Literatures in French

The French Section pursues a double aim in its Ph.D. program. The first is to offer a strong knowledge of literature and its cultural context from the Renaissance through the twentieth century: this study covers metropolitan canonical texts as well as more recent Francophone productions (African, Caribbean, and immigrant literature). The second aim is to provide a diversity of approaches, such as critical theory (from Marxism to poststructuralism), historical contextualization, semiotic or psychoanalytic analysis, or cultural perspectives, such as feminist or ethnic studies. Students concentrating in French and Francophone studies work primarily with the members of the French Section, and develop an individualized program of study with teachers of their choice from all sections.