Instructor: Romaniuc, Bianca-Stela
Marcel Aymé is famous for his novels and short stories infused with a subtle mix of realistic and fantastic events. This class will cover some of his
short stories published in “Le Passe-Muraille” collection. The short stories, published in France during the Second World War, contain
various fantastic phenomena, such as walking through walls, multiplying oneself in a variety of bodies, being able to be in several places
at the same time. At first glace, by representing a fantastic atmosphere, the author manifests his detachment from the real world. His
fictional universe could then be interpreted as a disengagement from an author who should have been, on the contrary, more inclined to
(political) action or “engaged” literature. Nevertheless, one can also imagine that the literary strategies using fantastic events allow Aymé
to reflect, through the subterfuge of the unrealistic experience, on the complexity of the historical world, and to transform it into an absurd,
tragicomic one. Starting from the historical context of France’s German Occupation period, the class will aim to identify references to historical
events and to reflect on the way the fantastic phenomena are to be interpreted as symbolical references to the tragic reality of history. The class
will also reflect on the literary characteristics of those stories, that are typical of “magical realism” rather than pure realism or pure fantasy. Prerequisite: FRN 309 or 310 or permission of instructor. May be taken more than once for credit on different topics.
3 crs.
Session 2 (6/24-7/26)
Schedule: Online
Course delivery: Online-Asynchronous
General education outcome: N/A
Additional fees: $25

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