Enlightenment, Gender, and Colonialism: Madame de Graffigny

Crosslistings: FNDL 27970, GNSE 27970/37970

Françoise de Graffigny’s novel, "Letters of a Peruvian Woman" (1747-1752), was one of the greatest critical and commercial successes of the French Enlightenment. By adopting the voice of a captured Incan princess, Graffigny presents a startling critique of European colonialism, social inequalities, and gender hierarchies, while also exploring the problems of cultural appropriation, translation, and the construction of individual identity. We will study the novel in dialogue with related readings from the period, including the political philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the feminist writings of Marie Olympe de Gouges and Mary Wollstonecraft. We will also explore Graffigny's text  in relation to the evolution of the European novel and its representations of non-European societies (Montesquieu and Diderot), as well as indigenous accounts of colonialism (Garcilaso de la Vega). 

The course will be conducted in English. French readings will be available in both English translation and the original French. Students taking the course for FREN credit will read French works in French and complete written assignments in French.

Prerequisites
For French credit, FREN 20500, 20501 or an introductory-level literature course taught in French. No prerequisites for GNSE or FNDL students.