Ranging from the epics of the 11th century concerning stories of legendary heroes and sweet love songs by Southern French lyric poets, to contemporary works by Foucault and Derrida, French literature has continuously been a forerunner of world literature and thought, influencing them significantly. In this major course, students study the attractive features of French literature from diverse aspects. Although the faculty members specialize in novels of the 19th and 20th centuries, as indicated in the introduction column, lectures and seminars are provided in a wide variety of genres, including poetry, plays, thought and linguistics. Subjects of this course also cover from the medieval age to the present day. In addition to reading many books, students are expected to develop sufficient competence in the French language through steady daily efforts. KASHIWAGI, Takao (Ph.D.) French Literature; French Novels in 19th Century WADA, Akio (Ph.D.) French Literature; Marcel Proust, Autobiographies, Study on Manuscripts DISSON, Agnes (Ph.D.) French Literature; Modern French Poets