Course Description
Major works, literary movements, and cultural background of the modern and contemporary periods examined within their specific historical contexts. Texts will include examples of poetry, prose, and drama. Given in Hebrew.
Athena Title
Modern Hebrew Literature
Prerequisite
HEBR 2003
Semester Course Offered
Offered every even-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students will learn how literary movements, authors, texts, and genres reflect and represent significant events and ideas of the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will gain historical and cultural knowledge and skills with which to interpret literary and non-literary writings within their socio-historic contexts. Students will situate literary works in their cultural, historic, and linguistic context. Students will develop the vocabulary, reading skills, literary terminology, and analytical techniques necessary to understand and discuss contemporary literary works.
Topical Outline
Focuses primarily on authors and literature from the periods of the Second Aliyah (1904-1914) and Israel’s War of Independence (1947-1949); to the New Wave (1960s-present). Early 20th Century S.Y. Agnon, Bialik, Ahad Ha-Am, Tchernichovsky Mid to late 20th century A.B. Yehoshua, Amoz Oz, Natan Yonatan, Yaakov Shabtai, Ephraim Kishon 21st Century Haim Be’er (explorations of religious communities in Jerusalem), Anton Shammas, Sami Michael (relationships between Jews, Arabs and Arab-Jews); Zeruya Shalev, Orly Castel-Bloom (Feminist perspectives), Batya Gur (popular fiction)