French Civilization and Its Discontents: Nationalism, Colonialism, Race explores the ways in which considerations of difference, especially colonialism, post-colonialism, and race, have shaped French culture and French studies in the modern era. Rejecting traditional assimilationist notions of French national identity, contributors to this groundbreaking volume demonstrate how literature, history and other aspects of what is considered French civilization have been shaped by processes of creolization and differentiation.