FREN 3393 Life at the Limit: Narratives of Transformation
This course is conducted in English.. This course is conducted in English. This course will consider texts that follow the path of a person making a journey from alienation, loss, or hardship through a turning point. We will read stories of people who, caught in a major life crisis, still manage to keep a deep connection with themselves and the world, people who ultimately survive to share their experience with others in writing. Students will read correspondence between Theo and Vincent Van Gogh, a short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky, excerpts from Les Misérables, a memoir by Primo Levi, and various texts by Albert Camus and several other authors. Satisfies Core Requirement for: Literature
Course overview
- Department
- French
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Periodically in the Fall
Catalog details
- Satisfies core
- Literature
Requirements fulfilled
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.51 / 5 · Excellent
- Instructor rating
- 4.57 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Anne Kearney | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 17 of 19 |
| Fall 2024 | Anne Kearney | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 15 of 19 |
| Fall 2023 | Anne Kearney | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 of 15 |
| Fall 2022 | Anne Kearney | 4.8 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 13 of 15 |
| Fall 2021 | Anne Kearney | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 6 of 16 |