FRS 002 — Sec. 020 — (2 units) — CRN 92631 — W 10:00-11:50am — 203 Wellman
Alexandre Dumas’ France and The Count of Monte Cristo

Instructor: Sally McKee, Department of History, College of Letters and Science

Description: Students will read over the course of the quarter Alexandre Dumas’s adventure novel, The Count of Monte Cristo. Additional reading material, assigned on a weekly basis, will introduce the students to the major themes of French history in the nineteenth century. Topics to be covered include French history & politics, crime & punishment, dueling, 19th-century medicine, warfare, French colonies in the Caribbean, and family life.

Format: Students will read and give presentations on aspects of the historical setting of the novel. The presentations will be based on three short (2 double-spaced pages) papers. The aim of the seminar is to introduce students to the basic elements of critical thinking, source analysis, oral presentations, and writing papers. You cannot pass this course without active participation. If for some reason you are going to miss a class, you should email me in advance. Grading: Grades will be based on: Participation (20%); Presentations (20%); and Short Papers (60%).

Books: Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin, 2003). A reader of selected articles and book excerpts on topics reflected in the novel. The additional readings will amount to 15-20 pages a week.

About the Instructor: Professor Sally McKee teaches in the History Department. A medieval historian, she usually offers courses on various aspects of the Middle Ages. Her research centers on Italy and the Mediterranean. Recently, however, she has been working on French history in the nineteenth century.