Advanced(B2/C1)
2 hours per week for 5 weeks Starting July 28, 2026
At Online via Zoom
Taught by
Loïc Lerme
Time Slots
About this Class
You have heard of the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, or the Jersey Devil—but what about the Beast of Gévaudan? Between 1764 and 1767, in a remote mountainous region of south-central France, a mysterious “wolf-like” creature carried out a series of brutal attacks that left dozens dead and an entire population in fear. The events were so extraordinary that they spread across Europe through newspapers, drawing the attention of the monarchy and exposing the limits of (Absolute) royal authority under King Louis XV. Was the Bête a wolf, a hybrid animal, a serial killer, or something shaped by collective fear and belief? Through the lenses of sociology, religion, and politics, we will explore why this story emerged where and when it did—and what it reveals about rural life, superstition, media, and power in 18th-century France."Class objectives:
• Understanding complex media documents
• Critically analizing texts
• Connecting foklore and sociology (in 18th-century France)
• Reviewing the tenses for narration in French
• Deconstructing the concept of Absolute Monarchy
Class is taught by Loic.