5.23 The vocabulary of literary criticism — Epoché
What you will be able to do Use sixty-five words for talking about literature the way French readers and teachers do: the parts of a story, forms and genres, the people who write, the page itself, meaning, judgement, and two movements. Recognise the specialist terms of a French commentaire , such as la focalisation , l'incipit , le champ lexical and l'alexandrin , even where everyday French never uses them. Write and read French punctuation, which differs from English in spacing and in its quotation marks. Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Un dragon est une créature imaginaire. [1] A dragon is a creature of fancy. Il évoque souvent ses souvenirs de l'époque du lycée. [2] He often looks back on his high school days. Ce n'est qu'une légende urbaine. [3] That's just an urban legend. Ce restaurant italien offre une atmosphère romantique. [4] This Italian restaurant has a romantic atmosphere. La traduction du titre en français est ridicule. [5] The translation of the title in French is ridiculous. Je l'ai rencontrée lors de mon passage là-bas. [6] I met her during my stint there. Vous devriez mettre cette phrase entre guillemets. [7] You should put this phrase in quotation marks. Prerequisites : 12.8 — this is the first lesson of the fourth phase, after the self-assessment of 12.8 Review . The basic words of literature, from le roman and la nouvelle to le vers and la strophe , were taught in 5.18 Vocabulary ; this lesson adds the words you need to analyse a text rather than simply to name it. The fourth phase reads long works in the original, from Maupassant's Boule de suif in 7.33 Reading to Racine's Phèdre , and asks you to write about them in the French way. French schools teach a precise method for discussing a text, and with it a precise vocabulary. Some of that vocabulary is everyday French used in a narrower sense; some of it exists only in classrooms and in criticism. Both kinds are here. Word list Sixty-five words in seven groups: the story and its parts, forms and genres, people, the page, talking about meaning, judging a work, and two movements. The story and its parts Word Meaning Notes le dénouement fr ending, outcome, resolution Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs From dénouer , to untie: the knot of the plot comes undone. Le film a un dénouement heureux. [8] The movie has a happy ending. le protagoniste fr protagonist, main character Gender / part of speech masculine or feminine noun How English differs Same form for a man or a woman: le or la protagoniste . Le nom du protagoniste est encore inconnu. [9] The name of the protagonist is still unknown. la péripétie fr twist, incident, turn of events Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs In everyday French a minor mishap; in criticism a turn in the plot. Les péripéties de l'intrigue étaient prévisibles. [10] The plot twists were predictable. le rebondissement fr twist, new development Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Literally a rebound; the plot bounces off in a new direction. Elle pense qu'il s'agit d'un rebondissement positif. [11] She thinks it is a positive development. le suspense fr suspense Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Masculine, and borrowed back from English. Le suspense me tue ! [12] The suspense is killing me! l'atmosphère fr atmosphere, mood Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Feminine: une atmosphère . L'atmosphère est tendue. [13] The atmosphere is tense. la fiction fr fiction Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs As in English. Ce n'est pas la réalité, c'est de la fiction. This is not reality; it is fiction. imaginaire fr imaginary Gender / part of speech adjective How English differs Same form for both genders; l'imaginaire is also a noun, a writer's imaginative world. Le dragon est une créature imaginaire. [14] The dragon is an imaginary creature. le mythe fr myth Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Spelled as in English. C'est un mythe. [15] That's a myth. la légende fr legend; caption Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Also the caption under a picture. C'est une légende urbaine. [16] This is an urban legend. l'épopée fr epic Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs The noun; the adjective is épique . Voilà comment cette épopée historique s'est terminée. [17] That's how this historical epic ended. Forms and genres Word Meaning Notes le drame fr drama; tragedy, disaster Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs In everyday speech a disaster: Ce n'est pas un drame , it's no big deal . Pourquoi tout ce drame ? [18] Why all the drama? le sonnet fr sonnet Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Fourteen lines: two quatrains and two tercets. Le sonnet compte quatorze vers. [19] The sonnet has fourteen verses. la prose fr prose Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Feminine. Il ne lit que de la prose. [20] He reads only prose. le recueil fr collection (of poems, stories) Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Pronounced with the sound of œil . Il s'agit d'un recueil de poèmes. [21] This is a collection of poems. l'essai fr essay; attempt, try Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Both senses are common: faire un essai , to have a try . J'en ferai l'essai. [22] I'll give it a try. l'autobiographie fr autobiography Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs As in English. Quand j'aurai envie d'écrire une autobiographie, je le ferai. [23] When I feel like writing an autobiography, I will. les mémoires fr memoirs Gender / part of speech masculine plural noun How English differs Masculine plural; la mémoire is memory. Ce président a écrit ses mémoires. [24] This president has written his memoirs. la parodie fr parody, spoof Gender