Rasselle

Roxane Petit-Rasselle

  • French Coordinator
  • Associate Professor of French
  • Ph.D., Penn State University

  • M.A., University of Delaware

    B.A, M.A., Université Jean Moulin, Lyon, France

Teaching and Research Interests

  • 19th–century prose and civilization
  • Myth and literary myth
  • Popular literature and culture
  • Alexandre Dumas père
  • 19th-century Guignol
  • Umberto Eco

Courses Regularly Taught

  • French language at all level (FRE 101, 102, 201, 202)
  • French Phonetics (FRE 302)
  • Francophone Civilization (FRE 303)
  • French Civilization (EFR 320)
  • Online Nineteenth-Century French Studies (FRE 515)
  • Business French (FRE 410, 510)
  • Undergraduate culture and literature courses (FRE 415, 420, 422)
  • Graduate culture and literature courses (FRE 515, 520, 522)        

On-Campus Responsibilities and Study Abroad Program

  • Advisor of the French Club
  • Director of the WCUPA study abroad program in Lyon (every year in June)
  • Co-Director (with Dr. Joseph Moser, German Program) of the WCU winter program in the European Union
  • Director of upcoming Testing Center for the International Chamber of Commerce of Paris (Business and Political Science French)

Publications and Scholarly Activities

Directed and Edited Volume

  • Mythes et littérature du XIXe siècle (141 pp), @nalyses: revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (University of Ottawa) at < https://uottawa.scholarsportal.info/ojs/index.php/revue-analyses/index > (Automne 2013).

Book Chapters

  • Invited – 2nd publication of updated “From the Literary Myth to the ‘Lieu de Mémoire’: Alexandre Dumas and French National Identity(ies),” Alexandre Dumas as a French Symbol since 1870: All for One and One for All in a Global France. Edited by Eric Martone. Toronto: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020.
  • “Production d’un roman d’aventures: de l’utilité du cheval dans Les Trois Mousquetaires," Aller(s) et Retour(s): Collected Essays. Edited by Loïc Guyon and Andrew Watts. Toronto: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2013, 266-76.
  • Invited – “From the Literary Myth to the ‘Lieu de Mémoire’: Alexandre Dumas and French National Identity(ies),” The Black Musketeer: Reevaluating Alexandre Dumas within the Francophone World. Edited by Eric Martone. Toronto: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011, 163-91.

Articles

  • Invited – “Et le mythe commença: Les Trois Mousquetaires et Le Comte de Monte-Cristo,” Alexandre Dumas ou l’art de bien commencer. Revue Elseneur (Presses universitaires de Caen), 2024.
  • “Alexandre Dumas: Des barricades à la naissance d’un écrivain engagé” (24pp), The French Review, Vol. 94.4, 2021.
  • “Pas si méchants: les bourreaux d’Alexandre Dumas père” (20 pp), in Lincoln Humanities Journal (Lincoln University, Pennsylvania), special issue on “Perspectives on Violence, Human Cruelty, and Messy Morality”, December 2019.
  • “Le mythe littéraire comme fait de mémoire” (14 pp), Acta Iassyensia Comparationis (Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania), special issue on “Memory and Oblivion” at < http://literaturacomparata.ro /aic/?page_id=825&lang=fr > (Automne 2018).
  •  "Introduction," Mythes et littérature du XIXe, @nalyses: Revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (University of Ottawa) at < https://uottawa.scholarsportal.info/ojs/index.php/revue-analyses/index >  (Automne 2013), 1-6.
  •  “Où le mythe garantit le genre: Dionysos et La Dame de Monsoreau,” Mythes et littérature du XIXe, @nalyses: revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (University of Ottawa) at   <https://uottawa. scholarsportal.info/ojs/index.php/revue-analyses/index > (Automne 2013), 114-41.
  •  “Le problème du héros dans Les Trois Mousquetaires,” The French Review, vol. 84 (April 2011), 978-90.
  •  “Enseigner le mythe littéraire: pour une approche interdisciplinaire des Trois Mousquetaires” (24 pp), Synergies Canada (University of Guelph, February 2010) at <http://synergies.lib.uoguelph.ca/issue/ view/92>.
  •  “Jeux de miroirs dans la poésie de Colin Muset,” Murmure 6 (Spring 1999), 85-95.

