Through Western eyes: A model of literary and cultural analysis for teaching Francophone sub -Saharan African literature

In this dissertation, I explore the notion of la Francophonie---linguistic, cultural, and political---and its meaning for the study of Francophone literature. American students of French, commonly unversed in Sub-Saharan African cultures, cannot comprehend the relationship between the literary elements and cultural perspectives represented in Francophone Sub-Saharan African literature. Existing literary analysis methods employed in intermediate French classes, specifically explication de texte, cannot suffice in providing students the background knowledge about African cultures necessary for comprehending these texts. These arguments lead to the development of my "3R" model of analysis (Recognize-Research-Relate) for Francophone Sub-Saharan African literature.;In chapters 1--4, I consider current debates surrounding la Francophonie, particularly the imposition of a "neo-colonial" French rule through the resurgence of French dominance in multilingual Francophone regions. I argue for recognition of African varieties of French, each one a representation of its specific cultural reality. Through examples from Senegalese literature, I demonstrate how the use of African French and particular literary techniques by Sub-Saharan African authors demands that the reader have adequate linguistic, formal, and content schemata to comprehend these texts.;The second half of the dissertation presents a study involving intermediate students of French. I investigate whether my 3R model is more effective than explication de texte in helping students comprehend the relationship between the literary elements and cultural world views represented in Francophone Sub-Saharan African literature. Results revealed the following: (1) the 3R model is more effective than explication de texte in helping students recognize the vocabulary and images representative of Francophone Sub-Saharan African literature; (2) explication de texte is more effective than the 3R model in helping students recognize the rhythm and form that characterize this literature; (3) the 3R model and explication de texte are equally effective in helping students find links between literary elements and African cultures in this literature; (4) the 3R model is more effective than explication de texte in helping students gain insights into their own culture.;This study emphasizes the importance of concurrent literary analysis and cultural learning for American students approaching Francophone Sub-Saharan African literature for the first time.