FRE446H5 Topic Course: 19th- and 20th-Century Quebec Women's Literature

Learn more about Quebec women's literature in the 19th and 20th centuries in FRE446H5S!

This advanced course explores the relationships between women, literature, and culture in Quebec before the 1960s through the close study of a range of literary and personal writings. The nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century constitute a formative period in the development of Quebec literature, marked by the expansion of the press and media culture, the emergence of a publishing sphere, and the growth of literary criticism. Far from being absent from these developments, women played significant roles that challenge conventional narratives of literary history and invite us to rethink the foundations of the Quebec literary tradition. The course examines this history by situating women’s writing within its broader social and cultural context. Through the study of poetry, novels, short fiction, and journalistic writing, as well as everyday forms of expression such as correspondence and diaries, students will investigate the opportunities and constraints that shaped women’s literary practices in Quebec. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing advanced skills in literary analysis and critical reading while exploring how women writers negotiated their place within the literary field and contributed to the cultural life of their time.

This course will be taught by Prof. Adrien Rannaud, and meets on Mondays 9am–12pm.