Marion Duval

Originally from France, Marion Duval arrived in the United States to study at the University of Iowa in 2001. After earning her Master’s in French-English translation from the University of Picardie in 2004, she pursued her second Master’s Degree and then began her Doctoral Studies at the University of Iowa. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2011 and began teaching at the College of Wooster, serving as a Visiting Professor. From 2012 to 2014, she contributed to the Department of Modern Languages and Intercultural Studies at Salisbury University in Maryland before happily returning to the College of Wooster.

Professor Duval’s academic pursuits center on exploring the memory of the Second World War in French and Francophone culture, encompassing literature, film, theater, and bandes-dessinées (comic books/graphic novels). She navigates the intricate narratives of authors who depict the harrowing events of World War II through the eyes of the perpetrators (Nazis and collaborators), and also dissects the portrayal of sexuality within the realm of literary villains. In her latest research, Professor Duval investigates the enduring presence of colonial imagery in contemporary Franco-European comics. Her work highlights the critical oversight in confronting issues related to representation and the prevalence of racist imagery within the comic book industries of France and Belgium.