 Selected Conference Proceedings

  • “Noire et blanche: l’écriture de l’autre chez Alexandre Dumas,” Classiques Garnier, France, upcoming in 2023-2024.
  • “Le rôle du poète: des Impressions en Suisse et dans le Midi aux Trois Mousquetaires d’Alexandre Dumas,” Memorias de la Conferencia Internacional sobre Lenguas Extranjeras, Comunicación y Cultura (WEFLA 2018, University of Holguín). Conciencia Ediciones. Editorial Universitaria – accepted.

Book Reviews

  • Invited – “Trompas, Jacques-Olivier. Gugubarra,” French Review – Upcoming in 2023.
  • Invited – “Jauréguiberry, Eve.  Brouillarta,” French Review, Vol. 96.4 (December 2023)
  • Invited – “Fondeviolle, Rodigue, Billets bleus,” French Review, Vol. 96.3 (November 2023)
  • Invited – “Maelle Guillot, Et mes jours seront comme tes nuits,” French Review, Vol. 96.2 (December 2022)
  • Invited – “Del Amo, Jean-Baptiste, Le Fils de l’homme,” French Review,  Vol. 96.1 (2022)
  • Invited – “Abecassis, Eliette, Instagrammable,” French Review, Vol. 95.3 (March 2022).
  • Invited – “Pourriat, Eléonore. Poupées,” French Review, Vol. 95.2 (December 2021).
  • “Spangler, May. Paris in Architecture, Literature, and Art,” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Journal, Vol. 50.1-2 (October 2021).
  • “Norek, Olivier. Impact,” French Review, Vol. 95.1 (October 2021).
  • Invited – “Un Mousquetaire du journalisme: Alexandre Dumas,” H-France. Vol. 122 (July 2020).
  • Invited – “Peeters, Guy. Gaspard de Cherville, l'autre ‘nègre‘ d'Alexandre Dumas,” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Journal (Spring-Summer 2019).
  • Invited – “Gribaudi, Maurizio. Paris ville ouvrière. Une histoire occultée (1789-1848),” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Journal (Fall 2017).
  • Invited – “Dumas, Alexandre. Correspondance,” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Journal 46.1-2 (Fall 2017).
  • Invited – "Désormeaux, Daniel. Alexandre Dumas, fabrique d'immortalité," The French Review. Vol. 90.1 (October 2016).
  • "Renaudeau, Olivier, ed. Mousquetaires!" @nalyses: revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (University of Ottawa) at <https://uottawa.scholarsportal.info/ojs/index.php/revue-analyses/index> (Hiver 2016).
  • Invited – “Filhol, Elizabeth. La Centrale,” The French Review (May 2011), 1332-1333.
  • Invited – “Schopp, Claude. Dictionnaire Alexandre Dumas,” @nalyses: revue de critique et de théorie littéraire (University of Ottawa) at <http://www.revue-analyses.org/index.php?id=1766> (Winter 2011).
  • Invited – “Jovicic, Jelena. L’intime épistolaire (1850-1900): Genre et pratique culturelle,” Cambridge Scholars Publishing, publisher’s webpage <http://www.c-s-p.org/Flyers/L-Intime-epistolaire--1850-1900---genre-et-pratique-culturelle1-4438-1867-4.htm> (February 2010).
  • Invited – “Masol, Chantal, ed.  Stendhal, Balzac, Dumas: Un récit romantique?” The French Review (April 2009) 1057-1058.
  • “Troyat, Henri. Alexandre Dumas. Le cinquième mousquetaire,” The French Review (May 2008), 1267-1268.
  • “Maund, Kari and Phil Nanson.  The Four Musketeers. The True Story of d’Artagnan, Porthos, Aramis & Athos,” The French Review (February 2008), 601.

