Just added: ENGL479T Contemporary Hebrew Literature Before and After

In this class we will consider Hebrew literature as separate from Israeli literature, from the turn of the twentieth century until the present moment.

ENGL 479T/ CMLT 498T / ISRL449L / JWST429LTuesdays 3-6What issues concerned Hebrew literature written before the establishment of the State of Israel, and what issues emerged in the literature written after the establishment of the State? In this class we will consider Hebrew literature as separate from Israeli literature, from the turn of the twentieth century until the present moment. What was the impetus for the revival of Modern Hebrew as a spoken, and not simply a sacred or scholarly tongue in the last century, and how was literary expression in Hebrew an integral part of that movement? How did the limitations of the Hebrew language as a modern mode of expression affect the kind of literature that was composed in Modern Hebrew during the years before the establishment of the State of Israel, and how did the literature change significantly once Hebrew was spoken? Throughout the semester, we will explore the impact of nationalism on literary production, and the nature of literary realism in a non-vernacular context. A variety of different genres will be studied: fiction, poetry, and essays will be complemented by relevant criticism.