#  FRENCH 088 - Comic Relief: The Power of Humor in Social Fiction 

 





 Semester:   Fall 

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 Year offered:  2026 

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 Link: [Course Website](https://locator.tlt.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-207932/2026/fall/17368) 

 

 

 

*Comic Relief* focuses on fictional works in French which use humor to *dorer la pilule*, or make more palatable, the social ills and political dangers they reveal. With naïfs and rebellious women as protagonists, these coming-of-age stories raise questions about the relationship between social critique and self-discovery. We will explore nuances of irony, parody, satire, and slapstick in works by Voltaire, Vargaftig, Chraïbi, and Queneau.



 

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##  Instructor 

 



  [### Kathy Richman

 ](/people/kathy-richman) <richman@fas.harvard.edu>Lecturer in Romance Languages and Literatures (French)

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Romance Studies Undergraduate Advisor

 

 

 

      ![KathyR](/sites/g/files/omnuum8296/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-04/krichman-2.jpg?itok=TfFQg-Uf) 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ 70-100 ](/class-categories/70-100)
- [ Kathy Richman ](/instructor/kathy-richman)
- [ French ](/language/french)
- [ Fall 2026 ](/term/fall-2026)