Academic Translations

  • Invited - "Guignol and the Freedom of Speech" (12 pp) for Association des villes amies de la marionnette (AVIAMA), Festival Mondial des Théâtres de Marionnettes, November 2015, Charleville-Mézières, France.
  • Ecologie féministe: Révolution ou mutation and Le Féminisme ou la mort by Françoise d’Eaubonne for Barbara T. Gates’s “A Root of Ecofeminism: Ecoféminisme” (15-22) in Ecofeminist Literary Theory. Theory, Interpretation, Pedagogy, Edited by Greta Claire Gaard and Patrick D. Murphy. Champaign: U of Illinois Press, 1996.

Presentations

Organized Colloquium

  •  Invited – Co-organizer of three-day annual colloquium of the Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, June 2008.

Invited Presentations

  • “Noire et blanche: l’écriture de l’autre chez Alexandre Dumas” Colloquium on Alexandre Dumas, April 2022, Johns Hopkins University.
  • “Etapes touristiques et enchantements gastronomiques d’Alexandre Dumas,” for panel dedicated to Alexandre Dumas, directed by Daniel Désormeaux (Johns Hopkins University), Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2019, Florida State University. 

Selected Conference Papers

  • “Questioning the Present through Colonial Times: Identity in Au Service de la France”. Symposium on Media and Cultural Studies (SMCS), University of Sfax, Tunisia, November 2021.
  • “Détour(-nement)s et retour(-nement)s d’Alexandre Dumas dans la ville des Canuts,” Society of Dix–Neuviémistes (SDN), March 2021, Saint Andrews University, Scotland.
  • “Blacks, Jews, Gays, Lesbians, and Women: Un-/Discovering Otherness in Alexandre Dumas’s Novels and Travel Literature,” Nineteenth–Century Studies Association Colloquium (NCSA), March 2021, Virtual conference.
  • “Alexandre Dumas: Du mythe du pouvoir au pouvoir du mythe.” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), November 2020, rescheduled in 2021, Georgetown University.
  • “Etapes touristiques et enchantements gastronomiques d’Alexandre Dumas.” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2019, Florida State University.
  •  “Alexandre Dumas: Des barricades à la naissance d’un écrivain engagé.” Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2018, Scripps College and University of California, Riverside.
  • “From the Re-Enchantment of a City to the Disenchantment of an Author: Alexandre Dumas in Lyon.” Nineteenth–Century Studies Association Colloquium (NCSA), March 2018, Philadelphia.
  •  “Le rôle du poète: des Impressions en Suisse aux Trois Mousquetaires d’Alexandre Dumas.” International Conference on Foreign Languages, Communication, and Culture (WEFLA), April 2018, Holguín, Cuba.
  • "A Very Secret Service: from the Question of De/Re-Colonization to National Identity." Lincoln University of Pennsylvania International Conference, April 2017, Lincoln University.
  • "Des terrasses de Lyon à sa fange: perspectives de Dumas père, Michelet et Tristan." Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), November 2016, Brown University.
  • "Une épidémie dionysiaque: Guignol, marionnette lyonnaise." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), November 2015, Princeton University.
  • "Echapper à l'autorité? Les théâtres de Guignol au XIXe siècle." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2014, University of Puerto Rico.
  • "De la scène au public: Guignol, phénomène social dans la ville des canuts." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), April 2014, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England.
  • "' Ah ! borgeois [sic], mon estomac crie et la soif me coupe le sifflet! ': Guignol, marionnette des ouvriers lyonnais, de 1852 à 1870." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2013, University of Richmond.
  • "Gourmands, célibataires et viriles: les héros d'Alexandre Dumas." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2012, North Carolina State University.
  • "'Buvons, morbleu! Buvons frais! Buvons beaucoup!': quand héros et lecteurs dumasiens se mettent à table." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), April 2012, University of Limerick, Limerick, Republic of Ireland.
  • "La figure du bourreau chez Alexandre Dumas." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2011, University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University.
  • "Ce qu'il en reste: cadavres et héros dans La Reine Margot et La Dame de Monsoreau d'Alexandre Dumas." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), April 2011, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England.
  • "Fonctions de la poiésis dans La Tulipe noire d'Alexandre Dumas." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), March 2010, University of Bangor, Bangor, Wales.
  • "Pour un enseignement interdisciplinaire des Trois Mousquetaires." Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), within Congrès des sciences humaines et sociales, May 2009, University of Carleton, Ottawa, Canada.
  • "'Au pas, au trot, au gallop!': de la nécessité du cheval dans Les Trois Mousquetaires." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), March 2009, University of Bristol, Bristol, England.
  • "'Seuls des cow boys peuvent aimer Dumas': décalages de perceptions d'un auteur entre les sphères académique et publique." Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), within Congrès des sciences humaines et sociales, June 2008, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
  • "Héros ou anti-héros? Récritures et mémoire collective des Trois Mousquetaires." Society of Dix-Neuviémistes (SDN), March 2008, University of Manchester, Manchester, England.
  • "Types cognitifs et imaginaire collectif: Les Trois Mousquetaires ou la production d'un mythe littéraire." Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), within Congrès des sciences humaines et sociales, May 2006, University of York, Toronto, Canada.
  • "Héros et conventions: la pérennité du mythe littéraire." Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), within Congrès des sciences humaines et sociales, May 2005, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
  • "Panthéonisation des Mousquetaires et production d'auteur: le bicentenaire d'Alexandre Dumas père." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2004, Washington University.
  • "A Celebration in Double Discourse: The Bicentennial of Alexandre Dumas Père." Romance Studies Colloquium, October 2004, Montclair State University.
  • "Buveurs, mangeurs et bretteurs: Les Trois Mousquetaires ou l'identité dionysienne." Nineteenth-Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), October 2002, Ohio State University.
  • "Les Trois Mousquetaires ou le microcosme républicain." Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures, May 2002, University of Cincinnati.
  • "'Res Publica': Political Vindication in The Three Musketeers." Michigan Academy, March 2002, Central Michigan University.
  • "Jeux de miroirs dans la poésie de Colin Muset." Penn State French and Francophone Studies Colloquium, February 1999, Pennsylvania State University.

