Monsters, freaks, madmen: the limits of humanity in 16th- and 17th-century French literature. 3304-1DPXW-KL-044-OG

The course focuses on the analysis of selected works of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century
French literature as a space for intense reflection on humanity and its limits. The age of
humanism and classicism, often associated with the affirmation of reason, harmony, and
measure, simultaneously reveals its “dark side”: a fascination with monstrosity and madness,

and with the excess of passion. In this way, the literature of the period constantly puts to the
test the norms on which the vision of the human being is founded—natural, moral, social,
and epistemological norms.
At the center of the course are the figures of the monster, the marvel, and the madman,
understood not as marginal curiosities of literature but as its cognitive tools. The corporeal
monster, the anomaly of nature, passion escaping control, the madness of the imagination,
skepticism undermining the certainty of reason, or the moral deformation of social life—all
these phenomena allow sixteenth- and seventeenth-century authors to pose fundamental
questions about what it means to be human and where the boundaries lie between nature
and culture, reason and passion, normality and excess.
The texts under study—from Rabelais and Montaigne to Cyrano de Bergerac, Molière, La
Rochefoucauld, and La Bruyère—display a wide range of literary strategies: grotesque and
laughter, tragic narrative, the skeptical essay, satire, moral reflection, and portraiture.
Madness may appear here both as an object of condemnation and as a source of ironic
truth; monstrosity may function as a divine sign, a flaw of nature, or a metaphor of the
human world; the marvel, in turn, becomes a starting point for anthropological reflection and
social critique.
The course encourages critical and comparative reading, showing that the figures of the
monster and the madman do not belong solely to the past but remain vital tools for thinking
about the human condition.

Type of course

general courses

Course coordinators

Dariusz Krawczyk

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will:
- deepen their knowledge of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French literature and its
place within humanistic reflection on humanity, norms, and their transgression;
- understand the importance of historical, cultural, and philosophical contexts for the
interpretation of early modern literature;
- develop the ability to critically analyze and interpret literary texts using relevant scholarly
literature;
- learn to formulate independent, well-argued interpretations in both oral and written form;
- develop competencies related to participation in academic discussion, including the ability
to present and defend one’s own position;
- deepen their awareness of the significance of literary and cultural heritage for
contemporary reflection on the human condition.
The course implements or contributes, to varying degrees, to the achievement of the
following learning outcomes defined for the French Studies programme (first-cycle studies):
Knowledge
Upon completion of the course, the student:
K_W01 – has advanced knowledge and understanding of the place and significance of the
humanities, in particular literary studies, within the system of sciences, as well as their
subject-specific and methodological characteristics.
K_W04 – has advanced knowledge and understanding of research approaches and
methodologies in literary studies, especially with regard to the French-speaking cultural area.
K_W05 – has advanced knowledge and understanding of key issues in general literary
studies and French literature.
K_W09 – understands basic concepts and issues in cultural history and their relevance for
the interpretation of literary texts.
K_W10 – understands the fundamental relationships between literature and other areas of
culture (philosophy, religion, social customs, and the arts).
K_W12 – understands the principles of interpreting literary texts in their historical and
cultural contexts.

K_W13 – understands basic concepts and methods of contemporary humanistic reflection
applied in literary studies.
Skills
Upon completion of the course, the student is able to:
K_U05 – independently analyze and interpret literary texts using appropriate research
methods and tools.
K_U06 – select and use scholarly literature and other academic sources in the process of
textual interpretation.
K_U07 – formulate coherent and logical oral and written statements on issues related to
literary studies.
K_U08 – actively participate in academic discussion, presenting and justifying their own
interpretative position.
K_U12 – analyze literary and cultural phenomena within a broader historical and
comparative context.
Social Competences
Upon completion of the course, the student:
K_K04 – is prepared to independently deepen their knowledge and critically assess their
own competences in the field of literary studies.
K_K06 – is aware of the importance of literary and cultural heritage and of the responsibility
involved in its interpretation and transmission.

Assessment criteria

Basic Requirement
The basic requirement for passing the course is regular attendance.
A limited number of up to three absences, either excused or unexcused, is permitted.
Exceeding the allowed number of absences results in failure to obtain course credit.

Substantive Assessment Criteria (after fulfilling the attendance requirement)
Once the attendance requirement has been met, the following elements are assessed:
- Active participation in class and preparation for discussion
Assessment is based on regular participation in seminar discussions, the ability to engage
with the texts under discussion, and adequate preparation for classes based on the assigned
readings.
- Short quizzes on the readings
During the semester, three to four short quizzes are scheduled to assess students’
knowledge of the required readings and of the material covered in the two preceding
classes. The quizzes are formative in nature and are intended to support systematic work
with the texts.
- In-class written assignment
Course assessment includes a short written assignment completed in class during a
scheduled session.
Students may use any printed materials (literary texts, scholarly studies, notes). The use of
electronic materials or digital devices is not permitted.
The assignment is designed to assess the ability to independently analyze and interpret a
literary text and to formulate a coherent argument.
- Oral assessment
Final assessment includes a short oral examination. Evaluation is based on knowledge of
the readings, the ability to synthesize the issues discussed during the course, correct use of
terminology, and the capacity for logical and independent argumentation.

Bibliography

Literary Texts (studied in class)
(this is a selected list; the exact scope of readings will be determined at the beginning of the
semester)

François Rabelais, Gargantua, Pantagruel, Trzecia księga (Polish editions).
Marguerite de Navarre, Heptameron (Polish edition, selected novellas).
Michel de Montaigne, Próby (selected chapters, Polish edition).
Pierre Boaistuau, François de Belleforest, Nowele tragiczne (selected texts; Polish editions
or translated excerpts).
Cyrano de Bergerac, Inny świat albo Państwa i Cesarstwa Słóńca i Księżyca (Polish edition).
Molière, Mizantrop (Polish edition).
François de La Rochefoucauld, Maksymy (Polish edition).
Jean de La Bruyère, Charaktery (Polish edition).
Secondary Literature – Historical and Cultural Contexts (in Polish)
Michel Foucault, Historia szaleństwa w dobie klasycyzmu, Warsaw, 1987.
Jean Starobinski, Atrament melancholii, trans. K. Belaid, Gdańsk, 2017.
Robert Burton, Anatomia melancholii. Antologia, trans., selection, introduction and
commentary by Michał Tabaczyński, Korporacja Ha!art, Kraków, 2020.
Michaił Bachtin, Twórczość Franciszka Rabelais’go a kultura ludowa średniowiecza i
renesansu, trans. A. Gorczyński, Warsaw.
Norbert Elias, Proces cywilizacji, trans. T. Zabłudowski, Warsaw.
Katarzyna Dybeł, Barbara Marczuk, Jan Prokop, Historia literatury francuskiej, Wydawnictwo
Naukowe PWN, 2005.
Jacek Kowalski, Anna Loba, Mirosław Loba, Jan Prokop, Dzieje kultury francuskiej,
Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, 2015.

Additional information

Information on level of this course, year of study and semester when the course unit is delivered, types and amount of class hours - can be found in course structure diagrams of apropriate study programmes. This course is related to the following study programmes:

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