ABSTRACT
Memoirs are particularly situated to help students examine what Kimberle Crenshaw has labeled “intersectional subordination,” the differing barriers individuals face due to their social position, “frequently the consequence of one burden that interacts with preexisting vulnerabilities to create yet another dimension of disempowerment”. For instance, the difference between Catholic and Jewish French women in the war was not merely one of degrees, but one of a profoundly different context and experience. The interdisciplinary offering of the course has attracted many students who would not normally have the opportunity and/or desire to take a course invested in French women’s literature and experience. The course highlights the differing experiences of women during WWII, and recognizes the impact of racism, xenophobia, class inequality, and homophobia on women’s experience. Through the study of literature, memoirs, and film, students learn about the specific injustices of the past and in the process develop a capacity to identify and prevent current crimes against humanity.
