More than any other nation, France is readily associated with food and gastronomy.  Gertrude Stein famously wrote, "[France] is a country where they talk about eating.  Every country talks about eating but in that country they talk about talking about eating."  Indeed, the restaurant review and the food critic were born in France, as were myriad culinary terms such as “gastronomy”, “cuisine”, and “chef”.  All of this “food talk” has long extended beyond conversation, permeating the nation’s literature and film.  This course will examine the enduring presence of food in fiction and non-fiction texts dating back to the sixteenth century, as well as in contemporary French cinema.  Students in this course will explore a number of questions: What does food mean in France?  What is the relationship between food and culture?  How do the French harness cuisine as a political, social, and cultural tool?  How does food connect France’s past, present, and future? 

All readings will be in English translation and discussion will be in English.  This course may not be taken as part of the requirements for the major or minor in French.  This course fulfills the second writing requirement.