INQ-110 | Life/Death/the Streets of Paris

Full Title: Life and Death in the Streets of Paris

Topic Description:

The streets of Paris, whether as sites of (re)construction or deconstruction, playground or battleground, play a critical role in the history of 19th-century Paris, a role reflected in the numerous works by major 19th-century writers that foreground the city’s streets. What can we learn about history, society, and culture by examining how, when, and by whom streets are used? We will read excerpts from Hugo, Balzac, and Zola that depict street activity during three major historical periods: the Bourbon Restoration, the July Monarchy, and the Second Empire. We will consider these literary texts in counterpoint to other representations, both written (memoirs, newspaper articles, “objective” histories) and visual (lithographs, caricatures, photographs), of street activity over the same historical periods. Using the contrasts we establish, we will discuss the nature of historical documents and their reliability. What, if anything, can literature communicate that other sources of information cannot?

Counts as Global? No

Topic Approved: