French Culture against Fascism, 1930-1945

As fascism was rising in Europe in the 1930s, French writers, artists, and intellectuals expressed their opposition to this threat both in action, coalescing around militant groups with overt political positions, and in their work. This antifascist cultural mobilization was siphoned into the resistance during WWII. This highly interdisciplinary course explores works of literature, art, cinema, and photography that fought fascism before and during the war in France. Works will be situated within their historical context and framed by theory. The course will be complemented with a trip to France during spring break.