Although it is rare to see French literature in the French civilization syllabus, it is relatively easy to incorporate short stories into the course which allow for quick reading and discussion. It is best to choose the best writers, who communicate the spirit of the time in which they wrote, from the point of view of the artist rather than the historian, and it is also important to consider the range of possibilities that the readings offer. When presented in an appropriate sequence, the stories can illustrate the movement of time and the changes in society. Voltaire's "Zadig" criticizes religion and government, and satirizes traditional science, and his later "Candide" also illustrates the history and the spirit of the century, as did the work of Diderot and Montesquieu. The French Revolution inspired some authors, such as Bernanos, Balzac, and others, but only years after it occurred. Governmental changes and the Franco-Prussian War inspired Daumier, de Maupassant, and Daudet. Later in the nineteenth century, writers such as Zola and France addressed social questions, and others such as Proust and Gide became introspective and psychologically-oriented. The era of existentialism soon followed with Camus, Sartre, and Vercors. Quotations from the works themselves often reflect best the reality of the times, sometimes more faithfully than the historian can. (MSE)