Reading List: Honoré de Balzac, History of the Thirteen; Charles Baudelaire, Paris Spleen; Guy de Maupassant, Bel-Ami.

Description:  In this course we will read a number of nineteenth-century texts in which the city of Paris figures prominently as the backdrop for intrigue and character development.  We will discuss the city from multiple perspectives as a polarized mythical place of pleasure and debauchery, extreme wealth and poverty.  In addition, we will examine the extent to which Paris directly influences the various characters' conduct, psychology, and fate, becoming in essence an active player in the novels and prose poems we will be reading.  Finally, we will consider the representation of Paris in art, most notably of the Impressionists.

Required Work:  Course attendance.  Two four-page papers (for a total of 1800 words).  One final exam.

Schedule of Readings and Topics: Week 1:   Introduction: Paris prior to Haussmann Balzac, Ferragus (pp. 21-76) Week 2 : Ferragus (pp. 77-152) The Girl with the Golden Eyes Week 3: First Paper due Baudelaire, Paris Spleen Week 4: Impressionism: The Modernization of Paris Time off for Women Impressionism: Manet's Paris Absinthe Culture Week 5: Second Paper due Week 5-6: Reading of Maupassant, Bel-Ami August 3 Final Exam