Languages

French Literature

     We just finished reading one of our two required readings in Language B HL French! One of the IBs most important requirements for the book chosen is that it has to have been published in the foreign language. The name of the book selected by our teacher is "Stupeur and Tremblements" (otherwise known as "Fear and Trembling" in English), written by Amélie Nothomb in 1999. The autobiography tells the story of the author's experience in Japan. There, she is hired by a Japanese company and struggles with her job at the lowest position on the corporate food chain. At the end of the book, she finds herself working as a janitor, facing the consequences of cultural ignorance.

     Since reading the book, our class has been analyzing the characters and their relationships with each other. Lastly, we've been dissecting the novel's plot structure and the author's use of language. Now that we have finished reading and examining "Stupeur and Tremblements", we are moving on to our second novel "Bonjour Tristesse". As it turns out, the novels couldn't be more different!

The cover of the novel

- Giselle D.