    Round Tables, Conference Sessions Organized and Chaired

  • “Dumas et les autres: 150 ans plus tard,”  at the Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), Georgetown University, November 2020, rescheduled in 2021.
  • “Urban Representations and Practices in French Literature and Culture” at the Nineteenth–Century Studies Association Colloquium (NCSA), Philadelphia March 2018.
  • Alexandre Dumas père at the Nineteenth–Century French Studies Colloquium (NCFS), University of Puerto Rico, October 2014.
  • “Mythes et littératures au/du dix-neuvième siècle,” Annual colloquium of the Association canadienne des études francophones du XIXe siècle (ACEF XIX), Université Concordia, Montréal, Canada, June 2010.

On Campus Presentations

  • “Alexandre Dumas: an Entertainer and an Agitator.” Department of Languages and Cultures Research Colloquium, April 2019, West Chester University.
  • "Myths and Textual Strategies: A Very Secret Service and the Question of National Identity." Research Colloquium, April 2017, West Chester University.
  • "Stereotypes about the French: Reality or American Creation?" IFEST, September 2015, West Chester University.
  • "The Production of a Popular Myth: Dionysus and Guignol." Research Day, April 2015, West Chester University.
  • "A Puppet, an Icon and a Literary Myth: Guignol and the City of Lyon." Research Day, April 2014, West Chester University.

Professional Affiliations

  • American Association of Teachers of French
  • Association des amis du roman populaire (France)
  • Association internationale des chercheurs en littératures populaires et cultures médiatiques (France)
  • Nineteenth–Century Studies Association (NCSA)
  • Société des Amis d’Alexandre Dumas (France)
  • Société des Dix-Neuviémistes (United Kingdom)

Other Interests

Cooking and enjoying a good meal with friends and family; reading fiction, history books and the news; interacting with dogs and any (friendly) furry friend; hiking in the mountains, swimming in lakes and seas, playing ping-pong, skiing, scuba diving, and driving sportscars.

Read more Faculty Profiles