This course explores the representation of illness in different novels, short stories, films and TV shows about the Francophone World. What do different illnesses symbolize, from tuberculosis to AIDS, from France to Haiti and Africa? Using Sontag’s book, Illness and Metaphor as a guide, the class focuses more specifically on the socio-cultural meanings of physical illness and epidemics in different traditions. This class is offered in English (all the material is available in English translation). It is useful to anyone who wants to learn more about how disease and illness are constructed on a social and discursive level. The course intents to confront students to other representations of epidemics and illnesses than the ones they are used to through American pop-culture to help them think critically about those issues from a more decentered perspective.

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