Spring 2020 Undergraduates

Major: French
Double Minor: Business & Art History

The French language has been an enormous part of my life for a long time now. Continuing my education of the language and culture at University of Colorado has been a delightful and rewarding experience. My confidence in my speaking skills and in articulating my critical analyses have greatly developed throughout the French literary courses I’ve taken. My French studies have largely influenced my interests in artistic movements and have instilled in me a curiosity to find ways to intertwine all that I’ve learned of the French esprit with other interests of mine. I’d like to thank Professor Kilbane for challenging me to push myself and encouraging me to feel more confident in my observations. I’d also like to thank Professor Motte for sharing his admiration of contemporary literature.

My Senior Essay, “Tropismes : Architecture et littérature,” likened an architect and a writer, as literary architect, who worked to radicalize their economies of expression in order to provoke a discussion and uncover possible truths to candidly represent their era.

Major: French

One of my favorite aspects of studying French was the opportunity to study abroad in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence where I was able to immerse myself in the French culture and lifestyle. With almost six months of exposure there, I was able to grow and gain confidence with my speaking, writing, and reading based on the foundation given to me by the French Department at CU in previous years. I can’t thank the University of Colorado enough for the education, experiences, and friendships I’ve made throughout these last four year. Even though they are just a memory now, they will forever hold a special place in my heart.

 

I analyzed the book “Une Vie de Boy” by Ferdinand Oyono for my senior seminar essay. Sources from additional novels and poems by profound African writers aided my argument of the interdependence between the colonizer and the colonized in African colonies during the 19^th and 20^th centuries. The title of my essay was “La coexistence du colonialisme et de la manipulation humaine dans Une Vie de Boy par Ferdinand Oyono”. 

Major: French
Double Minor: Business and Spanish

My senior essay is entitled "Le lien entre le minimalisme, le rôle du spectateur et le discours metathéâtral de Beckett dans En attendant Godot."  It gives an in-depth analysis of Samuel Beckett's play En Attendant Godot, and how the minimalist nature of the play gives a role to the spectators in the audience watching, and additional meaning to the play itself.

(Fall 2019)
Major: French
Graduated With Distinction

From the first French class I took at CU with Professor Van Nelson through all my subsequent French classes with wonderful professors, I was taken with the warmth and personal connection I found in the department. I came into undergrad with no intention to pursue a French degree, but the lushness of the language and the supportive, intimate atmosphere of the department pulled me in almost instantly. My professors and courses in this department made my CU experience feel rich beyond measure, and I'm so thankful for the inspiration and resources I gained in my time here.

My senior essay was titled "L’infranchissable: les frontières dans _La maladie de la mort_." In _La maladie de la mort_, Duras examines the ways that the many boundaries that divide our world create otherness. In particular, she interrogates divisions rooted in gender, epistemology, communication, metaliterary discourse, and perception of the other, boundaries which the text not only probes theoretically but also enacts between itself and the reader. My paper examines how the many types of frontiers that outline the characters and relationships in Duras' text create otherness and how this otherness is subsequently reproduced within the reader.