Literary Movements and Periods

Classicism (17th century): French literary movement emphasizing order, restraint, and adherence to ancient Greek and Roman models. Key figures include Corneille, Racine, and Molière.

Enlightenment/Les Lumières (18th century): Intellectual movement emphasizing reason, science, and social progress. Major writers include Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot.

Romanticism (early 19th century): Movement privileging emotion, imagination, and individual expression over classical restraint. Victor Hugo was its chief French proponent.

Realism (mid-19th century): Literary approach seeking to represent life accurately without idealization. Balzac, Flaubert, and Stendhal were major practitioners.

Naturalism (late 19th century): Extension of realism emphasizing scientific determinism and environmental influences. Émile Zola was its primary theorist and practitioner.

Symbolism (late 19th century): Poetry movement using symbols to express ineffable truths and states of mind. Key poets include Baudelaire, Verlaine, Rimbaud, and Mallarmé.

Surrealism (20th century): Avant-garde movement exploring unconscious mind and dream states. Influenced writers like Aimé Césaire.

Existentialism (20th century): Philosophy emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir were central figures.

Nouveau Roman (1950s-60s): Experimental fiction rejecting traditional plot and character. Marguerite Duras was associated with this movement.

Négritude (1930s-60s): Literary and ideological movement affirming Black cultural values. Founded by Aimé Césaire, Léopold Senghor, and Léon Damas.