within the shifting paradigms of literary creation. Ultimately, the article asserts that postmodernism in French literature represents both a continuation and a rupture with previous traditions, offering new modes of narrative, experimentation, and critique that remain influential in the 21st century.