French 334This course examines the event of the Holocaust in literature,
film and archives. France has had a complex relationship with Jews
since the Middle Ages. During the French Revolution (1789), then
under the Empire (Napoleon Bonaparte, 1800-1815), the Jews
benefited from political emancipation. However, in the 19th century
the counter-revolution gave rise to virulent expressions of
antisemitism. French antisemitism culminates with the Vichy
regime, the policy of collaboration with Nazi Germany, antisemitic
writings and propaganda and the deportation of part of the Jewish
population to the extermination camps.
How does this story affect fictional writing, and debates on
how to represent this event? More than a course on the Holocaust,
we explore the story of its reminiscence in French culture.