Dr. Jennifer Tamas, Associate Professor of French at Rutgers University, explores the surprising and little-known original version of the 17th-century fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast," demonstrating its place in an "archive of refusal" that highlights the issue of sexual consent and women's right to say no. In her award-winning recent book, she shows how the "male gaze" has shaped the French literary canon, and reveals the ties between early modern literature and the #MeToo movement. 

Sponsored by the Dept. of Languages, Literatures and Culture, the Dept. of Women and Gender Studies, the Program in European Studies, and the Committee for Cultural Activities and Public Events.